Virgil Runnels
Known for Acting · 147 credits
- Born
- 1945-10-12
- Died
- 2015-06-11
- Place of birth
- Austin, Texas, USA
- Also known as
- The American Dream · The Midnight Rider · Virgil Runnels · The American Dream 'Dusty Rhodes' · Dusty Rhodes
Biography
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr., better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker/writer, and trainer who most notably worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, NWA Championship Wrestling from Florida, Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), and WWE. Rhodes is considered one of the greatest wrestlers and talkers in the history of professional wrestling. Rhodes was a three-time NWA World's Heavyweight Champion, and during his time in Jim Crockett Promotions' Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, later known as World Championship Wrestling (WCW), he was a NWA United States Heavyweight Champion, and multi-time NWA World Television, NWA Tag Team and NWA World 6-Man Tag Team Champion. He also won many regional championships, and is one of seven men inducted into each of the WWE, WCW, Professional Wrestling, and Wrestling Observer Newsletter Halls of Fame. His sons, Dustin and Cody, both pursued careers in professional wrestling, performing for WWE and AEW. Following his retirement from wrestling, he made occasional on-air appearances on WWE television and pay-per-views and worked as a backstage booker/writer and producer in WWE's NXT developmental territory. Billed as "the son of a plumber", Rhodes did not have a typical wrestler's physique; his character was that of the "common man", known for the personality exhibited in his interviews. WWE chairman Vince McMahon remarked that no wrestler "personified the essence of charisma quite like Dusty Rhodes".
Known For
TV Shows (25)
Raw
1993
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE NXT
2010
WWF Wrestling Challenge
1986
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Pay Per View
1985
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
1985
as Dusty Rhodes
ECW Hardcore TV
1993
Burke's Law
1994
as Archie 'Mad Dog' McCray
TNA iMPACT!
2004
as Dusty Rhodes.
Mid-South Wrestling
1981
as Dusty Rhodes / 'The American Dream' Dusty Rhodes
WWE Rivals
2022
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Old School
1973
as Dusty Rhodes
Biography: WWE Legends
2021
WWF All-Star Wrestling
1975
as Dusty Rhodes
Clash of the Champions
1988
as Dusty Rhodes / Dusty Rhodes (Ringside)
WCW Monday Nitro
1995
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA World Championship Wrestling
1985
as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes / Midnight Rider
Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
1981
as Dusty Rhodes
ECW on TNN
1999
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Rivalries
2014
as Self
The JBL and Cole Show
2012
as Dusty Rhodes
Wrestlemania Rewind
2014
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Hall of Fame
2005
as Self
Major League Wrestling: Underground TV
2003
WCW Thunder
1998
as Dusty Rhodes
WCW Arena Shows
1983
as Dusty Rhodes
Movies (122)
NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Charlotte
1986
as Dusty Rhodes
Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon
2016
as Dusty Rhodes (voice)
Gold Raiders
1982
PWF Homecoming
1989
as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
You Cannot Kill David Arquette
2020
as Self (archive footage)
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
2006
as Dusty Rhodes
Bray Wyatt: Becoming Immortal
2024
as Self
WWE Survivor Series 1989
1989
as Dusty Rhodes
The Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '80s
2005
as Self
WWE: The U.S. Championship: A Legacy of Greatness
2016
as Dusty Rhodes (archive footage)
WWE Survivor Series 2006
2006
as Dusty Rhodes
American Nightmare: Becoming Cody Rhodes
2023
as Self (Archival Footage)
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
2010
as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event
2009
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Cyber Sunday 2006
2006
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Hall of Fame 2007
2007
as Dusty Rhodes
WCW SuperBrawl VIII
1998
as Dusty Rhodes
TNA Against All Odds 2005
2005
as Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
WWE Battleground 2013
2013
as Dusty Rhodes (Ringside)
ECW Living Dangerously 2000
2000
as Dusty Rhodes
Sting: Into the Light
2015
as Dusty Rhodes
WCW'S Greatest Pay-Per-View Matches Volume 1
2014
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE: Starrcade - The Essential Collection
2012
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Clash of The Champions III: Fall Brawl '88
1988
as Dusty Rhodes
The Wrestler
1974
as Dusty Rhodes
TNA Turning Point 2004
2004
as Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
WWE WrestleMania VI
1990
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE United We Slam: The Best of The Great American Bash
2014
as Dusty Rhodes
WCW Halloween Havoc 1991
1991
as Dusty Rhodes (Cornerman)
The Rise & Fall of WCW
2009
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Royal Rumble 1991
1991
as Dusty Rhodes
The Best of WCW Clash of the Champions
2012
as Dusty Rhodes
Dusty Rhodes: Celebrating the Dream
2015
Mid-South WrestleFest '85
1985
as Dusty Rhodes
The Second Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
1987
as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
WCW War Games: WCW's Most Notorious Matches
2013
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Survivor Series 1990
1990
as Dusty Rhodes
Nature Boy
2017
as Self (archive footage)
WWE The Great American Bash 2007
2007
as Dusty Rhodes
TNA Victory Road 2004
2004
as Dusty Rhodes (Appearance)
NWA Bunkhouse Stampede
1988
as Dusty Rhodes
ROH: Ring of Hardcore
2012
as Dusty Rhodes
The American Dream: The Dusty Rhodes Story
2006
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Great American Bash '87: War Games
1987
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Clash of the Champions II: Miami Mayhem
1988
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE SummerSlam 1990
1990
as "The Common Man" Dusty Rhodes
WCW Clash of the Champions XXVIII
1994
as Dusty Rhodes
Legends of Mid-South Wrestling
2013
as Dusty Rhodes
TNA Lockdown 2005
2005
as Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
WWE Hottest Matches
1990
as Dusty Rhodes
Jeff Jarrett: King of the Mountain
2009
as Dusty Rhodes
WCW WrestleWar 1991
1991
as Dusty Rhodes (Commentator)
NWA Starrcade 1985
1985
as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
WCW Greed
2001
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Royal Rumble 1990
1990
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE SummerSlam 1989
1989
as Himself
NWA Night of Champions
1984
as Dusty Rhodes
WCW Uncensored 1998
1998
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Great American Bash '86: Livin' in the Promise Land
1986
as Dusty Rhodes
WCW SuperBrawl 1
1991
as Dusty Rhodes (Commentator)
WCW Fall Brawl 1994
1994
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Clash of the Champions
1988
as Dusty Rhodes
WCW Souled Out 1998
1998
as Dusty Rhodes (Ringside)
The Unreal Story Of Pro Wrestling
1998
as Dusty Rhodes
TNA: Best of the Asylum Years, Vol 2
2016
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE: 20 Years Too Soon - The Superstar Billy Graham Story
2006
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Starrcade 1987
1987
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Unreleased: 1986-1995
2017
MLW King of Kings
2002
as Dusty Rhodes
TNA Final Resolution 2005
2005
as Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
NWA Starrcade 1984
1984
as Dusty Rhodes
Ric Flair & The Four Horsemen
2007
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Super Towns on The SuperStation
1987
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Greensboro
1986
as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
ECW - Unreleased Vol. 3
2015
as Dusty Rhodes
nWo: The Revolution
2012
I Like To Hurt People
1985
as Self
WCW All Nighter 1995
1995
NWA The Great American Bash 1988
1988
as Dusty Rhodes
Mid-South Wrestling Giants, Midgets, Heroes & Villains vol. 1
2007
as Dusty Rhodes
WCW/New Japan Supershow II
1992
as Dusty Rhodes
Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man
2018
WCW Clash of the Champions XXV
1993
as Dusty Rhodes (Ringside)
WWE: The Attitude Era
2012
as Dusty
WCW: Ric Flair - 2 Decades of Excellence
1995
as Dusty Rhodes
The Third Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
1988
as The Midnight Rider
Nature Boy Ric Flair - The Definitive Collection
2008
as Dusty Rhodes
TNA Destination X 2005
2005
as Dusty Rhodes (TNA D.O.A.)
Macho Madness - The Randy Savage Ultimate Collection
2009
Life In The Fast Lane
2007
TNA Wrestling: Enigma - The Best of Jeff Hardy
2005
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Great American Bash 1985
1985
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Starrcade 1988
1988
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Superstars on The SuperStation
1986
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Starrcade 1986
1986
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Survivor Series Showdown '89
1989
as Dusty Rhodes (Ringside)
WWE The Ultimate Challenge Special: The March to WrestleMania VI
1990
as "The Common Man" Dusty Rhodes
NWA Clash of The Champions IV: Season's Beatings
1988
as Dusty Rhodes
A Future WWE: The FCW Story
2020
as Himself
Fan Favorites
1989
NWA Wrestling The Danger Zone
1987
Pro Wrestling USA Star Wars: December 1984
1985
as Dusty Rhodes
AWA/NWA Night of Champions II
1985
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Last Tangle in Tampa
1980
as Dusty Rhodes
The First Annual NWA Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament
1986
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: June '90
1990
as Dusty Rhodes
ECW Wrestlepalooza 2000
2000
as Dusty Rhodes (Appearance)
ROH: The Epic Encounter
2003
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE WrestleMania 29 Kickoff
2013
as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
Paradise Park
1992
as Deputy Johnny Morton
ECW Hardcore Heaven 2000
2000
as Dusty Rhodes
HUSTLE-3
2004
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Boogie Jam
1984
as Dusty Rhodes
Battle of the WWE Superstars
1990
as Dusty Rhodes
WWE: The Ultimate Ric Flair Collection
2004
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA The Great American Bash 1988: Greensboro
1988
as Dusty Rhodes
The Super Bowl of Wrestling
1978
as Dusty Rhodes
3PW Legends Collide
2003
NEW Renegades Rampage
2004
as Dusty Rhodes
NWA Sam Muchnick Retirement Show
1982
as Dusty Rhodes
About Virgil Runnels
Virgil Riley Runnels, Jr., better known as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, was an American professional wrestler, booker/writer, and trainer who most notably worked for the National Wrestling Alliance, NWA Championship Wrestling from Florida, Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP), and WWE. Rhodes is considered one of the greatest wrestlers and talkers in the history of professional wrestling. Rhodes was a three-time NWA World's Heavyweight Champion, and during his time in Jim Crockett Promotions' Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, later known as… With 147 credits spanning from 1973 to 2024, Virgil Runnels has appeared in 122 films and 25 TV shows.
Fans searching for Virgil Runnels movies, Virgil Runnels filmography, or the latest projects starring Virgil Runnels can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Virgil Runnels Movies
- NWA The Great American Bash '86 Tour: Charlotte (1986) — as Dusty Rhodes
- Scooby-Doo! and WWE: Curse of the Speed Demon (2016) — as Dusty Rhodes (voice)
- Gold Raiders (1982)
- PWF Homecoming (1989) — as "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
- You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020) — as Self (archive footage)
Where to Watch Virgil Runnels Films
Most Virgil Runnels 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 Virgil Runnels, check our movies catalogue and browse page.