Menos Hiras on Athletes Who Turned to Acting

Something that Menos Hiras finds fascinating is the fact that his interests intersect whenever athletes make the transition from the big games to the big screen. Some athletes’ aura of celebrity simply becomes too much to contain into one field. Some athletes successfully made the jump to TV or movies and were somewhat successful at it, drawing in their sporting fans to the shows. Here are some noteworthy examples:

1. Jim Brown

Football fans will recognize this name immediately. Before he officially retired his spikes, Jim Brown was a three-time MVP running back and considered as one of the most famous football players who ever lived. Menos Hiras explains that retirement, Brown took on the big screen made a successful jump to Hollywood, appearing in the Dirty Dozen, the Running Man, and Mars Attacks!

2. Arnold Schwarzenegger

By far, the most famous example of athlete-turned-actor, the Terminator and former governor of California, was well-known for being a seven-time Mr. Olympia Bodybuilding champion before he became the action star we know today. Whether it’s Kindergarten Cop, the Terminator franchise, or the Expendables, he cuts a dominant figure on the screen.

3. Shaquille O’Neal

No list on athletes-turned-actors is complete without mentioning Shaq himself. Like the rest of his fans who follow his incredible backboard-breaking stunts in the NBA, Menos Hiras has seen Shaq’s foray into the acting world. He became a genie in Kazaam and a superhero himself in Steel. While Shaq has never quite gotten all that much praise for his acting, he certainly has a significant footprint in the entertainment industry.

Menos Hiras feels that celebrity that comes with excelling or being noteworthy in sport could very well be the stepping stone to other things. Youth and strength, along with a career in sports, can be fleeting after all. And if being successful in Hollywood is Plan B, he certainly won’t begrudge athletes for looking into it.