Best Athlete Cameos in Comedy Movies

Nothing beats having star athletes show off their acting talents, or lack thereof, in some hilarious comedies. Here’s a list of some classic appearances we have seen over the last 20 years.

Reggie Jackson: The Naked Gun (’88), Angels right fielder

While most baseball fans know Jackson as Mr. October, Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) knows him as the hypnotized baseball player who wants to kill Queen Elizabeth during an Angels game. Luckily, Drebin disguises himself as the home plate umpire and saves the day by taking out Jackson right as he gets ready to bust a cap in the queen.

Memorable quote (I think his only line): “I must kill the queen.”

Cam Neely: Dumb and Dumber (’94), as Sea Bass

Neely enjoyed a 13-year hall of fame career in the NHL, mainly as a member of the Boston Bruins. It was towards the end of his playing career that he starred as Sea Bass, the rowdy redneck who Harry Dunn (Jeff Daniels) hits with a salt shaker in their cross-country trip to Aspen. Sea Bass gets one upped in the end, however, as Harry and Lloyd use a clever trick to stick Neely with their dinner tab. Neely also made an even smaller cameo in a second Farrelly Brothers’ movie: Me, Myself, and Irene.

Memorable quote: “Who’s the dead man that hit me with a salt shaker?”

Brett Favre: Something About Mary (’98), as himself

Although pretty much the entire country is now annoyed with Favre’s female-esque, flip-flopping football career, he once killed it in a brief role as Mary’s (Cameron Diaz) former flame in this gut-busting comedy. Favre was Mary’s soon-to-be-husband before a fellow admirer sabotaged their relationship. When Ted (Ben Stiller) tries to win Mary, he finds Favre has come back to Miami to rekindle the flame.

Memorable quote: “I’m in town to play the Dolphins, dumb ass.”

Dan Marino: Ace Ventura Pet Detective (’94), as himself

Marino never got himself a Super Bowl ring over his illustrious career, but he did make a dynamite cameo in this flick when he was kidnapped by revenge-seeking former Dolphin kicker, Ray Finkle. Finkle is now deranged, underwent a sex change, and is now living large as Lois Einhorn, a higher-up on the Miami police force. Ace (Jim Carrey) saves Marino and the team mascot, and now the words “laces out” will be laughed about anytime an NFL kicker misses a clutch field goal.

Memorable quote (as Einhorn squeezes Marino’s balls): “Look lady, if you want tickets, you are going about it the wrong way.”

Roger Clemens: Kingpin (’96), as Skidmark

Clemens has experienced quite the fall from grace over the past few years, thanks to his propensity to lie about his use of the juice and his underaged booty call. Say what you will about the guy, he rivals Cam Neely for best willing-to-fight redneck in a Farrelly Brothers’ movie. Clemens threatens to whup up on naive Amish bowler Ishmael Borg (Randy Quaid) after Skidmark’s lady asks Ishmael for a dance. Luckily, Ishmael’s ‘coach,’ Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson), jumps in and knocks Ishmael out before Skidmark can tear him apart.

Memorable quote: “I can’t believe you would try to move in on my squirrel, I oughta stoot slap your ass right now.”

Lance Armstrong: Dodgeball (’04), as himself

Armstrong’s cameo is brief, but it may be the best of the bunch, as he calls out Peter LaFleur (Vince Vaughn) when LaFleur is in the midst of quitting the dodgeball tournament. While the movie is full of celebrity cameos, none beat Armstrong calling out LaFleur for being a quitter, even making light of his own battle with cancer. If only Armstrong would have called out the French for accusing him of cheating in the Tour de France, when in actuality all he was doing was kicking their ass up and down the Alps.

Memorable quote: “Well, I guess if a person never quit when the going got tough, they wouldn’t anything to regret for the rest of their life.”