10 athletes who turned out to be great actors, from The Rock to LeBron James

Who made the list?

With Tom Brady making his biggest leap to the big screen with 80 for Brady, the history of athletes who turn to acting is getting another evaluation.

While some athletes don’t exactly make the leap to movies and television with much success, there have been some who have transcended their sport to really make a name for themselves in the acting world.

Some athletes have turned in amazing performances in classic films and T.V. shows, while others have really impressed by just playing a heightened version of themselves.

While a phenomenal actor like Kurt Russell played baseball for some time, we include actors below who got their start on a sports field before making jump to acting. Russell was a child star for Disney before making his debut on the baseball diamond.

Let’s break down 10 of the most successful athletes who have flipped over their talents into acting. (Sorry, Patriots faithful, TB12 didn’t make the cut.)