10 Things You Didn't Know About George "The Animal" Steele

3. He Had An Acclaimed Role In A Major Film

george steele
Buena Vista Pictures

George Steele never did any acting during his career, but after he retired, he picked up a role that seemed tailor-made for him. In 1994's Ed Wood, Steele played wrestler-turned-actor Tor Johnson, who just so happened to bear an uncanny resemblance to "The Animal" - in fact, Steele was often mistaken for Johnson in the 1960s.

The movie told the story of the titular Wood, a director in the 1950s and '60s famous for his "B-movies" - some of which (including Plan 9 from Outer Space) are considered to be among the worst films ever made. Johnson was a collaborator of Wood's during his acting career, appearing in Plan 9 from Outer Space and Bride of the Monster.

The movie was a flop at the box office, but garnered significant critical acclaim. While Steele's role was small, he was praised for his work, portraying Johnson both on- and off-screen.

Contributor
Contributor

Scott Fried is a Slammy Award-winning* writer living and working in New York City. He has been following/writing about professional wrestling for many years and is a graduate of Lance Storm's Storm Wrestling Academy. Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/scottfried. *Best Crowd of the Year, 2013