Wrestling stars who are smashing it in Hollywood

It’s no secret that the WWE wrestlers are great actors. It’s not just the physicality of their work that makes them popular with millions of fans around the world – they’re great actors too in the ring. They’re making the move over to mainstream acting, one movie and one series at a time, and we’re not just talking about those cheesy WWE Studios action movies either.

Here are the best shows and movies starring WWE wrestlers to stream on Showmax.

John Cena: Peacemaker

Christopher Smith, a.k.a. Peacemaker, is played by 16-time former WWE world champion wrestler-turned-actor John Cena, whose roles in films like Fast and Furious 9 and Bumblebee have earned him multiple People’s Choice, Teen Choice and Kids’ Choice nominations.

Peacemaker picks up where The Suicide Squad movie left off, with Peacemaker returning home after recovering from his encounter with Bloodsport – only to discover that his freedom comes at a price.

One of Rotten Tomatoes’ most anticipated series of 2022, The Suicide Squad spin-off series Peacemaker is now streaming first on Showmax.

John Cena is also in Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga.

Dwayne Johnson in Ballers

Dwayne Johnson cut his teeth in the WWE as The Rock. But that’s where he preferred to leave his nickname – in the WWE. Nowadays, Dwayne is one of the most bankable actors in Hollywood. In 2019 alone, he was one of the highest-grossing actors on the big screen, with his movies pulling in billions rather than millions.

That was without staring in his hit HBO sport dramedy series Ballers on Showmax.

You’ll also find him on Hercules, San Andreas, Snitch and Walking Tall.

Dave Bautista in My Spy

Dave Bautista has quietly been making his own mark in Hollywood, although he’s not as fame-hungry as The Rock. Like Dwayne, Dave comes from humble stock and grew up shunning the limelight. His parents were hairdressers and they lived in a poor suburb of Washington DC.

Dave’s first movie role was an uncredited wrestler in 2006’s Relative Stranger. And he followed his colleague into The Scorpion King franchise, playing warrior Argomael in 2011’s Scorpion King 3: Battle For Redemption.

And by 2020, Dave had a role in epic sci-fi videogame and book adaptation Dune, playing Glossu Rabban, a violent and sadistic planet-invading alien.

You’ll see him in My Spy on Showmax, a comedy about an ex-CIA agent who is asked to spy on a mother and her 9-year-old daughter. He’s also in action flicks Escape Plan 2: Hades and Escape Plan: The Extractors.