Hulk Hogan's most memorable movie roles, from ‘Rocky III' to ‘Gremlins 2'

Yahoo

3 days ago

Before Dwayne Johnson and John Cena found their way from the WWE ring to the big screen, Terry Bollea aka Hulk Hogan provided a case study in how wrestling stars could become movie stars. Hogan was a ubiquitous presence in movie theaters — and on TV screens — during the height of his fame in the 1980s and 1990s. He died at his home in Clearwater, FL on July 24 at age 71.
In his later years, Hogan was better known as a reality TV star, headlining the two-season VH1 series Hogan Knows Best and appearing on its one-and-done follow-up, Brooke Knows Best. He also had cameos on comedy series ranging from The Inbetweeners to The Goldbergs.
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But Hogan's movie roles remain the best examples of his outsized persona. Here's a recap of his most memorable film appearances.
Rocky III (1982)
Hogan first climbed into the movie ring with the third — and best — Rocky movie to knock Sylvester Stallone's southpaw boxer around in a boxer vs. wrestler match-up. While his superbly named alter ego is Thunderlips, he's basically playing Hulk Hogan. For moviegoers who weren't already following wrestling, it's a memorable introduction to his attitude... and size. Sadly, Hogan wasn't in supporting actor contention, but Rocky III's immortal title anthem "Eye of the Tiger" was up for Best Original Song.
No Holds Barred (1989)
Seven years after Rocky III, Hogan officially graduated from supporting actor to leading man in this kooky WWE-supported 'rassling picture. A brilliant bizarre cross between Rocky and Bloodsport, No Holds Barred casts him as Rip Thomas — the reigning champion whose title is threatened by a super-sized contender named Zeus (Tiny Lister). But the real star of the movie is Kurt Fuller as one of the best corporate weasels of the '80s.
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Did the Gremlins invent meta humor? The New Batch makes the case with Hogan's hilarious fourth wall-breaking cameo in which the wrestler single-handedly gets the movie back on track when those after midnight-feasting critters take over the projection booth. Fun fact: the VHS release of Gremlins 2 swapped out Hogan for a shootout with John Wayne. While it's a funny switch, we still prefer the Hulkster over the Duke in this particular case.
Suburban Commando (1991)
In the wake of Kindergarten Cop, other musclebound '80s action stars followed Arnold Schwarzenegger's lead and got into kiddie fare. Hogan made sure he was part of that trend as well, appearing in movies with titles like Mr. Nanny and Santa with Muscles. But Suburban Commando is the most successful of his PG-rated efforts, largely because he's surrounded by skilled comic actors like Christopher Lloyd, Shelley Duvall and Larry Miller who do a lot of the heavy lifting.
The Ultimate Weapon (1998)
Hogan's action movie swan song taps him as a Special Forces veteran dispatched on a high-stakes, high-body count mission involving rogue IRA operatives. In a sign of the late '90s times, the film skipped a theatrical run for a home video debut — a fate that befell other once-popular '80s stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal. The Ultimate Weapon is the last gasp of an entire era of action movies before The Matrix changed the genre's game.
Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)
Hogan's last credited movie role finds him providing the voice for an unseen television pitchman hawking a terrifying lawnmower that's guaranteed to strike fear into the plaster hearts of any gnome. It's one of the many retro jokes that's typical of this inoffensive animated babysitter, which received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song — a duet between Elton John and Lady Gaga that doesn't feature Hogan's vocals.
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