What actor portrayed his athlete character the best?

[dannyboy35]

  I’m going with Carl Weathers as Apollo May have been a football star but those punches looked so beautiful. 2nd goes to Thornton Melon- diving.

[Moranis]

Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund in the fighter is unrecognizable.  I know that isn't exactly what you were looking for, but he played that role perfectly.

I actually thought Will Smith did a good job as Ali.  He was fairly smooth in the ring.

[Roy H.]

Christian Bale as Dicky Eklund in the fighter is unrecognizable.  I know that isn't exactly what you were looking for, but he played that role perfectly.

I actually thought Will Smith did a good job as Ali.  He was fairly smooth in the ring.

Daniel Day Lewis in The Boxer, too.

Lots of boxing movies.

[boscel33]

I can think of a few, but Chadwick Boseman in 42 was really good.  Not an athlete but a coach, both Karl Malden and Kurt Russell do a good job with Herb Brooks, as do many of the hockey players and their characters.  Another boxing one is Robert De Niro in Raging Bull.  Didn't like the movie but he was good.

[Roy H.]

A bit obscure, but Barry Pepper was really good in 61*.

Robert Redford as some dude named Roy Hobbs.

Kevin Costner in Bull Durham.

The entire cast of Major League, lol.

[Rikibellevie]

Ian Cross as Eric Liddel in Chariot in fire. And then in a not such classic movie Doug E Doug as Sanka in rasta rocket, one of my favorite character when I was a child turining in a lifetime redit (Sanka t'es mort? Non men!)

[pearljammer10]

A bit obscure, but Barry Pepper was really good in 61*.

Robert Redford as some dude named Roy Hobbs.

Kevin Costner in Bull Durham.

The entire cast of Major League, lol.

Lol the entire cast of Major League was going to be my post.

Not exactly in the realm you want but Steve Carrell in Foxcatcher (as well as Tatum Channing and Mark Ruffalo) as John Du Pont and his recruitment for the 1984 Olympics is amazing. The movie itself drags a bit but the performances are out of this world.

Chris Pratt as Scott Hatteberg in Moneyball cracks me up as well. Brad Pitt also does an amazing job as Billy Beane. Really enjoy Moneyball.

My favorite "athlete performance" is Mickey Rourke in The Wrestler. He's incredible in the ring and out.

[footey]

DeNiro as Jake LaMotta (Raging Bull).  Also as Bruce Pearson in Bang the Drum Slowly, one of my favorite movies. 

[Roy H.]

https://youtu.be/_e7rmpjBSR8

[Neurotic Guy]

DeNiro as Jake LaMotta (Raging Bull).  Also as Bruce Pearson in Bang the Drum Slowly, one of my favorite movies.

I'm a big Bang the Drum Slowly fan and also a fan of young DeNiro.  But I think the gist of the OP was actors who seemed like athletes -- not necessarily the acting performance itself but really seemed like they were playing the sport with proficiency.   I think Michael Moriarty was better in this regard than DeNiro in BTDS.   DeNiro didn't seem like much of a ballplayer to me -- though his overall performance was good. 

I'd have to go back and look again, but I think Paul Newman and the Hanson brothers in Slapshot seemed pretty much in line with the athletics of their characters.

[nickagneta]

Does Kareem Abdul Jabbar as himself in Airplane count?

[Neurotic Guy]

Does Kareem Abdul Jabbar as himself in Airplane count?

Roger that.

[slamtheking]

  I’m going with Carl Weathers as Apollo May have been a football star but those punches looked so beautiful. 2nd goes to Thornton Melon- diving.

both Stallone and Weathers in the original Rocky were perfect.

Redford as Roy Hobbs in the Natural even though you can tell he's a good 15 years past the point where he'd be an 'elder statesman' of the game.

[slamtheking]

Does Kareem Abdul Jabbar as himself in Airplane count?

TP for the obviously best answer

[Roy H.]

Does Kareem Abdul Jabbar as himself in Airplane count?

Shaq in Blue Chips?