Fans love to match WWE programming comparable to that of “cinema”, but cinema is an entirely different beast compared to pro wrestling. This is in no way meant to discredit professional wrestling. It's live theater, at its core, and theater is a distant cousin of cinema, but films nonetheless present a unique challenge to competitors in the ring.
Not everyone has the talent to act or make films, including wrestlers, but those who managed to transform their charisma in the ring into films were always destined for success. It might not necessarily be for a striking leading role, but it could be for a scene-stealing cameo that leads to more. After all, The Rock's small role in The Mummy 2 led to star The Scorpion King. He went from tremendous matches in WWE to mega-blockbusters. Which other WWE Superstars have made notable cameos?
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Chris Jericho, Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP), Mark Henry, The Great Khali, Kane and The Big Show
MacGruber
Next to The longest yard, MacGruber probably has the biggest set of WWE Superstar cameos in one movie. The title character of this Saturday night live The spin-off begins the film with the recruitment of a team of special agents to take down Dieter Von Cunth. This team consists of Chris Jericho, Montel Vontavious Porter (MVP), Mark Henry, The Great Khali, Kane and The Big Show.
On paper, in wrestling terms, this seems like one of the biggest factions ever assembled, and the film treats the joining of forces like a big deal – until all the wrestlers are unceremoniously killed in a van filled with explosives. Keep in mind that this all happens in the first 15 minutes of the film and five minutes after the WWE Superstars first appear on screen.
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The Rock and Zelina Vega
Fighting with my family
Fighting with my family is a biographical film based on the life of Saraya Knight (also known as Paige in WWE) and a fictional adaptation of the 2012 documentary The fighters: fighting with my family. Dwayne Johnson was moved enough by the documentary that he was inspired to take steps as a producer to bring Paige and her family's wrestling legacy to the big screen.
The Rock also makes a cameo appearance as himself, meeting Saraya (played by Florence Pugh in her breakout role) early in her WWE career, backstage during a SmackDown taping. He inspires her to take her career to the next level. In the film's final act, they reunite backstage at WrestleMania XXX, where The Rock tells Paige that she will make her Raw debut the following night to fight AJ Lee for the Divas Championship. AJ, in turn, is played by former WWE Queen of the Ring, Zelina Vega.
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Roman reigns
Hobbs and Shaw
Speaking of The Rock, his film career outside of the ring has seen the former WWE World Champion spend the last decade as Luke Hobbs, who stole the show in Fast and Furious franchise. In the same year that Fighting with my family was released, the character Hobbs received his own spin-off film alongside Jason Statham, Hobbs and Shaw.
Practically serving as the real-life Head of the Anoa'i Family, The Rock goes to great lengths to ensure he can write a check to his other family members. In doing so, he gets on-screen work for his linemates, Roman Reigns. He is a distant cousin of Johnson, but in the film he plays his brother, Mateo. The cameo began a small and growing film career for Reignscontinuing with functions in Miss Wrong, Rumbleand the next To choose.
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Chris Jericho
Jay and Silent Bob reboot (and Terrifying 2 and 3)
To Chris Jericho's credit, the first WWE Undisputed Champion has carved out an impressive film career for himself. He was previously mentioned as one of the WWE Superstars in MacGruber, but has been in several major productions since then. More recently, he made a small cameo at the very end of Terrifying 2playing Adam Burke, a nurse at the Miles County psychiatric center. Terrible 2 Most surprising character returns in Terrifying 3though not for long, as he dies quickly.
Shortly before this, he makes a cameo appearance in Kevin Smith's eighth Askewniverse production, Jay and Silent Bob rebootwhere he plays a Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Jericho performing in all of these projects in unison proves that his new job with All Elite Wrestling allows him to balance his in-ring career with activities outside of the ring.
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Jeff Jarrett
Spring breakers
Are you excited about Jesus?
Few wrestling fans will be quick to rank Jeff Jarrett among the greatest WCW World Champions of all time, but that doesn't make his impact on the business any less important. The TNA founder has been especially close to his devout faith outside of the ring, even naming his daughter. Serendipitously, after Val Kilmer gave up reading for the role, Jeff Jarrett had the opportunity to bring his faith to a new venture: acting.
Selena Gomez's character Faith, the good girl in her group of bad friends, likes to attend Christian youth groups, and the youth pastor is none other than Double J. Her cameo is only there for a few minutes, but in that time , he delivers the absolute gem of a line: “Are you excited about Jesus?”
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John Cena
Barbie
At the top of his stellar film career, he stood out as a protagonist in projects such as Peacemaker, The Suicide Squad, Fastand The NavyJohn Cena also has a few cameos to his name. For many, what immediately comes to mind is his self-conscious presence in Fred: The Movie or gym rat Himbo Steven in Shipwreck. However, when it comes to his best brief performance, it's hard not to point to a more recent appearance in Barbie as Mermaid Ken.
The best part is that this participation almost didn't happen, as it wasn't originally planned in the cards. On the other hand, wrestlers are known for improvising on the spot, so when he and Margot Robbie were in London filming their respective movies at the same time, John Cena didn't hesitate to do so. Barbie cameo happen.
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Great Show
The water boy
Shortly before signing with WWE, Paul Wight (then known as The Giant in WCW) would find a new audience by appearing in one of the most beloved films of Adam Sandler's career. In The water boyhe would play Captain Insano, a professional wrestler who Sandler's character idolizes. While he is being interviewed on television (interestingly, by WWE interviewer Kevin Kelly), Bobby calls asking if his favorite wrestler wants to hire him as an experienced waterboy.
It's one of the most memorable and hilarious moments in the film. He left enough of an impression to start an acting career on Big Showincluding a short-lived WWE sitcom produced on Netflix, The Big Show.
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Hulk Hogan
Rocky III
Whether this is the best cameo by a WWE wrestler is up for debate, but it should certainly be recognized as cameo in the most important film in WWE history. Hogan jumped at the opportunity to appear in the second Rocky Balboa sequel, but then-WWE owner Vince McMahon Sr. had no interest in crossing over to Hollywood. As a result of Hogan filming the role, Vince Sr. released Hogan from his WWE contract.
However, he would soon be usurped in power by his son, Vince Jr., who purchased the company from Vince Sr. One of the WWE chairman's best business decisions, as the new owner was to rehire Hulk Hogan and, to capitalize on the stardom of being in Rocky III, would push Hogan as WWE Champion for several years.
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Randy Wild
Spider-Man
This is probably the first cameo that comes to most people's minds when asked which WWE Superstar had the best appearance in the film. Macho Man's cameo as Bonesaw practically took on a life of its own. Most people would understand the reference if someone walked into a random crowd and shouted, “Bonesaw is ready!” Randy Savage plays Bonesaw, a wrestler that a pre-superhero Spider-Man must fight in a cage if he wants to get paid.
Randy Savage finds a way to bring Macho Man's insanity to this character for the perfect type of typography. Savage has always been one of the most entertaining characters in the ring, delivering some of the best promos, but not WWE Superstar managed to recapture his gimmick in a completely new character on the big screen, just as Savage did as Bonesaw.