Art and sports always go together on a two-way street. Whether they are athletes who become actors or artists who migrate to competitions, there are numerous instances of personalities who have achieved success on screens, theaters, and sports stages. From martial arts to racing circuits, meet six actors and actresses who have ventured, before or after their careers, in a high-profile sport.
Jason Statham (diving)
It’s no secret that the Hollywood star is an avid wrestler. After all, in most of the productions he’s been in, full of gunfire, explosions and lots of action, Statham ends up showing off his kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, kung fu and karate skills.
But what few people know is that he was a scuba diving athlete and was part of the UK team in sports for at least 12 years. During this period, he took part in a series of competitions, such as the 1990 traditional British Commonwealth Games, when he was 23 years old, placing eighth on the one-meter trampoline and eleventh on the three and ten-meter platforms.
Ronda Rousey (MMA and Judo)
Unlike Statham, the American fighter reached the cinema screens already known in the sports environment. Considered a legend in MMA, Ronda also excelled in judo, defending the colors of the United States at the Olympics in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008. She was a bronze medalist in the Chinese capital, as well as being second in the world a year earlier.
In 2014, she began her acting career, making her debut in theaters in “Os Expendários 3”. The following year, he had a role in “Fast & Furious 7” and acted in “Entourage: Fame and Friendship”. He also had roles in “Mile 22” (2018) and “Charlie’s Angels” (2019) and appearances in TV shows and series in his country.
Terry Cruz (American football)
The Michigan-born actor is best known for his characters Latrell Spencer in the film White Girls (2004) and Julius Rock in the film Everybody Hates Chris (2005 to 2009), and has also appeared in a number of highly successful film productions and television series.
But before he became known in the arts, Crews was a professional football player. A major in college sports, he played only 32 games in seven seasons (from 1991 to 1997) in the NFL, defending the Los Angeles Rams, San Diego Chargers, and Philadelphia Eagles. In 1995 he played for the Rheinfire team from Germany, but without much success.
Ben Affleck (Booker)
One of the greatest Hollywood stars to have attended the most important tables of the method, the protagonist of Batman and Argo has proven to the world that in addition to his talent in front of the cameras, he also has a career in mind sports, both in Online poker version (in online matches and tournaments) or in physical events.
No wonder, the American actor has already participated in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) competitions and won, in 2014, the California stage title. He even managed to combine his film career with his passion for cards by participating alongside Justin Timberlake in The movie “Runner Runner” (Aposta Máxima, in the Brazilian version), which talks exactly about online poker games.
Cayo Castro (Motorsport)
He is famous for participating in dozens of productions of films, series and series, in addition to presenting the reality show “Are You the One?” Brazil”, of MTV, Cayo Castro is also an action sports enthusiast and decided to invest in his dream of becoming a professional racing driver.
In addition to winning several awards in karting, he has often participated in the Porsche Cup National Championship. In 2021, he took his first GT3 Sport win over Interlagos, in the final stage of the season, Dose repeat in 2022 On the same track, now for the Porsche Sprint Challenge.
Renata Moore (kickboxing)
Created by TV Globo Actors Workshop, the actress is best known for her role as Juliana in the first season of “Malhação”, in 1996. Later, she recorded for other series and participated in programs on the Carioca channel, among other works on radio and theater.
But it was kickboxing that changed everything in his life. After joining sports in search of a new activity, he found happiness in sports and at the age of 41 he competed in his first competition. Since then, she has been the All-American Champion, a two-time Brazilian Champion and was considered the Best Athlete of 2019 in the Kick Light Master class. Today, she is part of the Clube da Luta (RJ) team and works as a presenter and commentator for the sports channel “O Lutador”.
Amelia Kensington is a contributor to Mediarunsearch.co.uk, covering a wide range of topics including news, politics, business, technology, sport, entertainment, and lifestyle. She focuses on delivering clear, balanced reporting and useful information that helps readers stay informed about current events and emerging developments. Her work highlights stories that matter to everyday audiences, presenting complex topics in an accessible and engaging way while maintaining a strong commitment to accuracy and relevance.