The Rock, Gina Carano and Ronda Rousey – WWE and UFC star fighters who became famous actors

A surprising number of professional fighters have successfully made the transition from the ring to the big screen. Find out how these three stars managed to excel in two fields, earning the acclaim of millions of fans of all ages and walks of life.

The Rock

Dwayne Douglas Johnson, better known as The Rock, was one of the most successful professional wrestlers of all time. His charismatic personality, coupled with his amazing fighting skill, brought in millions of viewers to pay-per-view events. The Rock became a two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion and a 10-time world champion, along with winning other awards over the years.

Even so, the ring was clearly not the extent of his ambition, and he ditched his wrestling career in favour of becoming one of the world’s most successful actors. His first movie, The Mummy Returns, wound up grossing more than US$335 million and earned him the Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain. Other acting jobs came pouring in, including roles in extremely successful franchises such as Fast & Furious and Jumanji. The Rock, who decided to use his given name for his acting career, is currently considered one of the highest-grossing actors in Hollywood.

Gina Carano

Gina Carano, a former mixed martial artist who was once known as “the face of women’s MMA”, has shaken up the movie industry by specialising in starring in badass roles. As critics have noted, she makes fight scenes in movies look real, giving the action genre an extra appeal and authenticity.

Her career in the movie industry started back in 2005 when she starred in Ring Girls, an action flick that, not surprisingly, is about Muay Thai fighting. Carano then went on to appear in the NBC show Crush and later starred in Blood and Bone, Haywire, Deadpool, and Fast & Furious 6. Her most recent role is that of Cara Dune in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian.