Big Screen Athletes

Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank)- “Million Dollar Baby”: Boxing coach Frankie Dunn (Clint Eastwood) says he doesn’t train girls, but reluctantly agrees to show Maggie Fitzgerald the ropes after she impresses him with her gumption. Much to old Dunn’s surprise, Fitzgerald steadily works her way up the welterweight ranks and begins to make a name for herself. Things don’t go as planned when she gets a shot at the title, but Maggie got exactly what she wanted in the process. Swank took home the Best Actress Oscar for her pugilistic turn in the film.

Randy "The Ram" Robinson (Mickey Rourke) – “The Wrestler”: Over-the-hill but unable to make a living any other way, the sad story of washed-up pro wrestler Robin Randzowski (a.k.a. Randy "The Ram" Robinson) is an all-too-familiar one. Rourke’s heart-wrenching performance as “The Ram” painfully illustrates the sacrifices -- both physical and mental -- made by athletes in the pursuit of a sometimes unattainable goal.

Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) – “Rocky”: Philadelphia’s favourite cinematic son may not have been an Olympian himself, but the eternal underdog certainly had the competitive heart of an Olympic champ. Through hard work and dedication, victory, defeat, and even Mr. T, the boxer practically became the poster boy for overcoming adversity. The Italian Stallion even faced off against an Olympian or two in his time: the fictional Russian gold medalist Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV” and real-life bronze medalist boxer Antonio Tarver (as Mason "The Line" Dixon) in “Rocky Balboa.”

Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman) – “Slap Shot”: While hockey coach/player Reg Dunlop’s goon-like behaviour on and off the ice can hardly be called sporting, he and the players of the Charlestown Chiefs were busting heads and punching faces for a good reason. With the Chiefs due to fold at the end of the season, Dunlop does whatever he can to save the team – even if that means beating up the entire opposing team in order to score a goal. Olympic calibre hockey this is not.

“Mighty Steel Leg” Sing (Stephen Chow) - “Shaolin Soccer“: Kung fu and soccer together at last – just don’t expect it to become an official Olympic event any time soon! Master of the steel leg technique, Sing’s last hope for his dying martial art is to combine it with the game of soccer. What better way to showcase his style than by demonstrating the incredible ability to kick a soccer ball into low-Earth orbit? It’s hard not to feel sorry for the goalkeeper. Pelé’s got nothing on Mighty Steel Leg.

Steve Prefontaine – “Prefontaine” and “Without Limits”: It’s not often that two movies are made about the same person in less than two years, but Olympic long distance runner Steve Prefontaine is one of those people. Played by Jared Leto in 1997’s “Prefontaine” and Billy Crudup in 1998’s “Without Limits,” both films tell the story of Pre’s storied track and field career and tragic demise. Prefontaine has been nicknamed “the James Dean of track" because of his rebellious reputation and untimely death.

Jess Bhamra (Parminder Nagra) – “Bend It Like Beckham”: It’s a refrain that many Olympians probably live by: If you’re good at something, sometimes you just have to follow your instincts no matter what anyone says. Jess Bhamra’s conservative Sikh family have very specific ideas about what she is supposed to do with her life, and those plans don’t include playing professional soccer. But when Jess discovers she has a legitimate talent for football, she decides to disobey her family and pursue her dream.

Rick Vaughn (Charlie Sheen) – “Major League”: Appropriately nicknamed “Wild Thing,” Charlie Sheen’s character in the 1989 comedy “Major League” is strikingly similar to the actor himself – the only difference being that Sheen can’t throw a 100-mile-per-hour fastball. After starting the movie in prison, the troubled pitcher Ricky Vaughn is given a second chance by the struggling Cleveland Indians, eventually becoming their secret weapon. Speaking of “tiger blood,” Sheen recently admitted to using steroids for the role. Not very winning, Charlie.

Rod Tidwell (Cuba Gooding Jr.) - “Jerry Maguire”: Show him the money, Jerry! Cuba Gooding Jr.’s portrayal of the talented but overlooked wide receiver Rod Tidwell was the breakout role for the actor. With the help of his agent, Jerry Maguire (Tom Cruise), Tidwell becomes the player he was always capable of being and saves Jerry’s career in the process. While there’s no gold medal for playing a fictional football player, Gooding did take home the Best Supporting Actor trophy at the Oscars that year.