Pro Wrestling and the entertainment industry go hand in hand, which isn’t surprising given that pro wrestling has long been deemed as sports entertainment. With that being said, the world of television has long attracted many stars from the squared circles for small guest roles given the notoriety and celebrity factor of wrestlers.
Like any other major sport, wrestling stars clamor for crossover appeal, something to finally launch them into the stratosphere. Many stars have appeared on the small screen over the years to varying degrees of success.
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In this article, I look at the top 10 wrestler cameos on television shows. During my research I went through mounds of footage and countless articles before I finally managed to narrow it down to 10.
10: The Rock – That 70’s Show
The Rock in now a movie star, wrestling legend and a crossover phenomenon.
Long before Rocky’s ascent to mainstream greatness, he started off his mainstream career with cameos on television shows, including an episode of That 70’s Show. The entire episode focused on the gang heading out to a local wrestling show where The Rock portrayed his father ’Rocky Johnson’. It was all very meta.
The episode also had cameo’s by The Hardy Boyz, unrecognizable in normal wrestling gear, and a small speaking role for Ken Shamrock.
9: Jesse Ventura – Small Wonder
Small Wonder was a really popular sitcom that was on during the late 80’s. The show follows the family of a robotics engineer Ted, and the robot daughter he created, Vicki. Vicki looked like a small girl but had superhuman strength which led to hilarious escapades.
In one episode, Ted invites over his old college friend Wally to come over. The two haven’t met in years and Ted wants to apologize to Wally for making fun of him in college for being a weakling. Unbeknownst to Ted, Wally has grown up to become none other than Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura. Even though Ventura’s in ring career was over by then and he was an announcer, Ted’s children, who are all wrestling fans apparently, go absolutely nuts over Ventura’s appearance.
8: Kane – Smallville
Long before a ton of superhero movies came out every year, there was Smallville. The popular long-running series documented the life of a young Clark Kent before he became Superman. Kane appeared in a few episodes in season 6 of the show as Titan, humanoid alien who was inadvertently freed from the Phantom Zone by Clark Kent.
Titan was a fighter and the star of a secret fight club which had made him an internet sensation. Kane also made a cameo appearance in the series finale of Smallville.
7: Triple H, Mick Foley, Big Show and The Rock – Saturday Night Live!
Saturday Night Love is one of the most iconic shows in television history. The show has had an immense effect on pop culture. Over the years, the crème de la crème of the entertainment industry have hosted the show.
In the weeks leading up to WrestleMania 2000, The Rock hosted SNL and did an amazing job. However, the segment that stole the show involved cameos by his WrestleMania 2000 co-main eventers Triple H, Mick Foley and the Big Show. Triple H played his usual badass self while Mick Foley charmed with his self-depreciating humour. The Big Show, who hasn’t really done tv shows before this, impressed with his big kid gimmick and penchant for humour which he later incorporated into his wrestling persona.
6: Chyna – 3rd Rock From The Sun
There was a time when Chyna was one of the most over wrestlers in the WWE. She wasn’t just a superstar in the wrestling world, she was a mainstream star. She was Ronda Rousey before Ronda Rousey.
Even though Chyna’s fame as a crossover star wouldn’t last, she made several radio and television cameos at the beginning of the new millennium. Her most famous television cameo was on the wildly popular sitcom, 3rd Rock From The Sun as Janice, a police officer. She spoke a lot more than she’d ever done in WWE programming and fans were intrigued to see her in this new light. She genuinely came off as a nice and charming lady.
5: Hulk Hogan, Macho Man and the WCW main event scene - Baywatch
Baywatch was one of the television shows that was the signature of early 90’s television. The show followed the lives of lifeguards in California and their interpersonal; relationships. It revolved around beach related dangers and the California beach lifestyle from shark attacks to earthquakes and serial killers.
In a 1996 episode of the show, the WCW main event scene showed up on Baywatch. Ric Flair, assisted by Vader, played the villain who wanted to tear down the recreation center to build condos only to be thwarted by the Macho Man and the Hulkster. The ‘mouth of the south’ Jimmy Hart and Kevil Sullivan also made an appearance. It was a veritable who’s who of WCW programming.
4: Vader – Boy Meets World
Boy Meets World was a coming-of-age sitcom that ran on television in the mid to late 90’s. The show followed the growing pains a of a group of kids from middle school to the beginning of college. The show had quite a few famous cameos over the years, including wrestlers. The most famous wrestler cameo on Boy Meets World was Vader who played the father of school bully Frankie Stecchino Jr.
Vader appeared on Boy Meets World on three occasions, reprising the same character each time. Vader ended up playing a part in his sons battles every time and almost ended up wrestling children on-screen for some reason.
3: Rowdy Roddy Piper – It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia follows the lives of five underachievers who lack any moral compass. Their egoistic and selfish ways constantly lead to hilarious conflict between them. The show has always attracted a number of extremely popular guest starts including the late great Rowdy Roddy Piper in an episode in season 9.
The episode features piper as a down-on-his-luck ex-wrestler called Da Maniac who helps the boys put on a wrestling show for troops coming home. Plans go awry on the night of the show when Piper gets arrested for unpaid parking tickets and the boys have to wrestle as part of the show themselves.
2: Bret Hart – The Simpsons
The Simpsons is one of the most famous television shows of all time. It is also one of the longest running. There have been countless guest star on the show over the years including a number of wrestlers.
The most famous wrestler cameo in The Simpsons was Bret Hart playing himself in an episode where he buys Mr. Burns’ mansion. Bret was animated in his trademark pink wrestling outfit, something that he insisted upon. Bret even appeared on the cover of WWF magazine along with Bart Simpson.
1: Edge – Haven
Haven is a supernatural small town television series based on a novel by Stephen King. The show deals with strange events that take place in a fictional town in Maine called Haven. Season 2 saw the first cameos of Edge as Dwight Hendrickson as a fixer/clean up guy. His performance impressed producers enough to land him a permanent recurring role and his character eventually went on to become Chief of Police.
The role in Haven came soon after Edge had to announce his retirement, and Edge has said in the past that his acting role helped him cope with his forced retirement.
