Wrestling can open doors far beyond the ring, from Hollywood to government to publishing. This list covers 10 WWE names who built notable careers outside wrestling. It overlaps with our look at stars who grew after leaving WWE, but here the focus is on what they did instead of wrestling.
- Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He made one of the most successful transitions from WWE to Hollywood leading man. He also has business interests and serves on the board of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE and UFC.
- John Cena. His performance as Peacemaker earned wide praise and ended debate about his acting ability, and he has appeared in DC and Fast and Furious films. Our look at how Cena changed WWE covers his wrestling side.
- Dave Bautista. His role as Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy launched a movie career that includes Blade Runner 2049 and Dune.
- Jesse Ventura. A former Navy veteran, he served as mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota from 1991 to 1995 and was elected governor in 1998. He also hosted his own TV show.
- Glenn Jacobs (Kane). He was elected mayor of Knox County, Tennessee in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, and he still appears in WWE sometimes.
- Mick Foley. The former Mankind, Cactus Jack and Dude Love built a post-ring career as an author, comedian and speaker, and his claim to fame outside wrestling includes children’s books.
- Stone Cold Steve Austin. He moved into acting after wrestling.
- Barbie Blank (Kelly Kelly). The former Divas star is listed among wrestlers who went on to act.
- Chavo Guerrero. The nephew of Eddie Guerrero is also listed among wrestlers who turned to acting.
- Trisa Laughlin (Belah McGillicutty). After her wrestling career, she wrote a children’s book, Gertrude the Great.
Several of them still return to WWE, so the line between “outside” and “inside” is blurry. Success is also subjective, and some entries rest on older list articles.
Sources: The Sportster, Sunday Guardian, Screen Rant, Total Pro Sports, ClutchPoints.