Bayern Munich and England forward Harry Kane has joined the list of footballers who made appearances in movies, taking up acting roles.
Apart from their heroics on the field, footballers are known for their eclectic taste and desire for other adventures outside the confines of their sport. Acting and movie roles is one of their past-time adventures.
Active players may be limited by their careers and some usually went on to take up full-time acting roles after hanging their boots.
Notably, not all footballers wait till they wrap up their careers before making their acting debut. Neymar featured in the Xander Cage XXX movie while John Barnes appeared in a movie ad for Lucozade, and so on.
Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane is the latest entry on the list. The 31-year-old was recently made the face of 3bear – a German-British porridge company based in Munich.
Let’s take a look at some of these footballers who have made appearances in films during and after their careers.
Vinnie Jones
Jones has made an appearance in a plethora of films, reportedly appearing in as many as 109 productions.
British filmmaker Guy Ritchie was the one who saw a future on the big screen for the ex-Chelsea player.
He has gone on to feature in 90’s flick Lock, Stock and Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and X-Men. Jones is reportedly gearing up to make another appearance in The Gentleman, a Guy Ritchie movie turned series.
Eric Cantona
Manchester United and French legend Eric Cantona is one of the footballers who have made appearances in films.
The Frenchman retired relatively early at the age of 30, in a bid to pursue his acting passion. He made his Hollywood debut, playing a French ambassador in the movie Elizabeth. He has gone on to star in a plethora of French films since then.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
It was only going to be right that the enigmatic Swede decided to conquer the cameras.
The football legend has made his film debut in a new Netflix film, Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom.
He played the role of a Roman centurion and treated his fans to his fighting skills in one scene.
Ronaldo Nazario
The Brazilian is another big football name that has appeared on Television for reasons other than football.
The football legend played himself in an episode of the hit American cartoon, ‘The Simpsons.’
In the film, he showed up at a Lisa football match, claiming she’s a flopper. She later went down too easily following a sturdy challenge.
Ally McCoist
Rangers and talksSport legend McCoist appeared in the movie, ‘A Shot at Glory’ in 2000.
He starred as a fictional legendary ex-player of his real-life rival club Celtic, bearing the name Jackie McQuillan.
David Beckham
David Beckham is among the footballers who have made an appearance in film. No footballer has ever given off Hollywood energy as much as Beckham did.
His deep-seated talent for the cameras probably played a part in him being approached by Guy Ritchie. Guy Ritchie cast him as a projectionist in ‘The Man from U.N.C.L.E.’ and then as Trigger in ‘King Arthur: The Legend of the Swords.’
Frank Lebeouf
The World Cup winner starred in an Oscar-nominated movie based on Stephen Hawking’s ‘The Theory of Everything.’ He made a cameo as a doctor in the movie.
The ex-Chelsea defender had previously made his acting debut in 2001 in ‘Taking Sides.’
Pele
Pele is also among former footballers who have made appearances in movies. Arguably, the most famous footballer of the 90’s, it was only natural Hollywood would come calling for the services of the Brazilian legend.
The late football legend starred in the 1981 classic Escape to Victory – a film which included several other stars.
He played the role of Corporal Luis Fernandez, a captured POW during the Second World War.
Carlo Ancelotti
The current Real Madrid boss made an appearance in the hit movie, Star Trek Beyond in 2016.
The Italian made a brief cameo as a Doctor in Starbase Yorktown, sporting a Starfleet outfit as he examined an alien.
Ancelotti later expressed his pride in appearing in the movie, even though he considers himself a bad actor.
