Sports Star or Hollywood Celebrity?

Is David Beckham a sports star or a celebrity? What about The Rock?

The leap from sports to Hollywood isn’t all that far, and in fact, a good number of sports stars have made it over the years. Some have so deeply immersed themselves in both worlds that it’s hard to give them just one label anymore. The more blurred the line, the harder it is to answer the question.

Clearly, these 13 stars have a place in both worlds, but what do you think of first when you hear their names? Sports or Hollywood? Which do you think most people would associate them with? Read on to get my verdict.

Gina Carano was once a dominant fighter with a 7-1 MMA record. A lot of people wanted to see her fight Ronda Rousey last year, but Carano has been out of the ring for several years working on an acting career.

Carano has appeared in the revitalized version of American Gladiators as well as several films, such as Fast & Furious 6 and In the Blood. There has been no confirmation of a return to the ring, but there have been rumors.

Verdict: Hollywood

Jason Statham doesn’t have quite the name recognition of others on this list, but you may have seen his face recently in Furious 7.

The British athlete-turned-actor was actually a pretty decent diver once upon a time. He was a member of the British national team and placed 12th in the 1992 world championships. But his Hollywood career surpassed his diving success long ago—he has dozens of film credits, including The Italian Job and The Expendables.

Verdict: Hollywood

Howie Long is an NFL Hall of Famer. He played for the Oakland Raiders franchise for 13 years, winning a Super Bowl along the way. He’s now an analyst for Fox Sports, but he’s done his share of acting too.

He appeared in Broken Arrow with John Travolta in 1996 and 3000 Miles to Graceland with Kevin Costner and Kurt Russell in 2001. He also played the lead role in the 1998 film Firestorm, but his acting career has pretty much sputtered out. 

Verdict: Sports

Before he was The Terminator, and long before he was the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger was a professional bodybuilder. In fact, he’s widely regarded as one of the greatest bodybuilders of all time, and he is credited with helping to change the face of the sport in the 1970s.

Despite that, and despite his political achievements, the man has over 50 film credits to his name—including blockbusters like True Lies and Total Recall. It’s hard to see Schwarzenegger's primary label as anything other than a Hollywood celebrity.  

Verdict: Hollywood

Stacy Keibler is a former professional wrestler, becoming a star with both WCW and WWE. However, since her last appearance in the ring in 2005, it’s been all Hollywood.

Keibler famously dated leading man George Clooney for two years and has several acting credits to her name as well.

Verdict: Hollywood

Chuck Norris is a martial artist, actor and the subject of many "facts."

Most probably think of him as an action star. His films include The Way of the Dragon and The Delta Force, and his name is synonymous with the long-running television series Walker, Texas Ranger.

That said, Norris is also a skilled martial artist. According to his martial arts organization, the United Fighting Arts Federation, Norris is a karate champion and accomplished teacher. He even created his own martial art, Chun Kuk Do.

Verdict: Hollywood

Michael Strahan had a wildly successful 15-year NFL career with the New York Giants. The seven-time Pro Bowler won a Super Bowl in 2007 and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2014.

Now, he’s the co-host of Live! With Kelly and Michael, and it’s possible non-sports fans may only know of him in this capacity.

Verdict: Sports

These days, Bruce Jenner is probably best known as the ex-family patriarch on Keeping Up with the Kardashians. However, he was once one of America’s best and most famous athletes.

Jenner won the Olympic decathlon in 1976 and instantly became an American celebrity. In 1991, he married Kris Kardashian, forming the foundation for what would become reality TV's first family. In 2007, Kardashians debuted, and that's pretty much all she wrote.

Verdict: Hollywood

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson played football at the University of Miami and won a national championship in 1991. He later went on to achieve fame in the world of professional wrestling.

In the 2000s, Johnson started to gain notoriety as an actor, starring in films like The Scorpion King, Gridiron Gang and, later, The Fast and the Furious series. While Johnson was certainly an athlete first, a younger generation may simply know him as that guy who stars in action movies.

Verdict: Hollywood

Anyone who has seen Major League knows Bob Uecker—he played the hilarious Cleveland Indians broadcaster, Harry Doyle.

In real life, Uecker played Major League Baseball for six years and has since become a legendary broadcaster for the Milwaukee Brewers.

Fun fact: He was also in Mr. Belvedere all six seasons. Still...

Verdict: Sports

Hulk Hogan, aka Terry Bollea, is one of the most famous professional wrestlers of all time.

However, like other wrestlers, Hogan has dabbled in other forms of entertainment. He had roles in several films, including Rocky III and Mr. Nanny, and his family was the subject of the reality TV series Hogan Knows Best. Oh, and he also used to be in a band.

Still, when people first hear Hulk’s name, I’m betting many of them think “wrestler.”

Verdict: Sports

Erin Andrews got her big break in sports when ESPN hired her in 2004 to cover the NHL. She gained notoriety working as a sideline reporter for college football and MLB.

In 2010, Andrews went a little Hollywood, joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars. She left ESPN for Fox Sports in 2012, and now she’s also a host of DWTS.

Verdict: Sports

Everyone knows David Beckham played soccer. He’s been one of the faces of the game for years. The British star captained England’s national team and played for powerhouses Manchester United and Real Madrid before coming to America, as they say, in 2007 to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Beckham is retired now, but even before his soccer career was over, he achieved fame as a celebrity endorser, model and Mr. Victoria Beckham. Not only that, but he’s been seen palling around with Hollywood types like Tom Cruise and Snoop Dogg.

Verdict: Sports