25 Athletes Who Were Terrible Actors

Athletes may have been born with an exceptional talent in sports, but that doesn't always mean that talent will carry over into other professions. 

When actors are given a role or cameo in a movie, that performance nine times out of 10 is more cringe-worthy than notable.

There is a small proportion of athlete actors who can pull off decent performances in a movie or TV show, but for the most part, these athletes should just leave the acting to the professionals.

Here is a list of 25 of the worst athlete actors of all time.

25. Michael Jordan

Acting with imaginary cartoon characters may not be the easiest thing in the world, but Michael Jordan manages to give a flat performance in the 1996 Looney Tunes movie Space Jam.

24. Dennis Rodman

This is another prime example of why athletes should do what they do best and leave the acting up to the professionals.

While he may not be a pro at acting, at least he's not the very worst on this list.

23. Dan Marino

Dan Marino has guest-starred and acted in a variety of television shows and movies throughout his career, and the performances were always cheesy, especially in the Jim Carrey classic Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.

22. Ed Marinaro

He's known for giving mediocre performances in action-packed roles.

21. Bruce Jenner

Oh dear.

Maybe this one-time Olympic athlete should stick to reality television. His performance in this 1980s Village People tribute movie was awful.

20. Terrell Owens

Another example of why even media-loving and attention-seeking athletes like T.O. don't make great actors.

19. Lawrence Taylor

Lawrence Taylor may have been one of the greatest football players of all time, but he surely isn't one of the greatest actors of all time.

18. Shaq

Oh Shaq—while your acting performances may not be Academy Award-winning, they are entertaining, to say the least.

His best acting performance may have come in the 1990s movie Kazaam, in which Shaq plays a genie.

17. Rick Fox

He may have the looks to be in the world of television and movies, but not really the talent.

16. Merlin Olsen

Merlin Olsen may have been an amazing football player and NFL commentator, but his acting skills weren't quite as developed as his football skills.

15. Matt Nover

Oh, the great acting in this movie!

Matt Nover added to this media excellence with his awkward and flat performance.

14. Roger Clemens

This once great baseball player tried his hand at acting in a handful of movies but never really seemed to get the hang of it.

13. Brian Bosworth

Brian Bosworth's NFL career was short-lived thanks to persistent injury and controversy.

His acting career hasn't fared much better with a handful of really awful TV and movie appearances, like his infamous role in Stone Cold.

12. Brett Favre

Well, with all his theatrics surrounding his retirements, Brett Favre sure fits into the world of Hollywood. But he doesn't quite have the skill or talent needed to create a lasting career acting.

On top of it all, he sounds like he shot a Lunestra commercial right before shooting his Wrangler ads.

Real. Boring. Ads.

11. Wilt Chamberlain

There's a reason Wilt Chamberlain is one of the most well-known basketball players of all time and not one of the most well-known actors of all time.

10. John McEnroe

Tennis player, hothead...actor? Which of these titles doesn't seem to fit with this athlete?

While McEnroe may have been a talented tennis player, that talent didn't seem to transfer over into the world of acting.

9. Tom Brady

Entourage has tried on more than one occasion to bring athletes on the show, but most of the time these actors give awful performances even though they are playing themselves.

Tom Brady was no exception to that trend when he went on Entourage as himself.

8. Ray Allen

Ray Allen really should have kept his acting talents to himself after appearing in the 1998 movie He Got Game.

Even though he was playing a basketball player—something he was very familiar with—he still managed to give an awkward, horrible performance.

7. Bob Golic

Bob Golic had a great run in the NFL, but that success didn't transfer over into the world of acting.

With performances like the ones he gave on Saved by the Bell, I'm sure TV and movie directors weren't lining up to give him parts in their projects.

6. Bob Uecker

Over the top and cheesy are the only words to describe Bob Uecker's performance in the show Mr. Belvedere.

5. Alex Karras

This one-time football player turned actor should have stuck to the world of professional sport, it seems.

His performances in the show Webster were cringe-worthy, to say the least.

4. O.J. Simpson

This guy just can't seem to get anything right, including his acting career.

3. LeBron James

Oh, LeBron James. He has to be one of the flattest and most boring "actors" of all time.

He should probably stick to what he does best—breaking hearts and playing basketball.

2. Howie Long

He's got the looks and the fans, but not the talent. This former football player is by far one of the worst athlete turned actors of all time.

And Firestorm?

Try to sit through 15 minutes of it. I dare you.

1. Chris Bosh

He may be an amazing basketball player, but Chris Bosh is by far the worst athlete actor of all time.

His stellar performance on Entourage is what really helped push him over the edge and give him this title.