best permorance by a real athlete in a movie (1 Viewer)

[TheLongshot]

Alex Karras is the first name that comes to mind, when talking about athletes in film. He really did some nice bit parts in a few films.

Another name that hasn't been mentioned is Fred Dryer, on the TV show Hunter. I had never known that he used to be a pro football player when the show was on.

Jason

 

[ZacharyTait]

Brett Favre in There's Something About Mary is good if just for his line to Matt Dillon.

Matt: "What the hell is Brett Favre doing here?"

Brett: "I'm in town to play the Dolphins, you dumbass."

 

[Kirk Gunn]

"The Admiral" in "Like Mike"... he allowed Bow-Wow to slam-dunk over him. That took some skill to let that happen !

 

[Dan Rudolph]

I thought Tara Lipinski was pretty good in Ice Angel, but I doubt many will agree with me.

If we're going to have a worst category, I'd say Shaq in most anything. The man just cannot act. he can't even play himself in Nestle Crunch commercials convincingly.

 

[Chris Atkins]

Does Sam J. Jones from FLASH GORDON count?

And what about OJ Simpson's turn in NAKED GUN?

Too bad someone already mentioned Kurt Thomas in GYMKATA...a real diamond in the rough that one.

And no Hoosier love for Matt Nover in BLUE CHIPS?

 

[DeanR]

Boxer Mark Breland who was in the movie Lords of Discipline.

 

[Chris_Richard]

Fred Williamson of all the blaxploitation films, the film MASH, and many other things was a star in the old AFL and had an infamous role in Super Bowl I.

I can't believe no one mentioned O.J. in The Towering Inferno

 

[Scott Shanks]

I thought John Matusak did an admirable job in North Dallas Forty. He didn't have a huge part but he showed some real passion when he went off on the assistant coach about wanting some feeling put back in the game, "Everytime we call it a game, you call it a business. Everytime we call it a business, you call it a game."

Alex Karras was also good in Against All Odds.

 

[Josh Campbell]

what about John Matuzek as Sloth in The Goonies?

 

[Ben Silva]

Jim Brown was great on West Wing as Adml. Fitzwallace.

The guy who played the rival jockey in Seabiscuit (I think his name is Gary Wolfe) did a pretty good job for it being his first time.

 

[DaveButcher]

Burt Lancaster, he was an acrobat before becoming a film star.

Although if your going for traditional/professional athletes, I've got to side with Jim Brown.