Jesse Ventura
Acting
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (born James George Janos) is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler. After achieving fame in WWE, he served as the 38th governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. He was elected governor with the Reform Party and is the party's only candidate to win a major government office. Ventura was a member of the United States Navy Underwater Demolition Team during the Vietnam War. After leaving the military, he embarked on a professional wrestling career as a heel from 1975 to 1986, taking the ring name "Jesse 'the Body' Ventura." He had a lengthy tenure in WWE as a performer and color commentator and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2004. In addition to wrestling, Ventura pursued an acting career, appearing in films such as Predator and The Running Man. Ventura entered politics in 1991 when he was elected mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a position he held until 1995. He was the Reform Party candidate in the 1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election, running a low-budget campaign centered on grassroots events and unusual advertising that urged citizens not to "vote for politics as usual". In a major upset, Ventura defeated both the Democratic and Republican nominees. Amid internal fights for control over the party, Ventura left the Reform Party a year after taking office and served the remainder of his term as a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota. Since holding public office, Ventura has referred to himself as a "statesman" instead of a politician. As governor, Ventura oversaw reforms of Minnesota's property tax as well as the state's first sales tax rebate. Other initiatives he took included construction of the METRO Blue Line light rail in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area and income tax cuts. Ventura did not run for reelection. After leaving office in 2003, he became a visiting fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has since hosted a number of political television shows on RT America and Ora TV, and written several books. Ventura has been a prominent figure in third-party politics, having repeatedly floated the idea of running for President of the United States as an independent candidate. In late April 2020, Ventura endorsed the Green Party in the 2020 presidential election and showed interest in running for its nomination. He officially joined the Green Party of Minnesota on May 2. On May 7, he confirmed he would not run. The Alaskan division of the Green Party nominated Ventura without his involvement, causing the national party to disown it for abandoning its nominee, Howie Hawkins. Early life
Known for
Acting114
movieSaturday Night's Main Event XXXVII
2024
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
tvMr. McMahon
2024
Self (Archival Footage)
movieBiography: Wrestlemania I
2022
Self (archival footage)
movieThe Claw
2021
Himself
tvMinnesota Experience
2018
Self (archive footage)
Trump: Anatomy of a Man
2018
Self (archive footage)
movieAndre the Giant
2018
Self (archive footage)
movieThis Was the XFL
2017
Himself
tvChelsea
2016
Self
movieThe Making of Trump
2015
Self (archive footage)
movieThe Drunk
2014
Governor Littleton
tvTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
2012
The Finger (voice)
Woodshop
2010
Mr. Madson
movieWWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
2006
Jesse Ventura
movieStuck on You
2003
Jesse Ventura (uncredited)
movieThe Master of Disguise
2002
Self (uncredited)
movieJoe Somebody
2001
Himself
movieWWF: It's Our Time
1999
Jesse Ventura
movieWWE SummerSlam 1999
1999
Referee
movieBatman & Robin
1997
Arkham Asylum Guard
tvArli$$
1996
Jesse Ventura
movieMajor League II
1994
White Lightning
movieWCW Clash of the Champions XXV
1993
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentary)
movieDemolition Man
1993
CryoCon
tvThe X-Files
1993
Man in Black #1
movieWCW SuperBrawl III
1993
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentator)
tvRaw
1993
Jesse Ventura
tvRenegade
1992
Joe Don Butler
movieWCW Beach Blast
1992
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator)
movieHulkamania 6
1991
Jesse "The Body" Ventura - Commentator
movieRicochet
1991
Chewalski
movieTagteam
1991
Bobby Youngblood
movieWrestling Tough Guys
1990
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieRepossessed
1990
Himself
movieWrestling Superheroes
1990
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieWWE SuperTape: Volume 1
1990
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieHulkamania 4
1989
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
movieThunderground
1989
The Man
movieWWE SummerSlam 1989
1989
Jesse Ventura
movieDemolition: Witness the Power
1989
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieThe Best of the WWF: volume 20
1989
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieThe Best of the WWF: volume 19
1989
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieThe Ultimate Warrior
1989
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieNo Holds Barred
1989
Himself - Commentator #1
movieThe Brains Behind the Brawn
1989
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieHulk Hogan: Real American
1989
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieThe Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
1988
Baseball Announcer (uncredited)
movieMacho Madness
1988
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieWWE SummerSlam 1988
1988
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Referee)
movieHulkamania 3
1988
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
movieWomen of the WWF
1988
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
tvClash of the Champions
1988
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentary)
movieWWE Royal Rumble 1988
1988
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieThe Best of the WWF: volume 14
1987
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieWrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments
1987
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieThe Running Man
1987
Captain Freedom
movieThe Best of the WWF: volume 13
1987
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieThe Ken Patera Story
1987
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
moviePredator
1987
Blain Cooper
movieWWF Hulkamania 2
1987
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
movieBob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
1987
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieThe Best of the WWF: volume 9
1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieThe British Bulldogs
1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
tvWWF Wrestling Challenge
1986
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
tvWWF Superstars
1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieVillains of the Squared Circle
1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieRicky "The Dragon" Steamboat
1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieWrestleMania II
1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator)
movieWWE Grudge Match
1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieThe Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano
1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieTag Team Champions
1986
Jesse Ventura
movieThe Best of the WWF: volume 5
1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieThe WWF's Amazing Managers
1985
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '85
1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
tvWWE Saturday Night's Main Event
1985
Jesse Ventura / Jesse "The Body" Ventura / Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentary)
movieBob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (archive footage)
movieBest of the WWF Volume 1
1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Ringside)
movieWrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams
1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieWrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!
1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieMost Unusual Matches
1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
tvHunter
1984
Jesse / Phil Slade
tvTuesday Night Titans
1984
Jesse Ventura / Jesse Ventura (Interviewer) / Jesse Ventura (Archive footage)
movieAWA Christmas Night 1983
1983
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
AWA Christmas Show 1983
1983
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieAWA Super Sunday
1983
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
tvAWA Arena Shows
1981
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
tvMid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
1981
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
movieSavage
1977
himself
tvWWF All-Star Wrestling
1975
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura / Jesse Ventura
tvWWE Old School
1973
Jesse "The Body" Ventura / Jesse Ventura (Commentary) / Jesse Ventura (Commentary)