Hulk Hogan's Cameo As "Thunderlips" In Rocky 3, Explained
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Hulk Hoganis a well-known name in the world of professional wrestling. With a career spanning over three decades, he has become one of the most iconic figures in the industry. However, Hulk Hogan is not just a wrestler. He is also an actor who has made a name for himself in Hollywood. Over the years, Hogan has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows, showcasing his versatility as an actor. But not all of them were hits.
Hulk Hogan Became A Movie & TV Star
Hogan's acting career began in the early 1980s. He starred in No Holds Barred, a film that was produced by the WWE and remains hard to watch. Hogan played the lead role of Rip, a professional wrestler who is pursued by a ruthless television executive.
In the 1990s, Hogan continued to appear in movies while also wrestling on a part-time basis. He starred in movies such as Suburban Commando, Mr. Nanny, and Thunder in Paradise, which was a TV series that he also produced. All of them, while achieving moderate success, failed to impress Hogan's fans worldwide. But perhaps his biggest success in a movie role came with his first role ever, as he has a small part in Rocky 3 in 1982.
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Hulk Hogan Was Fired By WWE For Doing 'Rocky 3'
Hulk Hogan's appearance as Thunderlips in Rocky 3 in 1982 propelled him from being a wrestler to a renowned actor. However, surprisingly, it led to his release from WWE. Appearing on "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's podcast in 2019, Hogan disclosed why he got fired by Vince McMahon Sr. “The mindset back then wasn’t like it is now.” According to him, Vince McMahon Sr., who was the head of the World Wrestling Federation during that time, prohibited his wrestlers from accepting roles in movies. The situation reached a critical point when Hogan received a call from Sylvester Stallone, inviting him to feature in Rocky 3.
Hogan remembered that he thought it was a joke when the action star contacted him, but later realized that the offer was genuine. He eagerly accepted the chance to be a part of the movie, but his boss did not share the same level of excitement. “I told Vince Sr., ‘Hey, I got this call from Stallone. Back then, ‘78, ‘79, if you were a wrestler, you didn’t do TV. You didn’t go do a movie,” Hogan recalled. “If you’re a wrestler, you’re a wrestler.” Although Hogan considered that way of thinking to be quite savage, he eventually came to a decision. He accepted the offer to be in Rocky 3, which resulted in his termination from WWE.
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Hulk Hogan As Thunderlips in 'Rocky 3'
In his debut movie role, Hogan gave it his all. During the filming of his fight scene, the wrestler caused injuries to three men, sending them to the hospital, and even left Stallone bruised and beaten up. In an interview with Hogan, his former co-star and Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone revealed what it was like working with Hogan. “Truthfully, the hardest I was ever hit was actually by you, Hulk Hogan. We didn't put it in the movie because I was so traumatized.” Playing the role of Thunderlips helped Hogan gain fame not just among wrestling enthusiasts but also with a wider audience. After his appearance in the movie, Hogan returned to WWE in 1983, and his popularity skyrocketed as Hulkamania ran wild.
However, unlike other figures in the Rocky series, Thunderlips did not make another appearance after his first appearance. Stallone hilariously hinted that the character may have found a different career path.
“Thunderlips actually has moved on, became kind of a producer of adult films,” he joked. “He became Thunderhips, is what happened.” While Hulk Hogan's Hollywood career might not have been as impactful, his wrestling career helped the entire industry elevate to amazing heights.
