After his death, Jim Brown will largely be remembered as one of the greatest running backs in the history of football, and for good reason. However, Brown also carved out a big role for himself in Hollywood.
Brown's acting career began in 1964 when he appeared in "Rio Conchos," which was directed by Gordon Douglas. At the time, Brown was still torching NFL defenses for the Cleveland Browns, but no one had any idea that it would lead to such a fantastic career in movies and television.
A few years later, Brown scored one of his first major roles in "The Dirty Dozen." That movie really launched Brown to stardom because of tremendous box office success. The film cost just $5.4 million to make and earned $45.3 million at the box office. Brown was now a big name in Hollywood.
Throughout the years, Brown acted in dozens of films, and he appeared in some of the biggest television shows of the era. Later in his acting career, Brown scored roles in movies like "Mars Attacks!," and he got to work with Spike Lee on two separate projects.
Here are some of Brown's major credits from his prolific career as an actor.
Rio Conchos (1964)
Role: Sergeant Franklyn
This was Brown's acting debut, and it sparked what would become a lengthy career on the silver screen and the small screen. Brown was far from done working once he retired from football just a couple years later.
The Dirty Dozen (1967)
Role: Robert Jefferson
Ice Station Zebra (1968)
Role: Captain Leslie Anders
Slaughter (1972)
Role: Slaughter
Police Story (1977)
Episode: "End of the Line"
Role: Pete Gerard
CHiPs (1979-1983)
Episode: Three episodes
Role: Romo, John Casey
Knight Rider (1984)
Episode: "Knight of the Drones"
Role: C.J. Jackson
T.J. Hooker (1983-1984)
Episode: Two episodes
Role: Jim Cody, Frank Barnett
The A-Team (1986)
Episode: "Quarterback Sneak"
Role: Steamroller
The Running Man (1987)
Role: Fireball
Brown got to star alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in "The Running Man," which made $38.1 million at the domestic box office.
Mars Attacks! (1996)
Role: Byron Williams
Brown starred in what would eventually become a cult classic. Brown shared a screen with some of the best actors in Hollywood like Jack Nicholson, Glenn Close and Danny DeVito.
He Got Game (1998)
Role: Spivey
This was Brown's first time working with acclaimed filmmaker Spike Lee, and he got to work with Denzel Washington and Ray Allen.
Small Soldiers (1998)
Role: Butch Meathook (voice)
Any Given Sunday (1999)
Role: Montezuma Monroe
Brown appeared alongside a star-studded cast in "Any Given Sunday." The hit football movie starred the likes of Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, Charlton Heston and many more.
She Hate Me (2004)
Role: Geronimo Armstrong
In Brown's second Spike Lee picture, he is listed among a loaded cast that also included Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Woody Harrelson and John Turturro.
