2014 Film Olympics: But can they act?

Posted Saturday, February 15, 2014 at 12:01 AM Central
Last updated Friday, February 14, 2014 at 5:29 PM Central

by John Couture

We all know that athletes are good at doing really amazing feats of strength, but can they act? In most cases, the answer is no and there are plenty of instances where that's the case.

However, in some rare cases, the acting is passable, or even good. Now, there's not too many ex-athletes that make a living on acting, but they often strike while the iron is hot and can cash in on their celebrity until we move on to the next hot thing on the list.

Well, this category recognizes both longevity and those one hit wonders. I think you'll find that either way, these athletes made as memorable a splash on the silver screen as they did in their Olympic events.

Here are the medal winners for best on-screen performances by an Olympic athlete.

BRONZE

Johnny Weissmuller. A bunch of Tarzan movies. I bet you didn't know that the man who would become synonymous with Tarzan got his start as an Olympic athlete. Yep, Johnny Weissmuller was five-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming. Perhaps Michael Phelps has a future away from the pool after all.

SILVER

Brian Boitano. OK fine, so he wasn't actually "in" South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut, but this moment was so classic that I made an exception. To be fair, Brian Boitano did have a bit role as a judge in Blades of Glory, for what it's worth.

GOLD

Who could ever forget America's sweetheart Mary Lou Retton as Tiny Tim? I know that I can't. If you're a fan of Scrooged (and really, who's not?), then you'll agree with me on placing this one at the top of the podium.

Another day and another round of medals. Here are the updated standings.

Tomorrow, we address the uniform controversy.