AHC: Get a wrestler-turned-actor an Oscar nomination!

[TehIrishSoap]

Premise is simple- take a wrestler turned actor like Hulk Hogan or The Rock and get them an Oscar nomination!

 

[GTStinger]

The Hunchback of Norte Dame doesn't get filmed in 1939.
WWII delays the project until 1947 with Maurice Tilet retiring from wrestling to win an Oscar for his portrayal of Quasimodo.

 

[Deleted member 100251]

For Dwayne Johnson, you could try to do a Moana-wank.
If you give more power to the movie, he might've gotten an Oscar for his role as Maui at least somewhere at the 2017 Oscars.

 

[James Ricker]

Hulk Hogan is a musician/composer he could get a Oscar for a writing a movie soundtrack.

 

[MFP4073]

The fight scene between Roddy Piper and Keith David in "They Live" is appreciated for the true piece of art that it is and Roddy gets nominated.

 

[Meadow]

It's possible with a POD of today if Dwayne Johnson makes the right career choices. Look at Matthew McConnaughey.

 

[Heavy]

You could cast an actual wrestler in The Wrestler instead of Mickey Rourke? However, I'm not sure who'd be a good enough actor to pull it off. Maybe Roddy Piper? I don't know.

 

[Kung Fucious]

You could cast an actual wrestler in The Wrestler instead of Mickey Rourke? However, I'm not sure who'd be a good enough actor to pull it off. Maybe Roddy Piper? I don't know.

Roddy Piper seems like a good fit, he actually ended up putting in a good turn on It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, so it doesn't seem like too much of a stretch.

For the Rock, the Academy loves physical transformations and/or biopics, so there's a path for him right there.

 

[Heavy]

I think we're all forgetting WCW World Heavyweight Champion David Arquette, by the way.

 

[Heavy]

Excluding non-actors who have been nominated for or won (Dr Haing S. Ngor and Harold Russell) Academy Awards and just looking at performers from non-film media who have been nominated, the best precedent that occurs to me is Dexter Gordon receiving a nomination for 'Round Midnight, in which he played... a jazz musician. That's why I think the best bet would be a wrestler playing a wrestler.

Verne Gagne played a wrestler in a movie called The Wrestler in the 1970s when he was still AWA champion but it would need to be more of a heavy duty thing than that. It would need to be in the 1980s or 1990s; possibly the 2000s. I mentioned Piper and I think he's the best possibility without changing too much; he could've done it right up to the 2000s.

Frankly, though, he should've been nominated for They Live. He should've been recognised for his ass-kicking and (alleged) bubblegum-chewing skills.