Wrestling and acting have more in common than one might think. No, this doesn't mean "wrestling is fake," it means that wrestlers have to do a lot of the same things actors have to. Wrestlers have to perform, and their performance has to invoke some type of emotion in their audiences. This is basically the definition of an actor's job.

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The only difference between the performances of wrestlers and actors is that an actor's costume doesn't always require tights or a Speedo. Actors sometimes also do their own stunts, and what better way to prepare for that than by learning how to take a body slam while staying in character as your wrestling persona? The point is, wrestling is the perfect place for an actor to get their introduction to fame and some practice for a Hollywood career. Of the many wrestlers turned actors, these are some of the most iconic.

8 Randy Savage

Savage didn't exactly have to do a lot of work to get into character for his cameo in Spiderman since he plays a wrestler. But Savage delivered a rage-filled performance that is both hysterical and intense. Savage acted in several TV shows as well, often playing himself or some variation of a super buff rage monster. Savage has also done a lot of voice acting, he can be heard in an episode of Dexter's Lab, King of the Hill and he played Thug in the Pixar movie Bolt.

7 Rowdy Roddy Piper

Piper became an icon among wrestling fans during his career and to horror fans when he became "Nada" in John Carpenter's alien classic They Live. The film features Piper saying one of the most famous lines in Hollywood history, "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum." Piper was famous in the ring for his taunting yells and his kilt.

6 Hulk Hogan

Hulkamania ran wild during Hogan's supreme reign on the wrestling scene during the 1980s and 1990s. Hogan branched into acting and mostly did comedies, often playing some sort of parody of himself. Hogan is a fond part of many millennials' childhoods thanks to his role in 3 Ninjas: High Noon At Mega Mountain, a popular straight-to-video sequel to 3 Ninjas.

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5 Jerry Lawler

Lawler earns a special place on this list because he proved he could act in a very unconventional way. Andy Kaufman's stand-up comedy depended more on performance art than it did traditional humor. Among Kaufman's many performances, his most iconic is probably the time he tricked America into thinking that he wanted to be a wrestler and had an intense rivalry with Lawler after Lawler "broke" Kaufman's neck in a match.

David Letterman brought the two on his show, with Kaufman in a neck brace, and the fight eventually blew up into a physical fight where Lawler slaps Kaufman and Kaufman throws coffee on Lawler. America was shocked a second time when they learned that Kaufman staged the whole thing, and both Lawler and Letterman were in on the joke. Lawler will forever be remembered for his part in one of the most shocking moments in TV history.

4 Andre The Giant

Andre the Giant was a villain in the ring and a staunch rival of Hulk Hogan's. But Andre won the heart of a generation with his performance in The Princess Bride. Andre played Fezzik, a Giant from Greenland who is introduced to the film as a kidnapper but turns out to be a sweet do-gooder who only uses his immense size and strength to protect his friends.

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3 Dave Bautista

Bautista was on the wrestling circuit for years but eventually went into acting, following the likes of Dwyane Johnson, Hulk Hogan, and the many others before him. Bautista worked here and there but it would be his role as Drax the Destroyer in Guardians of the Galaxy that turned him into a box office pull. Bautista has since been in movies like Stuber, My Spy, and Army of the Dead. He also plays Drax in several other installments in the MCU.

2 John Cena

Cena has shown that wrestlers turned actors can have range besides just playing tough guys and other variations of wrestlers. Cena was originally Dwayne Johnson's rival in the ring, and funny enough both became incredibly successful actors. Cena began acting when he starred in The Marine in 2006, and slowly but surely his credit list would grow and go on to include everything from superhero shows like Peacemaker to Amy Schumer comedies like Trainwreck.

1 Dwayne Johnson

Of all the actors who got their start in the ring, Johnson is probably the most notoriously successful. After his many bouts, he got into acting first by playing his father in a cameo on That 70s Show. Then after a successful round in The Mummy franchise, his credit list began to include many box office hits that would eventually help Johnson move on from his persona as "The Rock," and into his future as Dwayne Johnson. Johnson is now worth $800 million and he has several side businesses.