The multi-talent of celebrities is not new at all. There have been countless musicians who have made it big as actors. Then there’s a case of stand-up comedians building impressive and successful acting careers. And of course, who can forget actors who did well as a director or producer?

However, the athletes do well as actors, a very rare thing. First and foremost, they spend their prime doing their best in professional sports. And by the best years I mean youth, when they have the best looks and physical condition. If you spend most of your time honing your skills in each sport, you certainly don’t have time to flex your acting muscles. Then one could also argue that the athletes who have already demonstrated success in their respective sports do not have the necessary hunger and desire to become the best in their new career.

For these above reasons, the athletes who turned out to be great actors are a rarity that should be appreciated. And that’s exactly what we’re going to do in this article. I present to you the ten athletes who turned out to be great actors.

• Terry Crews

After retiring from the NFL, he carved quite an acting career for himself. He has demonstrated his versatility in acting by starring in action blockbusters such as ‘The Expendables’ as well as comedy hits such as ‘The Grown Ups 2’ and ‘The Longest Yard’ in the action comedy television series ‘Brooklyn Nine- nine”. His role as detective sergeant in the two-time Golden Globe Award-winning television series has been widely recognized. In 2015 he was nominated for the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series and for the Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Crews has certainly come a long way from its humble beginnings, when he was featured in several Old Spice commercials for their “Odor Blocker Body Wash”. However, it was his work on comedian Chris Rock’s semi-autobiographical sitcom “Everybody Hates Chris” that gave him a major break. Compared to his acting career, Crew’s NFL career hasn’t been as spectacular. In fact, he has claimed in an interview that he painted portraits of his teammates to supplement his income. During his six-year career, he served with the Los Angeles Rams, the San Diego Chargers, the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles. Compared to his acting career, Crew’s NFL career hasn’t been as spectacular. In fact, he has claimed in an interview that he painted portraits of his teammates to supplement his income. During his six-year career, he served with the Los Angeles Rams, the San Diego Chargers, the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles. Compared to his acting career, Crew’s NFL career hasn’t been as spectacular. In fact, he has claimed in an interview that he painted portraits of his teammates to supplement his income. During his six-year career, he served with the Los Angeles Rams, the San Diego Chargers, the Washington Redskins and the Philadelphia Eagles.

• Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell had a decent acting career. He started pretty early. He made his acting debut with a performance as a child in the pilot of the ABC Western television series Sugarfoot at the age of six. Of course, Kurt made it easier to have a father who was well connected in the industry. Kurt’s father starred in a number of sitcoms and films in the 1960s. Additionally, his father was a minor league baseball player and owner of the Portland Mavericks, the only independent team in the Class A Northwest League. This inspired Kurt to play in the minor league as well. In fact, boy scouts from leading baseball teams were interested in Kurt. But were concerned about his acting career as they thought it would get in the way of his acting career. Kurt didn’t have a shabby acting career, however. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his work in Silkwood, which was inspired by the life of Karen Silkwood. He also won an Emmy Award nomination for the TV movie “Elvis.”

• Vinnie Jones

Unlike some of the people on this list, VinnieJones had a stellar athletic career. The aggressive defensive midfielder has made around 400 appearances for various clubs including English football giants Chelsea and Leeds United. However, Jones is best known as a member of the “Crazy Gang” at Wimbledon. He won the 1988 FA Cup Final with the club. Between 1986 and 1998 he played over 250 games for the club. Jones started his new acting career the way he used to on the football field—with a bang. He made his film debut in Guy Ritchie’s crime comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, in which he played a mob enforcer. The film was both a commercial and critical success and gave Jones the best possible start. Directors tend to leaning heavily on the role of a tough man on the field and usually seeing him as a man with a fiery and dominating demeanor. During his impressive acting career he has worked with action legends such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham. He also appeared on the reality show Celebrity Big Brother 7 and placed third.

• Jason Statham

Just like his close friend Vinnie Jones, JasonStatham also got his big break in Guy Ritchie’s crime comedy Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. And it’s fair to say that Statham has built an even more successful career than his close friend. Jason Statham has not only emerged as a leading action hero but also as a heartthrob. His stunning looks and fantastic physique have made him a fan favorite among both men and women. His stunning physique is due to his love of sports. He was introduced to football by Vinnie Jones, who he grew up with. He played soccer for the local high school until he was 11, as his sole interest was scuba diving. He was particularly passionate about diving and used to practice daily to perfect his diving skills. He was a member of the British National Diving Squad for twelve years and represented England at the 1990 Commonwealth Games. Even his media career began with diving. While training at London’s Crystal Palace National Sports Center, he was noticed by an agency specializing in sports models.

• Jason Lee

Jason Lee had a cult following with his debut film himself. The romantic comedy ‘Mallrats’ was a huge hit and also marked the beginning of a close friendship between Lee and director Kevin Smith. The duo collaborated on a number of projects including Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks II and Chasing Amy. Lee even received an Independent Spirit Award for his performance in Chasing Amy. Lee is also known for starring in the NBC comedy series My Name Is Earl and playing Dave Sevilla in the Alvin and the Chipmunks film series. It’s not the first career Lee has made a name for himself, however. Before Lee became an actor, he was one of the top professional skateboarders of the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. He even co-founded a skateboard company called Stereo Skateboards with fellow skater Chris “Dune” Pastras in 1992. The company went under, but he managed to revamp it in 2003. Over the years, Lee has stayed in touch with his passion and even attended a skateboarding event organized by the Tony Hawk Charitable Foundation.

• Jackie Chan

There’s no way you can doubt Jackie Chan’s athletic abilities. He would have been an incredible athlete otherwise there’s no way he can pull off those amazing stunts. Over the course of his highly successful acting career, Jackie Chan has earned a reputation as one of the world’s finest martial artists. His acrobatic fighting style and crazy stunts, which he usually performs alone, have made him a cult star. Jackie Chan first honed his athletic and dramatic skills at the China Drama Academy, a Beijing opera school run by Master Yu Jim-yuen. Chan stayed at the academy for about a decade and excelled in martial arts and acrobatics. Chan also trained in the Korean martial art, Hapkido, under Grandmaster Jin Pal Kim. Chan eventually achieved a black belt. Jackie Chan has also trained in other martial arts such as karate, judo, taekwondo and jeet kune do.

• Arnold Schwarzenegger

This guy needs no introduction. And neither is the sport in which he excelled. In fact, the “Austrian Oak” is responsible for making bodybuilding a mainstream sport. Some pundits have even pointed out that the seven-time Mr. Olympia champion even managed to completely revolutionize the sport. Some of the exercises he invented to build big muscles are still performed by sports enthusiasts and professionals to this day. He has written numerous books on bodybuilding and his documentary, Pumping Iron, which chronicled his career as a bodybuilder, remains one of the most popular bodybuilding titles. Arnold began his career in 1982 with the film “Conan the Barbarian”, who relied more on his amazing physique than his acting skills. His next cinematic success was James Cameron’s sci-fi thriller The Terminator, which was a huge commercial success and received positive reviews for its acting. And after that there was no stopping Arnold, who always wanted to be a huge movie star. The former California governor starred alongside Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney in the fifth installment of the Terminator series in 2015. who always wanted to be a huge movie star. The former California governor starred alongside Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney in the fifth installment of the Terminator series in 2015. who always wanted to be a huge movie star. The former California governor starred alongside Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke and Jai Courtney in the fifth installment of the Terminator series in 2015.

• John Wayne

What an outstanding acting career John Wayne would have had. And it sounds a bit surprising that it wasn’t his first choice. In fact, he took up acting to earn some extra money that would help pay for his college tuition. Wayne wanted to be a professional soccer player and according to various sources he was a very good player. He attended the University of Southern California (USC) on sports sponsorship and played on the USC football team under coach Howard Jones. Everyone including Wayne had high hopes for his athletic career. However, he had a broken collarbone injury that kept his career on the heels. Wayne was so scared of Jones’ reaction that he couldn’t even identify the actual cause of the injury, which was a body surfing accident. However, the injury proved to be a godsend as losing football was a win for the film industry. Wayne won an Oscar and was a top box office hit for more than three decades. He was a national icon who embodied rugged masculinity. He was awarded two of the highest civilian honors – the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

• Sean Connery

Sean Connery’s acting credentials are all too well known. But did you know that the man who played James Bond in seven films was a professional bodybuilder? Connery began bodybuilding at the age of 18 and competed in several professional bodybuilding competitions. He even claimed to have placed third in the 1950 Mr. Universe competition. However, he later decided to quit the sport as he was regularly losing to the superior American bodybuilders. And they refused to participate in the physical activity as they would lose muscle mass. Connery was also a keen soccer player and could have played for the legendary Manchester United club. The story goes, Connery once played in a local match, scouted out by legendary Manchester United manager Matt Busby. Impressed by Connery’s physical prowess, Busby offered him a £25-a-week contract immediately after the game. However, Connery, who was 23 at the time, felt he was too old to have a good football career.

• Dwayne Johnson

I won’t write too much about Dwayne Johnson as he doesn’t need a description. The former WWE star has seamlessly transitioned into a Hollywood A-lister. He’s one of the most in-demand stars right now and has become a permanent fixture in some of the biggest films. According to Forbes magazine, he managed to transfer around $31.5 million. Not shabby at all.