Johnny Weissmuller
34 movie credits (many playing Tarzan), 2 shorts, and 26 episodes of the Jungle Jim television series for this winner of five Olympic Gold Medals.
◄ IMDb Polls
Poll: Throwback: Olympic Medalists With Significant Acting Careers
Which Olympic medalist that went on to have a significant acting career (at least thirty films) is your favorite?
Discuss here: http://www.imdb.com/board/bd0000088/flat/247253385
Note 1: A career as a sports announcer, a reality show star, or a show host does not count as an acting career.
Note 2: Sonja Henie has only 14 acting credits. Bruce Jenner also has 14. Mary Lou Retton and Mark Spitz have 4 each.
Make Your Choice
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Buster Crabbe
115 total acting credits for this winner of an Olympic Gold Medal, including starring in the television series "Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion" and playing the roles of Flash Gordon and Billy the Kid in several films. -
Nat Pendleton
This Silver Medalist had a 32 year acting career with 113 film and television appearances in such movies as "The Thin Man." -
Bruce Bennett
This Olympic Silver Medalist has 147 different film and television credits (more than any other on this list), also playing the role of Tarzan and starring in films such as "Treasure of the Sierra Madre." -
Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe won gold in both the Pentathlon and Decathlon in the 1912 Olympics. He went on to a professional sports career and appearances in over 70 films (often uncredited). -
Dean Smith
Dean won gold in the 1952 Olympics in Track and Field. His IMDb posting gives him 91 stunt and 59 acting credits. -
Harold Sakata
Won a silver medal in weightlifting at the 1948 games. He went on to having 31 career acting roles, with the most famous (and his first) as "Odd Job" in "Goldfinger."
