Making Plays: A List Of Athletes Turned Actors

Jalen Brunson apparently decided an NBA championship wasn’t enough for one summer. After leading the New York Knicks to their first championship since 1973 and earning Finals MVP honors, the point guard has spent the offseason becoming one of New York’s most visible celebrities.

His latest stop was the set of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Brunson was spotted leaving the show’s New York set on September 16, just months after star Mariska Hargitay teased that the noted SVU fan could eventually appear on the series. Details surrounding Brunson’s role haven’t been revealed yet, but his presence on set certainly makes that long-discussed cameo look very real.

And television has pretty much become part of Brunson’s offseason at this point. Days earlier, he appeared alongside Hargitay in a prerecorded bit during the 2026 Emmys, and he’s also scheduled to host the September 26 season premiere of Saturday Night Live with KATSEYE as the musical guest. Throw in an ESPY win, a children’s book and seemingly nonstop appearances New York, and the Finals MVP has been keeping almost as busy off the court as he was during the postseason.

Whether Brunsn ever seriously pursues acting remains to be seen, but athletes making the jump from sports into Hollywood is nothing new. Some have been content with cameos that play off their famous personas, while others discovered an entirely new career once the games stopped. From NFL legends and NBA stars to wrestlers who became legitimate box-office draws, here are some of the most notable athletes who traded the field, court or ring for a movie set.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

Long before he became one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, Dwayne Johnson was one of WWE’s defining personalities. He eventually turned that charisma into a full-time movie career, leading franchises including Jumanji, Fast & Furious and Black Adam.