Hulk Hogan, who died Thursday at the age of 71, will be remembered as a true icon of professional wrestling. His extraordinary star power helped turn the fledgling wrestling industry into a global phenomenon that rivals traditional sports in reach, income and cultural impact.
As important as his wrestling legacy is, though, the man born Terry Gene Bollea also made a mark in other ways. These are some of the most memorable roles he played outside of the ring.
TV and movie star
Hulk Hogan, Madeline Zima in Mr. Nanny 1993. New Line/Kobal/Shutterstock
Hogan’s larger-than-life tough guy persona seemed a perfect fit for the hyper-macho aura that defined action movies of the 1980s and ‘90s. His first acting performance was arguably his most successful, when he played a wrestler known as Thunderlips in 1982’s Rocky III. He got his first starring role seven years later, again playing a character inspired by his wrestling persona, in No Holds Barred. The film was a commercial failure and was absolutely panned by critics. His next two movies, Suburban Commando and Mr. Nanny, received similar receptions. Hogan didn’t have much luck on TV either. His show Thunder in Paradise, which debuted in 1994, was canceled after one season.
Though his attempts to become a leading man failed, Hogan had a long list of memorable guest spots and cameos in a wide variety of projects over the decades, including Suddenly Susan, Muppets in Space and The Goldbergs.
Reality star
Terry (Hulk) Hogan sits surrounded by (l. to r.) wife Linda, daughter Brooke, 17, and son Nick, 15. They’re preparing for the second season of their VH1 reality hit, “Hogan Knows Best,” which airs on Sunday, March 19. Michael Albans/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
Hogan had much more success on the screen when he wasn’t playing a character at all. In 2005, VH1 aired the first episode of Hogan Knows Best, which chronicled his everyday life with his wife and two children, Brooke and Nick. The show was a big hit, bringing in the network’s largest audience ever for a premiere episode at the time. The show lasted for four seasons before being abruptly canceled amid a series of scandals within the family, including a car crash involving Nick Hogan that left his friend seriously injured.
Hogan Knows Best helped Brooke achieve modest success as a recording artist and as the star of her own reality show, Brooke Knows Best.
Media crusader
Terry Bollea, aka Hulk Hogan, takes the oath in court during his trial against Gawker Media at the Pinellas County Courthouse on March 8, 2016 in St. Petersburg, Florida. John Pendygraft/Getty
Hogan was at the center of one of the most important media legal battles in recent history. In 2012, the popular gossip and news site Gawker published portions of a video showing Hogan having sex with a friend’s estranged wife. With the financial backing of right-wing tech billionaire Peter Thiel, Hogan sued on the grounds that Gawker had violated his privacy and caused him emotional harm. A jury ruled in his favor, awarding him $140 million in total damages.
The case drove Gawker Media, one of the defining media brands of its era, into bankruptcy. Its flagship site was shut down in 2016. Some of its other properties — including Deadspin, Gizmodo and Jezebel — remained in operation under new ownership, but have never come close to achieving the heights they met while they were under the Gawker umbrella.
MAGA hypeman
Hulk Hogan speaks during a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024 in New York City. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
Hogan’s wrestling persona was emphatically pro-American, but politics wasn’t a major part of his personal brand until the 2024 presidential race. Last year, he became one of President Trump’s most vocal celebrity supporters. He touted “Trumpamania” during what Trump called an “absolutely electric speech,” at the Republican National Convention last July, in which Hogan revived his signature move of tearing his shirt to shreds. He put on a similar show during a Trump rally in New York a few weeks before Election Day.
“In politics, celebrity endorsements rarely go viral. But by thinking BIG — and retro … Trump’s team might have managed just that,” Yahoo’s Andrew Romano wrote after Hogan’s convention speech.
