6 former WWE Superstars who appeared in horror movies

Many WWE Superstars have made their way to the silver screen. It's a relatively common progression. We've seen several major successes in the past few decades as well, with the likes of The Rock, John Cena, and Dave Batista becoming box-office sensations.

Big Dave's even starring in the upcoming M. Night Shyamalan psychological horror film Knock at the Cabin, which should be interesting for better or worse depending on the kind of Shyamalan film it is.

We'll be going over several movies that current and former WWE Superstars and legends have appeared in. Some you may know, some you might regret learning about, and for those, I apologize.

Honorable Mentions:

Diamond Dallas Page- The Devil's Rejects (2005)
Dave Batista- Army of the Dead (2021)
Hornswoggle- Leprechaun Origins (2014)
Triple H- Blade Trinity (2004)
Bill Goldberg- Santa's Slay (2005)
Seth Rollins, Maryse, John Morrison, Kurt Angle, and Chris Jericho: Sharknado Series

Without further ado, let's get to it. Here are six former WWE Superstars who have appeared in horror movies.

#6. WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle: Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies (2013)

That's right, The Miz wasn't the first former WWE Champion to meet his end at the hands of a zombie attack.

Back in 2013, the Olympic Gold Medalist himself starred in a horror film called Pro Wrestlers vs Zombies alongside several other wrestling legends. Reby and Matt Hardy, "The Franchise" Shane Douglas, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan, and even "Rowdy" Roddy Piper joined Angle for this strange concept.

You might've heard of this one if you follow any wrestling-based YouTube channels like Brian Zane's Wrestling with Wregret or OSW Review. Considering the name, it's probably obvious to you that this is one of those "grab a drink and laugh" movies. Well, you'd be right to assume that.

It's by no means good, but if you're a lover of both professional wrestling and cheesy, gory zombie flicks, you'll get a kick out of this one.

While Kurt Angle isn't in it for long, we do get a chance to see him catch a zombie in an ankle lock so stiff it tears a foot off. He even hits one with the Angle Slam. For those alone, it's worth a watch. Soon after, though, he's taken down and bitten by zombies.

We did get to see a zombified Kurt hit the Angle Slam on Shane Douglas later on, but he's soon killed by Roddy Piper and Jim Duggan. The Wrestling Machine may not have been in it long, but if you're watching this to see a zombified Kurt Angle wrestle, you'll get your money's worth.

#5. Former WWE and AEW World Champion CM Punk: Girl on the Third Floor (2019)

A film as controversial as the man in the leading role, Girl on the Third Floor is CM Punk's first step into the world of horror movies. The AEW star has starred in three films since 2019, all in the same genre and all generally well-received by critics. However, horror fans are rather split on his first foray into the genre.

Punk stars as Don Koch, a man from Chicago who buys an old house hoping to fix it up to start a new life with his pregnant wife, Liz. He soon learns that the house has secrets, and is told that it has certain effects on men.

Don soon meets a neighbor named Sarah, who seduces him, leading to a moment of infidelity. The rest of the movie is about Don's attempt to keep this secret from his wife while the house's horrific past slowly comes to light, and how these two crimes intertwine.

If you're a fan of haunted house flicks, this might be up your alley, though it all hinges on your opinion of CM Punk in the starring role. The two-time AEW World Champion spends the majority of the film alone inside the house, so if you don't enjoy his portrayal, it's going to be a tough 90 minutes.

#4. Former WWE and AEW World Champion Chris Jericho: Albino Farm (2009)

You thought this was going to be about Sharknado, didn't you? Well, although Le Champion would probably appreciate that, it didn't make the list! Instead, we're going to be talking about Albino Farm, a 2009 horror film where a group of friends is working on a history project about "American customs."

They soon find themselves in a town called Shiloh where they're told of a local legend known as the "Albino Farm." After meeting several citizens of the town, who all seem to have some deformaty of some kind, they find a man named Levi, played by Chris Jericho. Levi agreed to take the group to the Albino Farm for $25 a pop and a little bit of skin.

It takes about two-thirds of the movie to get to anything interesting, but once the college co-eds start getting hacked and slashed by the "pig people" of the farm, it's surprisingly gory. By the end of the film, final girl Stacey escapes from the farm and stumbles into a white church tent where the entire town has gathered for service.

As Stacey tries to explain what happened to her friends at the farm, she realizes the entire town is deformed. It's not good, and the first-ever WWE Undisputed Champion is barely in the film. However, he's in this longer than Sharknado 3, so it makes the cut.

#3. WWE Hall of Famer Kane: See No Evil Franchise (2006-2014)

Anyone that watched WWE during the Ruthless Aggression Era knows about May 19th and what it means to the The Devil's Favorite Demon.

Former WWE Champion Kane starred in his first feature film which was released on May 19th, 2006. Originally looking to name it the Eye Scream Man and later Goodnight, they finally settled on See No Evil.

Kane taking on the role of a horror movie villain seems like a no-brainer, and paid off quite well. When fans saw brief glimpses of his gory killing spree on police officers and "delinquents" looking to turn his stomping grounds into a homeless shelter, they knew it was going to be a success.

While it was heavily panned by critics, the movie made more than double its budget at the box office, and the WWE Superstar would later star in a sequel.

Prior to the first film's release, Kane would go ballistic any time he heard the date, "May 19th." It was a trigger for WWE's Big Red Machine, as he'd lay waste to anyone that he saw once he heard it. It also tied into a storyline revolving around an Imposter Kane, which was quickly put to bed once the film was released.

As Jacob Goodnight, Kane used a hook and chain to pull his victims away from safety before tearing them to shreds. It was such an iconic look for the former WWE Champion that he even used the weapon in a few matches following the film's success.

The sequel, See No Evil 2, was a straight to VOD release on October 17th, 2014. Though it was monetarily less successful, it was more well-received by critics with an average of 60% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Neither film is groundbreaking in any way. They're both generic slashers with tired tropes most horror fans have seen before. However, adding a major WWE Superstar to the film does make them worth the watch.

#2. Jesse Ventura: Predator (1987)

The next two installments might be considered cheating depending on the way you define horror. But a disgusting looking alien brutally slashing through victims and leaving their skinned, deboned corpses hanging in trees? That works for me.

Predator is one of the most iconic films of the 1980s, and a lot of it has to do with the casting. Not only do you have Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, and Bill Duke in a military rescue team, but Jesse "The Body" Ventura is part of the crew and is packing a minigun. The WWE Hall of Famer has some of the best lines in the film.

As Blain, Ventura is an incredibly aggressive, macho heavy-gunning soldier who at one point exclaims, "I ain't got time to bleed!" Carrying his gun, Old Painless, he mows through a rebel militia camp with the rest of the team before being hunted by the Predator.

While it's not the goriest death in the film, Ventura is taken out quite brutally with a plasma bolt blowing a hole through his chest.

#1. "Rowdy" Roddy Piper: They Live (1988)

"I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick a**, and I'm all out of bubble gum." By the late eighties, Roddy Piper was trying his hand at Hollywood, and by his fourth film had a major hit.

Depending on your definition of a "horror movie," They Live may not meet the criteria. But for me, an alien invasion movie counts if the aliens are ugly enough. And to quote Piper in the film, "Real f***in ugly!"

Piper plays the lead, a drifter named Nada, who along with a co-worker named Frank (played by the legendary Keith David, who also provided his voice for the WWE Network's Monday Night War series) discovers that aliens have invaded the planet. Not only that, but they've inserted themselves into society with a radio signal that masks their true form.

When Piper puts on a special pair of sunglasses, he's able to see the creatures for what they are, and also notices that a lot of the advertising in the media is hiding the subliminal messaging of obey, watch T.V., or conform depending on the ads.

For a movie about Roddy Piper punching and shooting aliens, it's oddly political, going after ideas of the rich controlling the rest of the population and global warming. It's also one of the best movies on this list, and one that's worth checking out this October if you haven't seen it. It's by far the WWE Hall of Famer's greatest film.

What's your favorite horror film that stars a pro wrestler? Let us know in the comments!