10 Celebrities who switched careers to Sports and gained fandom ft. Jake Paul

A lot of prominent individuals have attempted new things, but only a few have truly pushed themselves to the limit. They’ve traded in film sets for fields, mouthguards for microphones, and red carpets for racetracks.

These 10 famous people teach us that following your sporting dreams is a never-ending quest. They’ve earned respect (and followers) by proving that passion and hard work extend beyond the stage—whether it's in the ring, on the court, or behind the reins of a horse.

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Top 10 Celebrities who switched careers to Sports and gained fandom ft. Jake Paul

1. Redfoo (Tennis Player)

Redfoo, a genuine tennis enthusiast, made his professional debut at the 2025 ITF M15 Sharm El-Sheikh tournament in Egypt. As one-half of the party anthem group LMFAO, Redfoo may seem an unlikely athlete, but his passion for tennis runs deep. Though he lost to 23-year-old Leyton Rivera, his dedication to the sport is long-standing—he's previously competed in the U.S. Open National Playoffs and dated former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka.

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2. Geena Davis (Olympic‑Level Archer)

After witnessing the 1996 Atlanta Games, Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis realized how much she loved archery. She trained for five hours every day, six days a week, and made it to national and international competitions.

However, she came very close to not being qualified for the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She once jokingly remarked that she takes everything too far, which shows that passion can lead you down great roads.

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3. Bella Hadid (Competitive Equestrian)

Lyme disease stopped supermodel Bella Hadid from wanting to be a horse rider when she was a child, but after her recovery, she went back on the horse. She had a break from competition in 2023, but in 2024 she came back and competed at the top level, making it to the finals of the Super Stakes Classic and winning the National Cutting Horse Association's LAE Rookie of the Year award for her great cuts.

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4. Idris Elba (Pro Kickboxer)

Known for playing gritty characters, Idris Elba went a step further by entering the kickboxing ring in real life. The docuseries Idris Elba: Fighter chronicled his training, which led to a first-round technical knockout victory. By transforming his fitness hobby into a real fight career in his thirties, Elba proved it’s never too late to chase a new passion.

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5. Cody Simpson (Olympic‑Aspirant Swimmer)

In 2019, pop star Cody Simpson went back to his early swimming days and trained with Olympians Brett Hawke and Michael Phelps. He made it to the Australian Swimming Trials twice (in Tokyo 2020 and 2024), and he set personal bests in the 100m freestyle and butterfly. Simpson didn't make it to the Olympics, but his rapid development showed that he wanted to be an athlete.

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6. Kaley Cuoco (Showjumping Competitor)

Before appearing on The Big Bang Theory, Kaley Cuoco, a former tennis champion, found calm by riding horses. She has both serious riding talents and a celebrity flair, and she has competed in various showjumping contests over the previous decade. Cuoco said that riding remains "the Zen part of my week" for her, although acting causes her a lot of stress.

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7. Jake Paul (Professional Boxer)

Jake Paul shocked a lot of people in 2020 when he gave up his cameras and became a Disney actor. He fought AnEsonGib as a pro in 2020, although he fought Deji Olatunji as an amateur in 2018. Since then, he has defeated well-known opponents including Nate Robinson, Ben Askren, Mike Perry, and Mike Tyson.

He has also gained a lot of fans via pay-per-view events and social media. Paul, who owns Most Valuable Promotions, a promotion firm, feels that boxing gave him a purpose in life.

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8. Mary‑Kate Olsen (Equestrian Competitor)

While filming Full House, Mary-Kate Olsen developed a love for horses. She began competing in 2013 and often appears at high-profile events like the Palm Beach Masters and Hampton Classic, balancing her love of fashion with equestrian pursuits.

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9. Tom Hardy (Brazilian Jiu‑Jitsu Practitioner)

Tom Hardy, who is known for transforming his physique for movies like Warrior, fell in love with Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Hardy didn't discover friendship and confidence in movie trailers. Instead, she found it on the mats at events like the Milton Keynes Brazilian Open, where her on-set training transformed into competition.

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10. Master P (Continental Basketball Association Player)

In 1998, Master P joined the Continental Basketball Association's Fort Wayne Fury after trying out. Following that, he attended NBA summer league camps with the Raptors and Hornets, played with the San Diego Stingrays, and briefly competed in the ABA. His ascension through the NBA ranks shows that popularity does not reduce the hard work necessary to compete at the top level.