Did you know these celebrities used to be great athletes?

You may recognize him from the series 'My Name is Earl', but Jason Lee had a boom in the 80's thanks to his fame as a professional skateboarder, even going so far as to have his own brand of sportswear. But in 1991 he made his debut in the movie 'Video Days'. Since then the opportunities on the screen have not stopped coming and Jason has taken advantage of each one of them.

The fine skill, stamina, and agility that Jason Statham displays in his movies is not movie special effects. In fact, the actor was part of the British National Diving Team, even participating in national competitions where he held an important place in the national ranking. However, cinema ended up capturing his attention more and his career as an athlete remained a beautiful memory.

You will remember Gina Carano for her role in 'Deadpool'. Well, the now actress has a career parallel to acting as a mixed martial arts fighter. Gina was placed among the most respected fighters in the octagon, suffering only one defeat against Cris Cyborg, after which she decided to retire and dedicate herself completely to acting.

Dwayne Johnson's history with sport began when he sought to be a professional player in the NFL, although he finally opted as a professional wrestler. He adopted the nickname 'The Rock', reaching the title of WWE Intercontinental Championship twice. However, after several injuries over the years, Johnson took advantage of his popularity and opportunities in the cinema to start an acting career.

Recognized for his role in 'Guardians of the Galaxy', 'Avengers' and 'Specter', Dave Batista had his beginnings within WWE. In fact, Batista became one of the stars of WWE, managing to obtain the champion belt six times.

Although Arnold Schwarzenegger is recognized as an action movie actor and politician, his career in the world of sports began first in American football, later in boxing and then in track and field. Of course, bodybuilding offered great success to the actor after winning more than 13 competitions, in addition to being crowned Mr. Universe. His film debut was in 1969, in the film 'Hercules of New York', although his boom within the industry really took off 1982 when he starred in the films: 'Conan the Barbarian' and in 1984 with 'Terminator'.

She won the Olympic medal at the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976, but years later she (then still Bruce Jenner) found her vocation on the big screen. 'Can't Stop the Music' was her first film and in 1992 Jenner married Kris Kardashian. In 2015 she announced her gender reassignment and starred in her own reality show.

You'll probably recognize him from his character as 'Apollo Creed' in the 'Rocky' movies, but Carl Weathers also made his way into the world of American football, both in the American and Canadian leagues. However, in 1974 he retired from the sport to start in cinema, although his fame didn't reach its peak until 'Rocky' in 1976 and 'Predator' in 1987.

Although Chuck Norris is recognized as one of the great icons of action cinema, his combat skills come from his experience as an athlete and karate practitioner. In fact, Chuck Norris was crowned karate champion, a title he managed to hold for six consecutive years.

She is possibly one of the most popular and recognized women in the UFC. In addition, she is the first woman who managed to win an Olympic medal in judo at the 2008 Olympic Games. However, Rousey tried her luck in the cinema and made her debut in 'The Expendables 3', later she starred in 'Fast & Furious 7' and little by little she been making more and better appearances in the world of cinema.

Terry Crews began his career as an American football player, playing in the major leagues of the NFL. However, his time in film and television made him decide his future profession, opting for acting and fame in the world of entertainment. His television debut was in 1999 in 'Battle Dome' and later in the series 'Everybody Hates Chris', while he made his film debut in 2000 with the film 'The Sixth Day'.

The actor stood out as one of the most recognized defensive midfielders in the Premier League in the 90's. Following his retirement from the field, Jones found a second chance at fame through film.