“Never Give Up” was more than just John Cena’s WWE catchphrase it was the formula for wrestlers who would never be bound by the ring. In the last two decades, a slew of wrestling giants have stepped out of bounds, swapping body slams for blockbuster screenplays, and demonstrating that brawn and charm can interchangeably translate into actual Hollywood green.
They are not cameos or novelty roles. Several of them have established second careers as good as, and in some instances, greater than their in-ring celebrity. They’ve been superstars of billion-dollar film franchises, rebranded themselves for another genre, and in a couple of instances, set the acting bar high as a wrestler.
From action behemoths to comedy scene stealers, these are the wrestlers who made the transition and the moves that made them unstoppable on screen.
1. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson: Ring Legend to Global Box Office Powerhouse
Dwayne Johnson’s rise from WWE’s electrifying anti-hero to one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars is the stuff of entertainment legend. Known for his magnetic presence and relentless work ethic, he’s anchored mega-franchises like Fast & Furious, Jumanji, and Disney’s Moana. While critics note that many of his roles lean into a familiar persona, his ability to draw audiences worldwide is unmatched.
Not every one of his bets paid off Black Adam was expensive to produce, but didn’t quite work out but the fact that Johnson’s career has lasted as long as it has is proof. As WrestleZone noted, it got to the point that people literally begged him to run for U.S. president. That’s a testament to the cultural currency he has. Be box office record setting or jeremiading like a demi-god, Johnson set the gold standard for Hollywood grapplers.
2. John Cena: Comedy Saved His Career
John Cena’s early in-front-of-the-camera career was hit-or-miss, at least, with WWE-starring action movies such as The Marine and 12 Rounds being ruthlessly mocked in the critics’ pages. All that changed in 2015 when he made the transition to comedy, stealing scenes in Trainwreck, Sisters, and Daddy’s Home. Far from his giant of a man persona, he proved capable of delivering a punchline as tough as one of his trademark clotheslines.
That leap has created new opportunities into Blockers, within the Fast & Furious universe, and into headlining main man status for James Gunn’s Peacemaker. His street cred as a tough guy action hero and self-deprecation have made him one of the most bankable Hollywood body-slamming-to-the-big-screen types. His comedic timing is now its own standard issue and no longer an unsuspecting find, according to WrestleZone.
3. Dave Bautista: The Group’s Method Actor
While other pro wrestlers find their way to action-hero parts, Bautista has instead followed the path of versatility. His initial success as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy was wonderful deadpan comedy, but he’s also great dramatic, as seen in Blade Runner 2049 and Knock at the Cabin.
Bautista’s method is explored he’s lost weight off his WWE heights to be more energetic in the parts that he is able to play, something which has turned him into a chameleon with acting. He’s been very frank that he wants acting respect rather than bare box office draw, something which has won him acclaim from critics as well as directors.
4. CM Punk: Horror’s Unlikely Saviour
CM Punk, or Phil Brooks, is an independent horror leading man these days. With films such as Jakob’s Wife and Girl on the Third Floor, and TV guest appearances on Mayans M.C. and Heels, he has proven that he can finance black, offbeat material. In an interview with ET Canada, Punk compared moving from wrestling to acting as “going down the same street. just in another country,” highlighting the portability of acting ability from one medium to the next.
A personal and professional horror fan himself, Punk regards the genre as escapism, and that is something that also carries over to the sincerity of his work. To the fans, he’s a testament that post-WWE life does not necessarily have to go the blockbuster route.
5. Stone Cold Steve Austin: Brawler Turned Producer
Rascal charm proved useful in helping Steve Austin ascend to WWE legend status, and the same work ethic proved useful in the acting world as well. He played lead roles in action films such as The Condemned, provided some of the ensemble casting for The Expendables, and even ventured into producing. Despite his on-paper failure, he continued to head the pack in the thinking of the public with such shows as Stone Cold Takes on America.
Austin’s on-screen persona is the same as his wrestling persona grizzled, no-nonsense, and straight shooter. To his fans, to have “Stone Cold” bring the same attitude to television was only fitting, if not inevitable.
6. Ronda Rousey: From the Octagon to Ensemble Casts
Prior to WWE, Ronda Rousey was a combat sports celebrity, winning an Olympic bronze medal in judo and also dominating UFC. That warrior persona worked well for Hollywood glamour when she landed such films as The Expendables 3, Furious 7, and Mile 22. She has since had more lighter fare in Entourage and Charlie’s Angels.
Rousey’s athleticism lends credibility to her fight chore. Even less than she has honored acting as a work ethic equal to that of some co-stars, her crossover fan base is attractive, blending MMA, wrestling, and pop culture.
7. Roddy Piper: Cult Classic Cred
Long before wrestlers regularly crossed into Hollywood, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper proved it could be done with style. His starring role in John Carpenter’s They Live delivered one of cinema’s most quoted lines: “I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick ass. And I’m all out of bubble gum.” Piper’s charisma and edge made him a natural fit for genre films, and his work remains a touchstone for wrestler-actors.
Other than film business, his day job as a cast member of TV program It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia demonstrated that he can be funny. His immortalizing legacy is not in the ring but not outside of the blueprints which he had come up with for wrestlers who wanted to become cult stars on the TV screen.
It’s not a flash-in-the-pan wrestling mat-to-Tinseltown stage tale, but these seven stars show us that not only can it be done but that they’re kinda sorta actually good at it. With blockbuster domination, genre-breaking, or comedy scene-stealing, they’ve blazed trails to new universes of what it means to be a wrestling icon. To audiences, their stories aren’t pro transitions. They’re eyewitness accounts of the realization that the kind of reinvention is the championship win.
