Top Athlete Movie Cameos Of All Time
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People love watching movies just like they love watching sports, but when the two are combined it's all the better. Some of the most talked about movie moments are ones that feature surprise appearances from athletes. While their acting skills may not be very strong, that's part of the charm of seeing them on the big screen.
Sometimes it's a quick moment that takes up a handful of seconds and sometimes it's a scene that steals the show but either way it's almost always going to be something funny and special. We may not get to everything, but here are some of the top athlete movie cameos from over the years.
Dan Marino in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
This is Miami Dolphins country, so why shouldn't we start with perhaps the best player to ever put on the aqua and orange. On its own Ace Ventura is one of the funniest movies you'll see but when you add Dan Marino to the mix it takes everything to another level. Marino was actually a big part of the storyline and while he only appeared in a handful of scenes, he give Jim Carrey a run for his money.
Rex Ryan in That's My Boy
When it comes to Adam Sandler movies, you either love 'em or you don't. This one had its moments, as they tend to do, but Sandler brought in his favorite NFL team's head coach for some very ironic humor. Up until a few months ago Rex Ryan was the head coach of the New York Jets, and one of the Jets' biggest rivals is the New England Patriots. In the movie, Ryan plays a New England attorney who also happens to be a huge Pats fan, with Boston sports paraphernalia decorating his office including a Tom Brady poster and Bill Belichick bobblehead.
Mike Tyson in The Hangover
The former champ isn't known for many of his talents outside of the boxing ring but that changed when he showed up in one of the funniest movies of its generation. Tyson combined his acting skills and his singing skills when he randomly showed up in The Hangover, jamming out to In The Air Tonight before knocking Zach Galifianakis' character completely out with one punch.
Derek Jeter in The Other Guys
You'll get no arguments over Derek Jeter being a first ballot hall of famer and one of the best Yankees to ever put on the pinstripes. His surprise appearance in the hilarious comedy The Other Guys, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Whalberg, is something that should not be overlooked. While Jeter only has one line, the scene as a whole is something that baseball fans, especially those in the Bronx, had to get a pretty good chuckle out of.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Airplane
Surely you didn't think that I could leave Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's cameo in Airplane off the list. This is another movie that is considered one of the funniest of its time, with Kareem's scene being one of the most memorable. Imagine if LeBron James showed up in a hilarious comedy pretending not to be LeBron James only to break his fake character and prove that he really is LeBron James. That's exactly what Jabbar did in Airplane. And don't call me Shirley.
Cam Neely in Dumb and Dumber
A common theme in Farrelly Brothers films, aside from them being really funny, is the use of pro athletes. Perhaps the most notable cameo in a Farrelly Brothers movie is Cam Neely's character Seabass in Dumb and Dumber. He's one of those characters that steal the show, with Neely's scenes standing out in a movie full of laughs.
Brett Favre in There's Something About Mary
"What about Brett Fav-ruh?" Similar to The Hangover, There's Something About Mary was one of the funniest movies of it's generation. Another Farrelly Brothers movie where an athlete cameo is as big a part of the film as the main characters, this one kept mentioning Mary's ex-boyfriend "Brett" but we didn't find out until the very end that it was actually NFL superstar Brett Favre.
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