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
TV Shows(26)
Hulk Hogan: Real American
Self
2026
Mr. McMahon
Self (Archival Footage)
2024
Minnesota Experience
Self (archive footage)
2018
Chelsea
Self
2016
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Finger (voice)
2012
Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura
2009
The Colbert Report
2005
10 Things Every Guy Should Experience
Self
2004
Real Time with Bill Maher
Self
2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self
2003
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
Arli$$
Jesse Ventura
1996
The X-Files
Man in Black #1
1993
Raw
1993
Renegade
Joe Don Butler
1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
Clash of the Champions
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentary)
1988
WWF Wrestling Challenge
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
1986
WWF Superstars
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1986
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
1985
Hunter
Jesse
1984
Tuesday Night Titans
Jesse Ventura
1984
AWA Arena Shows
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1981
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1981
WWF All-Star Wrestling
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
1975
WWE Old School
Jesse "The Body" Ventura / Jesse Ventura (Commentary)
1973
Movies(86)
Saturday Night's Main Event XXXVII
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
2024
Jesse Ventura Shocks the World
Self
2024
Biography: Wrestlemania I
Self (archival footage)
2022
The Claw
Himself
2021
Trump: Anatomy of a Man
Self (archive footage)
2018
Andre the Giant
Self (archive footage)
2018
This Was the XFL
Himself
2017
The Making of Trump
Self (archive footage)
2015
The Drunk
Governor Littleton
2014
WWE Hall of Fame: Jesse Ventura
Himself
2012
9/11 Truth: Hollywood Speaks Up
Self
2011
Woodshop
Mr. Madson
2010
The Obama Deception
Self
2009
WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event
Himself
2009
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
Jesse Ventura
2006
WWE: The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA
Self
2006
WWE Hall of Fame 2004
Self
2004
Stuck on You
Jesse Ventura (uncredited)
2003
The Master of Disguise
Self (uncredited)
2002
Joe Somebody
Himself
2001
If It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of 'Predator'
Self
2000
WWF: It's Our Time
Jesse Ventura
1999
Beyond the Mat
Self
1999
WWE SummerSlam 1999
Referee
1999
WWF Summer Flashback!
1997
Batman & Robin
Arkham Asylum Guard
1997
Major League II
White Lightning
1994
WCW Clash of the Champions XXV
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentary)
1993
Demolition Man
CryoCon
1993
WCW SuperBrawl III
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentator)
1993
Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun
DMV Testee
1993
WCW Beach Blast
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator)
1992
Hulkamania 6
Jesse "The Body" Ventura - Commentator
1991
Ricochet
Chewalski
1991
Tagteam
Bobby Youngblood
1991
Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe
Abraxas
1990
Wrestling Tough Guys
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1990
Repossessed
Himself
1990
Wrestling Superheroes
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1990
WWE SuperTape: Volume 1
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1990
Hulkamania 4
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
1989
Thunderground
The Man
1989
WWE SummerSlam 1989
Jesse Ventura
1989
Demolition: Witness the Power
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1989
The Best of the WWF: volume 20
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1989
The Best of the WWF: volume 19
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1989
The Ultimate Warrior
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1989
No Holds Barred
Himself - Commentator #1
1989
The Brains Behind the Brawn
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1989
Hulk Hogan: Real American
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1989
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
Baseball Announcer (uncredited)
1988
Macho Madness
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1988
WWE SummerSlam 1988
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Referee)
1988
Hulkamania 3
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
1988
Women of the WWF
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1988
WWE Royal Rumble 1988
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentary)
1988
The Best of the WWF: volume 14
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1987
Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1987
The Running Man
Captain Freedom
1987
The Best of the WWF: volume 13
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1987
The Ken Patera Story
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1987
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
Self
1987
Predator
Blain Cooper
1987
WWF Hulkamania 2
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
1987
Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1987
The Best of the WWF: volume 9
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1986
The British Bulldogs
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1986
Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino
1986
Villains of the Squared Circle
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1986
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1986
WrestleMania II
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator)
1986
WWE Grudge Match
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1986
The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1986
Tag Team Champions
Jesse Ventura
1986
The Best of the WWF: volume 5
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1986
The WWF's Amazing Managers
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
1985
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '85
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1985
Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (archive footage)
1985
Best of the WWF Volume 1
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Ringside)
1985
Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1985
Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1985
Most Unusual Matches
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1985
AWA Christmas Night 1983
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1983
AWA Christmas Show 1983
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1983
AWA Super Sunday
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
1983
Savage
himself
1977