You can’t seem to swing a hockey stick these days without hitting someone who loves Heated Rivalry, which we only know is true because everybody who loves Heated Rivalry loves talking about the show. It’s the hottest thing in pop culture right now, and it’s inspiring plenty of people who wouldn’t know a puck if it hit them in the face to learn all about the sport of hockey.
More than that, they have fallen in love with Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie, the stars of the show. That has led us here at Casting Networks to consider some of this century’s best sports movies and TV shows, and the brilliant performances that made them so. Thus, without further ado, here’s a far too limited selection of some of our favorites, and where you can watch them.
Key Insights
- Sports stories consistently produce star-making performances because they demand emotional restraint, physical specificity, and total belief in high-stakes objectives.
- Many of the most acclaimed performances here come from actors taking tonal risks, jumping from comedy to drama or grounding heightened material in truth.
- Ensemble-heavy sports projects often serve as talent incubators, giving young actors sustained screen time to develop presence, range, and professional momentum.
TV SHOWS
Ted Lasso (Apple TV)
The feel-good series about an American football coach hired to become the manager of an English soccer team took people by surprise when it premiered in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was worth every kind word written about it. The series won multiple Emmys for its actors, and introduced America to such British talents as Hannah Waddingham and Brett Goldstein, among a host of others.
Chad Powers (Hulu)
Recognizing that he was having a moment where he could get just about anything off the ground, Glen Powell showed that his passion project about a disgraced football player trying for a second chance was more than just a vanity deal. Powell is hilarious in the six-episode first season, which saw him nominated for a Golden Globe award.
Brockmire (Netflix)
Inspired by a series of comedic shorts, this IFC series starred Hank Azaria in the title role of Jim Brockmire, a demented, drunk, out of control baseball play-by-play man whose debauched lifestyle leads to him banished to the low minor leagues. Azaria co-created the show, which ran four seasons, but really, the first season is as close to low-brow comedic gold as you’re going to find anywhere.
Azaria has won six Emmys (four for his work on The Simpsons, and two more for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for Ray Donovan and Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie for Tuesdays with Morrie), but this is his greatest onscreen work.
Running Point (Netflix)
Kate Hudson’s career was flagging when she took on the lead role in this popular Netflix series about a family-owned pro basketball team and the long overlooked adult daughter who takes over the team’s operation, and now she’s an Oscar nominee for Best Actress. No, they’re not directly related, but it’s easy to see how her strong comedic work in this show led to the renaissance she’s enjoying now.
Friday Night Lights (Prime Video)
Quite simply the best show about high school football ever made, as well as the best show about small town sports, high school, and, heck, a top 10 show of the century overall. Led by Kyle Chandler, who won an Emmy for his work as Coach Eric Taylor, and Connie Britton, who earned multiple Emmy nods as Eric’s wife Tami, the young cast was a spectacular incubator for talent.
Jesse Plemons, Taylor Kitsch, Minka Kelly, Scott Porter, Jurnee Smollett, Sinqua Walls, Jana Kramer, Aldis Hodge and Caleb Landry Jones are just a few of the young actors whose first major gig was on this series. You may notice that the list doesn’t include Michael B. Jordan, but only because he had already starred on a season of The Wire. Read that list again and try to act unimpressed.
MOVIES
Miracle (Disney+)
You might think it’s hard to isolate the best performance of Kurt Russell’s six-decade acting career, but you would be wrong. This role, 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team Head Coach Herb Brooks, is the gold medal winner. The triumph of this team of college kids who overcame nearly impossible odds to beat the mighty Soviet squad and bring home the gold still resonates 46 years later, and Russell’s embodiment of the legendary coach centers the emotional tale.
When the stoic coach finally lets loose with a quiet, solo celebration in the moments immediately after the team’s momentous victory, it’s a release that will make your heart soar and bring tears to your eyes.
Moneyball (Peacock/AMC+)
Brad Pitt scored an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane in this adaptation of Michael Lewis’ nonfiction bestseller about how Beane changed the way baseball teams are assembled. But as good as Pitt is, the real revelation here is Jonah Hill, in his first dramatic role.
Hill also scored an Oscar nod, and while Phillip Seymour Hoffman didn’t, he was still Phillip Seymour Hoffman, which means he was also outstanding. So was Chris Pratt, in one of his last supporting roles before becoming a movie star with Guardians of the Galaxy.
The Smashing Machine (HBO Max)
Dwayne Johnson gives the performance of his life in this true story about Mark Kerr, one of the trailblazers in the sport of Ultimate Fighting. Johnson earned a Golden Globe for his work here (costar Emily Blunt is also excellent), and it was well deserved.
If you’re a UFC fan, also check out the stellar 2011 film Warrior (Amazon Prime), starring Tom Hardy, Joel Edgerton and Nick Nolte. While Nolte was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, both Hardy and Edgerton are spectacular as estranged brothers both looking to win the same competition.
I, Tonya (Tubi)
The movie that removed any doubt about Margot Robbie’s star power, it also introduced the world to Sebastian Stan and Paul Walter Hauser, and, oh, by the way, scored a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Allison Janney. I, Tonya’s hilarious retelling of the Tonya Harding-Nancy Kerrigan figure skating scandal is a gas, and if that list of phenomenal talent isn’t enough for you, the film also featured Julianne Nicholson, Bobby Cannavale and Mckenna Grace.
Ford v Ferrari (Netflix)
Matt Damon and Christian Bale lead this pulse-pounding true story of how car designer Carroll Shelby and race car driver Ken Miles teamed up to build a car that would beat Ferrari at the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1966.
Aside from the two leads, the tremendous cast also includes Jon Bernthal, Caitriona Balfe, Josh Lucas, Tracy Letts, Ray McKinnon and Noah Jupe. It’s a thrill ride from start to finish, and not just because of the cool racing sequences. The acting will leave you breathless, too.
Key Takeaways
- Actors should study sports performances for how characters reveal inner lives through action, silence, and pressure rather than exposition.
- Physical preparation and technical accuracy are career accelerators, not extras, when aiming for roles rooted in real professions or athletics.
- Choosing projects with strong ensembles and clear emotional stakes can quietly set the foundation for long-term career breakthroughs.
