
Jesse Ventura
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 15, 1951
- Birthplace
- Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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
Filmography

Saturday Night's Main Event XXXVII 2024
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Jesse Ventura Shocks the World 2024
as Self

Biography: Wrestlemania I 2022
as Self (archival footage)

In Search of Tomorrow 2022
as Self

The Claw 2021
as Himself
- Trump: Anatomy of a Man
Trump: Anatomy of a Man 2018
as Self (archive footage)

Andre the Giant 2018
as Self (archive footage)

This Was the XFL 2017
as Himself

The Making of Trump 2015
as Self (archive footage)

The Drunk 2014
as Governor Littleton

WWE Hall of Fame: Jesse Ventura 2012
as Himself
- 9/11 Truth: Hollywood Speaks Up
9/11 Truth: Hollywood Speaks Up 2011
as Self
- Woodshop
Woodshop 2010
as Mr. Madson

The Obama Deception 2009
as Self

WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event 2009
as Himself

WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology 2006
as Jesse Ventura

WWE: The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA 2006
as Self

The Ringer 2005
as Motivational Speaker (voice)

WWE Hall of Fame 2004 2004
as Self

Stuck on You 2003
as Jesse Ventura (uncredited)

The Master of Disguise 2002
as Self (uncredited)

Joe Somebody 2001
as Self

Predator: Old Painless 2001
as Self

If It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of 'Predator' 2000
as Self

WWF: It's Our Time 1999
as Jesse Ventura

Beyond the Mat 1999
as Self

WWE SummerSlam 1999 1999
as Referee

WWF Summer Flashback! 1997
Actor

Batman & Robin 1997
as Arkham Asylum Guard

Major League II 1994
as White Lightning

WCW Clash of the Champions XXV 1993
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentary)

Demolition Man 1993
as CryoCon

WCW SuperBrawl III 1993
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentator)

Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun 1993
as DMV Testee

WCW Beach Blast 1992
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator)

WrestleMania: The Greatest Hits 1992
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Hulkamania 6 1991
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura - Commentator

Ricochet 1991
as Chewalski

Tagteam 1991
as Bobby Youngblood

Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe 1990
as Abraxas

Hulkamania Forever 1990
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Wrestling Tough Guys 1990
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Repossessed 1990
as Himself

WWE SuperTape: Volume 1 1990
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Wrestling Superheroes 1990
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Hulkamania 4 1989
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura

Thunderground 1989
as The Man

WWE SummerSlam 1989 1989
as Jesse Ventura

The Best of the WWF: volume 20 1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Demolition: Witness the Power 1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The Best of the WWF: volume 19 1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The Ultimate Warrior 1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

No Holds Barred 1989
as Commentator #1

The Brains Behind the Brawn 1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The Best of the WWF: volume 18 1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Hulk Hogan: Real American 1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! 1988
as Baseball Announcer (uncredited)

Macho Madness 1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

WWE SummerSlam 1988 1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Referee)

Hulkamania 3 1988
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura

Women of the WWF 1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

WWE Royal Rumble 1988 1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Wrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments 1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The Best of the WWF: volume 14 1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The Running Man 1987
as Captain Freedom

The Ken Patera Story 1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The Best of the WWF: volume 13 1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Jake "The Snake" Roberts 1987
as Self

Predator 1987
as Blain Cooper

Hulkamania 2 1987
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura

Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports 1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The British Bulldogs 1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The Best of the WWF: volume 9 1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The Best of the WWF: volume 7 1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Villains of the Squared Circle 1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
- Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino
Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino 1986
Actor

The Best of the WWF: volume 6 1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat 1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

WrestleMania II 1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator)

WWE Grudge Match 1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano 1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Tag Team Champions 1986
as Jesse Ventura

The Best of the WWF: volume 5 1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

The WWF's Amazing Managers 1985
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
- WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '85
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '85 1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports 1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (archive footage)

Most Unusual Matches 1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Wrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest! 1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams 1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Best of the WWF Volume 1 1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Ringside)
- AWA Christmas Show 1983
AWA Christmas Show 1983 1983
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

AWA Christmas Night 1983 1983
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

AWA Super Sunday 1983
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura

Savage 1977
as himself
Credits from TMDB.