The 20 Best Performances by Athletes in Film

From "Space Jam" to "Any Given Sunday," what are some of the best on-screen performances athletes have put on?

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Complex Original

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It's easy to cringe at the idea of athletes crossing over and attempting to do film; successful music crossovers are rare enough as it is. But in addition to being able to achieve physical feats, the professional athlete's job is to entertain the audience. Some just happen to be able to do so through other avenues.

There were many performances to choose from for our 20 Best Performances by Athletes in Film, but what the rankings ultimately came down to was star power, how the athlete's presence contributed to the film, and just how good their acting skills were overall. We weren't expecting a Humphrey Bogart-esque performance from Terry Bradshaw in Failure to Launch, but the athlete should've been competent and performed as if he/she wasn't getting a check otherwise.

Ray AllenMichael Jordan, and Carl Weathers are all examples of athletes who did those three things in memorable fashion. Who are the other 17? Read on to find out.

20. Hulk Hogan in No Holds Barred

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19. Andre the Giant in The Princess Bride

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18. Brett Favre in There's Something About Mary

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17. Mike Ditka in Kicking and Screaming

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16. Terry Bradshaw Failure to Launch

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15. The Rock in Fast and Furious

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14. Alex Karras in Blazing Saddles

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13. Shaquille O'Neal in Kazaam

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12. Vinnie Jones in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels

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11. Jason Statham in Crank

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10. Jim Brown in Any Given Sunday

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9. O.J. Simpson in Naked Gun

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8. Bob Uecker in Major League

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7. Lawrence Taylor in Any Given Sunday

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6. Mike Tyson in The Hangover

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5. Carl Weathers in Rocky

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4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Airplane!

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3. Bruce Lee in Enter the Dragon

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2. Ray Allen in He Got Game

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1. Michael Jordan in Space Jam

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