Could Rob Gronkowski be the next Dwayne Johnson? Famous Hollywood producer believes retired NFL star could make it big in showbiz
Rob Gronkowski was one of the most charismatic players during his time in the NFL. His larger-than-life personality caught the eye of a Hollywood associate in the summer of 2011.
Henry Penzi saw the recently retired tight end as a movie star, similar to former WWE star-turned-mega actor Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Penzi met the tight end following Gronkowski finishing his rookie season with the New England Patriots.
Actor Mark Wahlberg invited the tight end to a charity golf event. It was one of the first instances Gronkowski had the opportunity to mingle with the Hollywood elite.
Penzi then saw the former Arizona Wildcats star have a specific charisma and confident amount of energy. Penzi saw the possibility of Gronkowski having a career in movies and television. He told Sports Illustrated:
“He goes, ‘Do you think I can do it?’ And I said, ‘Yes! You’ve got personality! Let’s give it a shot'. That’s how it all started.”
During the 2014 NFL offseason, Gronkowski appeared in the Entourage movie, based on the HBO show. After seeing the then-Patriots star in the film, Penzi began working with his Hollywood contacts, looking for more acting parts.
“It was just a lot of relationships that I had, I would pitch people: ‘Hey, look, Rob will be in town. Do you guys have something?"
As an NFL player then, Gronkowski’s schedule was already busy enough, having availability only during the offseason. Fast forward nearly a decade later, the four-time All-Pro has all the free time to pursue an acting career.
Rob Gronkowski retired prior to the start of the 2022-23 season after 11 seasons in the NFL.
Has Rob Gronkowski starred in movies since his second retirement from the NFL?
The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers star retired for the first time after the 2018-19 season. He's starred in films such as Boss Level with actor Mel Gibson and American Violence with actress Denise Richards. The former New England Patriots star recently acted alongside former teammate Tom Brady.
In the film 80 for Brady, Rob Gronkowski played himself as the film is based on the Patriots' victory in Super Bowl 51 over the Atlanta Falcons. Needless to say, we'll have to wait and see if Hollywood wants the story of the Buccaneers winning Super Bowl 55.