Very rarely do actors find immediate success in Hollywood. Even the most beloved actors have to accumulate many roles before becoming a household name, so fans likely have not heard of many smaller roles from earlier in their careers. This is most common with roles in poorly received films or shows that fade quickly from the public consciousness, or if the role goes against what audiences expect from that actor, like a friendly face who once played a villain.
One category of roles fans tend to forget is when their favorite stars played athletes in sports movies. Since sports movies are usually ensemble films, it’s easy for smaller characters to fade into the crowd. Fans also might have trouble recalling sports roles for actors who don’t typically play athletic characters. For whatever reason they were forgotten, enjoy these reminders of big-name actors in sports films.
Angels in the Outfield is a 1994 baseball movie which follows two young boys who frequently sneak into Angels games. When one of the boys, Roger, prays to God to help the Angels win, he begins seeing a group of actual angels who help out in future games.
While fans of the film might remember major stars like Danny Glover as the Angels’ manager or Christopher Lloyd as the head angel, the cast is full of far more recognizable names than most remember. For one, Roger is actually played by a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Many of the players on the team are also famous actors, such as Tony Danza, Matthew McConaughey, and Adrien Brody.
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Vince Vaughn is a well-known comedic actor, famous for his roles in movies like Dodgeball and Wedding Crashers. Despite his reputation for lighter fare, he has also done dramatic turns in True Detective and Hacksaw Ridge.
1993's Rudy is fondly remembered as one of the most inspiring sports films out there, but there’s likely a few reasons why most fans don’t remember Vaughn was in it. For one, his role as Jamie O’Hara, the Notre Dame tailback, was a minor appearance. Additionally, this was so early in his career he was credited as “Vincent Vaughn,” not yet settled into appearing under his now-common nickname.
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While Anthony Mackie has turned up in plenty of films, he’s most recognizable as Sam Wilson, the current Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Previously, Mackie worked on critically acclaimed films like The Hurt Locker as well as light-hearted romantic comedies like What’s Your Number.
In 2004, Mackie played a supporting role in the boxing movie Million Dollar Baby. The film, which starred Hilary Swank, Clint Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman, was very well-received, earning Oscars for Swank and Freeman as well as Eastwood for his directing. While Mackie gave a great performance, his minor part was overshadowed by these award-winning leading roles.
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Jason Bateman started acting when he was 12 years old on Seasons 7 and 8 of Little House on the Prairie. Since then, he has gained notoriety as a TV star for Arrested Development and Ozark, filling the gaps between TV shows with handful of comedy films like The Switch and Horrible Bosses.
Those who are used to Bateman’s recent streak of hilariously uptight characters might be surprised to learn that he played an athlete in Necessary Roughness. The film follows the Fightin' Armadillos football team's attempt to rebuild after a scandal. Suspended star players are replaced with a less-experienced squad, which explains how Bateman fits in as a performer not traditionally associated with physical roles. Due to heavy reliance on sports movie clichés, Necessary Roughness was poorly received, and few know that Bateman had anything to do with it.
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Walton Goggins has impressive range as an actor. He’s just as believable as Wade Felton, the devoted father in The Unicorn, as he is the deadbeat conman Baby Billy in The Righteous Gemstones. Goggins is also experienced in the Western genre from his roles in Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight.
Earlier in his career, Goggins starred in the third Major League film, Major League: Back to the Minors. The film was not nearly as successful or well-received as the first two installments of the series, possibly due to its nature as a stand-alone sequel rather than directly continuing the events of the previous films. Even after Goggins gained more star power, there wasn't much reason to revisit this film, making Goggins's appearance a footnote within his career.
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Nicolas Cage is an incredibly prolific actor, appearing in over 100 movies and TV shows with a wide range of genres. Cage is equally memorable playing wacky parts like his recent role as Dracula in Renfield, action heroes in movies like Face/Off, or even himself in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
With that volume of work, it makes sense that some of Cage’s less stellar characters have been forgotten. One such part is Cage’s role as real life sculler Ned Hanlan in The Boy in Blue. The film wasn’t well received by audiences, resulting in this performance fading among Cage's robust filmography.
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