Jesse Ventura
Known for Acting · 113 credits
- Born
- 1951-07-15 (age 74)
- Place of birth
- Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Also known as
- James George Jano · The Body · Jesse "The Body" Ventura · Jesse Ventura · Surf Ventura
Biography
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.
Known For
TV Shows (27)
Raw
1993
as Jesse Ventura
The X-Files
1993
as Man in Black #1
Real Time with Bill Maher
2003
as Self
The Colbert Report
2005
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
2012
as The Finger (voice)
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
Renegade
1992
as Joe Don Butler
Hunter
1984
as Jesse / Phil Slade
WWF Superstars
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
WWF Wrestling Challenge
1986
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
Arli$$
1996
as Jesse Ventura
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
1985
as Jesse Ventura / Jesse "The Body" Ventura / Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentary)
Chelsea
2016
as Self
WWE Pay Per View
1985
WWE Old School
1973
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura / Jesse Ventura (Commentary)
WWF All-Star Wrestling
1975
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura / Jesse Ventura
Clash of the Champions
1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentary)
Tuesday Night Titans
1984
as Jesse Ventura / Jesse Ventura (Interviewer) / Jesse Ventura (Archive footage)
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
1981
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Mr. McMahon
2024
as Self (Archival Footage)
Hulk Hogan: Real American
2026
as Self
E! True Hollywood Story
1996
10 Things Every Guy Should Experience
2004
as Self
Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura
2009
AWA Arena Shows
1981
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Minnesota Experience
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Movies (86)
Predator
1987
as Blain Cooper
Batman & Robin
1997
as Arkham Asylum Guard
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
1988
as Baseball Announcer (uncredited)
Demolition Man
1993
as CryoCon
The Running Man
1987
as Captain Freedom
Major League II
1994
as White Lightning
Ricochet
1991
as Chewalski
Stuck on You
2003
as Jesse Ventura (uncredited)
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
2006
as Jesse Ventura
Repossessed
1990
as Himself
The Master of Disguise
2002
as Self (uncredited)
Joe Somebody
2001
as Himself
WrestleMania II
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator)
Beyond the Mat
1999
as Self
Saturday Night's Main Event XXXVII
2024
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun
1993
as DMV Testee
Andre the Giant
2018
as Self (archive footage)
9/11 Truth: Hollywood Speaks Up
2011
as Self
Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe
1990
as Abraxas
WCW Beach Blast
1992
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator)
No Holds Barred
1989
as Himself - Commentator #1
WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event
2009
as Himself
The Making of Trump
2015
as Self (archive footage)
The Best of the WWF: volume 20
1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
WWE SummerSlam 1988
1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Referee)
The Obama Deception
2009
as Self
The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
The Best of the WWF: volume 5
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Tagteam
1991
as Bobby Youngblood
WWE SummerSlam 1989
1989
as Jesse Ventura
WWF: It's Our Time
1999
as Jesse Ventura
Thunderground
1989
as The Man
WWF Hulkamania 2
1987
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
Most Unusual Matches
1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Hulkamania 4
1989
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
WWE SummerSlam 1999
1999
as Referee
The British Bulldogs
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (archive footage)
Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams
1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Best of the WWF Volume 1
1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Ringside)
Hulkamania 3
1988
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
Hulkamania 6
1991
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura - Commentator
Villains of the Squared Circle
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
WCW Clash of the Champions XXV
1993
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentary)
Demolition: Witness the Power
1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments
1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
The Ultimate Warrior
1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
WWE Royal Rumble 1988
1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentary)
Biography: Wrestlemania I
2022
as Self (archival footage)
AWA Super Sunday
1983
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
WWF Summer Flashback!
1997
WWE Hall of Fame 2004
2004
as Self
The Brains Behind the Brawn
1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
WCW SuperBrawl III
1993
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentator)
Woodshop
2010
as Mr. Madson
The WWF's Amazing Managers
1985
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
Jake "The Snake" Roberts
1987
as Self
Savage
1977
as himself
The Best of the WWF: volume 9
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!
1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
The Drunk
2014
as Governor Littleton
Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino
1986
The Best of the WWF: volume 13
1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
The Ken Patera Story
1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
WWE SuperTape: Volume 1
1990
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
WWE Hall of Fame: Jesse Ventura
2012
as Himself
The Best of the WWF: volume 19
1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
The Best of the WWF: volume 14
1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Tag Team Champions
1986
as Jesse Ventura
Hulk Hogan: Real American
1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
WWE Grudge Match
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '85
1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
This Was the XFL
2017
as Himself
The Claw
2021
as Himself
Wrestling Superheroes
1990
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Jesse Ventura Shocks the World
2024
as Self
Trump: Anatomy of a Man
2018
as Self (archive footage)
AWA Christmas Show 1983
1983
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Macho Madness
1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
If It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of 'Predator'
2000
as Self
WWE: The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA
2006
as Self
Women of the WWF
1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Wrestling Tough Guys
1990
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
AWA Christmas Night 1983
1983
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
About Jesse Ventura
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… With 113 credits spanning from 1973 to 2026, Jesse Ventura has appeared in 86 films and 27 TV shows.
Fans searching for Jesse Ventura movies, Jesse Ventura filmography, or the latest projects starring Jesse Ventura can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Jesse Ventura Movies
- Predator (1987) — as Blain Cooper
- Batman & Robin (1997) — as Arkham Asylum Guard
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) — as Baseball Announcer (uncredited)
- Demolition Man (1993) — as CryoCon
- The Running Man (1987) — as Captain Freedom
Where to Watch Jesse Ventura Films
Most Jesse Ventura movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Jesse Ventura, check our movies catalogue and browse page.