From Adam Sandler to Zendaya: Grading 15 Actors’ Sports Skills in Movies

THR calls balls and strikes on the actors who deserve an MVP award for their athletic prowess onscreen — and those who needed a little more time in the minors.

Sports stories are a staple of the movie and TV business for a reason: They usually have clear stakes, inherent drama and easily identifiable heroes and villains, giving audiences characters to root for (and against). But with a handful of exceptions, actors in sports movies and series don’t always have athletic backgrounds, at least not at the level of the characters they’re portraying.

Rigorous training ahead of the cameras rolling can help, as can editing and other tricks of the trade, but not everyone can pull off the level of athleticism needed for audiences to fully suspend their disbelief. Here are some of the best, and a few of the worst, athletic performances in movies and TV. #sportsskillsinmovies #hollywood #michaelbjordan #adamsandler #zendaya #tvbuisness #tv #wqeb973newz

📝: @niya.wqeb973
📸: @niya.wqeb973

The Hollywood Reporter