During the 80s and 90swould Terry Boella take over the media world if Hulk Hogan. He first appeared in WWE and took over the professional wrestling world as its most prominent personality, selling tickets and becoming one of the longest reigning WWE champions of all time. Hulk’s success in the ring would lead him to venture into the world of Hollywood.
While most of Hulk’s movie roles would see him playing the part of a wrestling hero or a muscular character in a comedy, it became almost impossible not to know Hulk Hogan. Hulk Hogan was a multimedia phenomenon from his days in the New World Order to his time trying to take Thunder in paradise (1994) to the public on TNT. And while his resume isn’t as long as Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s, we’ll be looking at the best roles from his acting career.
6 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998)
In this comedy action movie, three young children take a break from their summer training as ninjas and throw their family at Mega Mountain. Tum-Tum, the youngest of the three, would enter his party with a depressed frame of mind, worried that his siblings would leave their training and Tum-Tum behind. In addition to his family problems, Tum-Tum also found out that his favorite action star, Dave Dragon, was about to retire.
Hulk Hogan would play Dave Dragon, and while his role would be mostly comedic, he was still able to tell a touching story about a hero who lost touch with himself and then lost confidence. After meeting the kids and witnessing the park guests being held for ransom, Dave regains his confidence and helps the three ninjas defeat the villains.
5 Suburban Command (1991)
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The early 1990s were full of science fiction movies trying to capture the same magic as the Alien franchise. With the New Line Cinema entry, this film was initially intended for Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny Devito. The two mainstream Hollywood actors decided to go in a different direction, and because timing was everything, Hulk Hogan had recently taken a break from in-ring competition after Wrestlemania VI.
Take on the role of Shep Ramsey, a space fighter who crashes to Earth after a failed mission. Despite his desire to continue his work, Shep is forced to take a vacation where he befriends Charlie Wilcox, a weak-willed man who strives to do better for his family. When Shep’s enemy comes to Earth and affects the Wilcox’s lives, Shep teams up with Charlie to save the day and teach Charlie how to stand up for himself.
4 Santa with Muscles (1996)
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Shortly after changing his status from one of the most beloved wrestling heroes to one of the most reviled, Hulk Hogan would take on the role of Blake Thorn, a selfish, arrogant man who breaks the law and tries to escape. During the chase, Blake suffers a head injury that causes him to suffer from amnesia.
However, having changed into a Santa Claus costume during his escape, amnesiac Blake thinks he is the real Santa Claus. Throughout the film, as Blake cheers the kids on, an evil scientist, Ebner Frost, tries to destroy an orphanage for his own selfish ends. When he regains his memory, Blake realizes how much a better person he was when he acted as Santa and would stop Ebner from destroying the same orphanage Blake grew up in.
3 Mr Nanny (1993)
After leaving the WWE in 1993, Hulk Hogan’s new film would see him play Sean Armstrong. Ironically, Sean is a former professional wrestler who, despite his specific skills, is looking for paid work outside the wrestling ring. Sean takes a job as a bodyguard and initially thinks he’ll be guarding the head of a tech company or the latest technology, but is instead hired to look after a few kids.
While the kids played multiple pranks on Sean, wishing their father would be more involved in their lives, Sean’s persistence would help the kids prove he’s not bad. Sean would also help the children get their father to listen to their wishes. After stopping an attempted robbery, the family reunites. Although the kids seem very attached to Sean, Sean’s work won’t be quite finished by the end of the movie.
2 No Barriers (1989)
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Hulk Hogan is the star of a movie for the first time. About five years after winning the WWE Championship, Vince McMahon would go all in on the patriotic superstar and invest in making Hulk a multimedia crossover superstar by making a movie built entirely around him. If you’re playing Rip Thomas, a professional wrestling champion who is at the top of the world, this role wouldn’t require much acting from Hogan.
Featuring a story of Rip dealing with the machinations of a greedy businessman, Rip would not only have to fight a brutal street fighter known as Zeus, but would also have to wait for time while his friends could get his girlfriend to safety. This film would have a significant impact on Hulk’s career, with the WWE bringing Zeus to life so he could challenge Hulk Hogan for the WWE Championship.
1 Rocky III (1982)
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Hulk Hogan’s first foray into the cinema was very risky. Upon leaving the WWE after Vince stated he didn’t want any of his talents to work in Hollywood, Hulk Hogan would make a special appearance in the third entry in the rocky franchisee. Hulk Hogan, who took on the role of a professional wrestler, Thunderlips, was set to make a major debut on the big screen.
Hulk Hogan would excel in this role, taking on Rocky in a cross-promotional show between boxers and wrestlers. While Thunderlips’ use of a steel chair would result in disqualification, all seemed to be going well between the two as Thunderlips stated that he was only doing this to promote a potential rematch down the line. This role would leave a strong impression on many in the wrestling and film industry, helping to launch Hulk’s career in both professions.