While some wrestlers have struggled to make the jump to the big screen, others have used their wrestling career to their advantage and found massive success in Hollywood.
Recognizing a WWE superstar in roles outside the company is always a welcome sight for wrestling fans. These occasions offer a true "IYKYK" feeling to wrestling fans who are aware of the actors backstory as opposed to those who do not know them. While the majority of these examples are live-action, several of these appearances have been in cartoon form as well.
10 Edge: Trailer Park Boys: The Animated Series
Edge, whose real name is Adam Copeland, has appeared in nearly 20 television shows and movies in his acting career. His most recent appearance was a cameo in season 2 of the animated Trailer Park Boys series where he played a character named "Sledge".
In the episode, Sledge wrestlers main character Julian, who is caught off guard by the violence associated with the "wrestling role" that he accepted. Julian of the original Trailer Park Boys surely must've been counting his blessings that the showrunners saved this bit for the animated version.
9 The Rock: Moana
One of the greatest success stories in WWE history, Dwayne Johnson made a seamless transition into Hollywood, becoming an A-lister before his wrestling career was even over. The "Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment" has also become one of the most recognizable figures in modern media, and he has lent his voice to several animated films.
His most noteworthy appearance as an animated character occurred when he voiced the powerful demigod Maui in Disney's 2016 film Moana. Interestingly, Maui's appearance was based on Johnson's grandfather Peter Maivia, who was also a famous wrestler and actual Samoan High Chief.
8 Kurt Angle: OK K.O.! Lets Be Heroes
The former Olympic gold medal winner has appeared in over a dozen films and TV series in his career. While most of his appearances have been short cameos, he had a slightly longer run (6 episodes) as the heroic Chip Damage in the Cartoon Network TV show Adventure Time.
The larger than life superhero character is one that Angle played for much of his career in the wrestling, so it is not surprising that the showrunners thought he was a good fit for the role.
7 Triple H: Surfs Up 2: WaveMania
Triple H, whose real name is Paul Levesque, was one of a handful of WWE stars who had a role in the 2017 film Surfs Up 2: WaveMania. His character in the film was named Hunter, based on his WWE name of Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and was a member of the intimidating "Hang 5" group.
Levesque has also lent his voice to several other cartoons, including Robot Chicken and two recent Scooby-Doo films.
6 Roddy Piper: Adventure Time
Piper, whose real name is Roderick Toombs, has an impressive track record of appearances in movies and TV shows. He has held several leading roles in films dating back to the 1980s, but he has countless contributing roles to his name as well.
The wrestling star had a role as Don John the Flame Lord in the Cartoon Network show Adventure Time. The former brawler also lent his voice to Robot Chicken and a 2011 Green Lantern superhero movie.
5 John Cena: Ferdinand
Cena, who looks like a rising star in Hollywood, is second to only The Rock when it comes to wrestling stars making a name for themselves in the film industry. The Doctor of Thuganomics has already held roles in dozens of film and TV shows, and that number is bound to go up with his recent departure from WWE programming.
He has already held several leading roles in his career, including when he played the happy-go-lucky bull named Ferdinand in the 2017 animated film. The movie received generally good reviews and was nominated for several awards.
4 Mick Foley: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Mick Foley voiced The Boulder in Nickelodeon's animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender. The Boulder is an earthbending professional wrestler who was based on The Rock.
Much like The Brahma Bull, The Boulder spoke in first person and was quick on his feet when it came to quips. Hearing Foley voice a character so widely influenced by his former partner brought back memories of the Rock 'n' Sock Connection.
3 Hulk Hogan: Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling
Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, is considered to be one of the most influential performers of all time, so it is only natural that he was able to make a seamless transition into his acting career. He has held several leading roles in TV shows and films that are directly about his life, but he has also had countless cameos in others due to his professional wrestling status.
The Hulkster appeared as himself in a 2011 episode of the Fox animated show American Dad!. In the episode, Hogan teams up with Stan and beats up a bunch of rich snobs in a bar. This was not the only time Hogan was involved in a dispute at a local bar.
2 Batista: TripTank
Batista, whose real name is Dave Bautista, has turned into an A-list actor since his role as Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. He also has several cameo roles contributing to his impressive resume, oftentimes playing an intimidating figure due to his large size.
While he has held several roles, his only animated one was when he had a cameo as the delivery driver in a season 2 episode of the Comedy Central animated series TripTank.
1 Ric Flair: Camp WWE
Unlike many others on this list, Ric Flair, whose real name is Richard Fliehr, never really attempted to have a career as a leading man in Hollywood. He has, however, enjoyed countless cameos as one of the most recognizable figures in wrestling history.
Camp WWE, which was created by Seth Green and is airing on the WWE Network, features a handful of WWE legends, including Flair. Flair has one of the most important roles in the series, as he is one of the camp counselors who also owns the title "Head of Laundry."