8 Actors You Didn't Know Were Wrestlers

3. Harold Sakata

Sabretooth X-men
United Artists/Big Men In Tights

Many year's prior to becoming the Goldeneye multiplayer cheater's avatar of choice - by way of his turn as bowler-tossing muscle to a nefarious chrysophile - Toshiyuki 'Harold' Sakata proved himself an equally tough customer in a wrestling ring.

After taking home the powerlifting silver medal at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London, Sakata turned his physical prowess to the squared-circle, competing around the west coast as Tosh Tonga in the '50s and '60s. He won various iterations of NWA's multiple regional straps, including a stint as NWA Pacific Northwest tag champ alongside King Curtis Iaukea.

It was after his non-fight with Milton Reid for the role of Oddjob that Sakata earned his greatest repute however, the turn catapulting him on to a far more lucrative acting career, highlights of which included working alongside thesp extraordinaire William Shatner and advertising Vicks cold medicine. Nothing to be sniffed at.

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Editorial Team
Editorial Team

Benjamin was born in 1987, and is still not dead. He variously enjoys classical music, old-school adventure games (they're not dead), and walks on the beach (albeit short - asthma, you know). He's currently trying to compile a comprehensive history of video game music, yet denies accusations that he purposefully targets niche audiences. He's often wrong about these things.