10 Acting Performances Way Better Than You Thought They'd Be

10. LeBron James - Trainwreck

Sports stars appearing in movies are usually reduced to little more than cameo roles, so it came as a surprise to many to find out that NBA superstar LeBron James had quite a hefty supporting part as the best friend of Bill Hader's character in this 2015 Amy Schumer vehicle. What turned out to be even more surprising was just how good he turned out to be.

In his first significant movie role, James blew Shaquille O'Neal's entire dismal filmography out of the water. Obviously, playing a version of himself wasn't the biggest test of the screen rookie's acting muscles, but Jame's wallet-forgetting, Downton Abbey-loving scenes showed he could more than hold his own against established comics like Hader and Schumer.

Given the list of professional athletes that have been painful to watch when cast in movies over the years (O'Neal, Larry Bird, Dan Marino, Dennis Rodman and David Beckham to name a few), James acquits himself incredibly well here with a natural and charismatic performance. The jury is still out on whether or not Space Jam 2 is a good idea, but Trainwreck marked a solid start.