Acting · Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA · Born July 15, 1951
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
TVHulk Hogan: Real American
2026
as Self
MovieSaturday Night's Main Event XXXVII
2024
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
TVMr. McMahon
2024
as Self (Archival Footage)
MovieJesse Ventura Shocks the World
2024
as Self
MovieBiography: Wrestlemania I
2022
as Self (archival footage)
MovieThe Claw
2021
as Himself
TVMinnesota Experience
2018
as Self (archive footage)
Trump: Anatomy of a Man
2018
as Self (archive footage)
MovieAndre the Giant
2018
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThis Was the XFL
2017
as Himself
TVChelsea
2016
as Self
MovieThe Making of Trump
2015
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThe Drunk
2014
as Governor Littleton
TVTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
2012
as The Finger (voice)
MovieWWE Hall of Fame: Jesse Ventura
2012
as Himself
9/11 Truth: Hollywood Speaks Up
2011
as Self
Woodshop
2010
as Mr. Madson
TVConspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura
2009
MovieThe Obama Deception
2009
as Self
MovieWWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event
2009
as Himself
MovieWWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
2006
as Jesse Ventura
MovieWWE: The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA
2006
as Self
TVThe Colbert Report
2005
MovieWWE Hall of Fame 2004
2004
as Self
10 Things Every Guy Should Experience
2004
as Self
MovieStuck on You
2003
as Jesse Ventura (uncredited)
TVReal Time with Bill Maher
2003
as Self
TVJimmy Kimmel Live!
2003
as Self
MovieThe Master of Disguise
2002
as Self (uncredited)
MovieJoe Somebody
2001
as Himself
MoviePredator: Old Painless
2001
as Self
MovieIf It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of 'Predator'
2000
as Self
MovieWWF: It's Our Time
1999
as Jesse Ventura
MovieBeyond the Mat
1999
as Self
MovieWWE SummerSlam 1999
1999
as Referee
MovieWWF Summer Flashback!
1997
MovieBatman & Robin
1997
as Arkham Asylum Guard
TVE! True Hollywood Story
1996
TVArli$$
1996
as Jesse Ventura
MovieMajor League II
1994
as White Lightning
MovieWCW Clash of the Champions XXV
1993
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentary)
MovieDemolition Man
1993
as CryoCon
TVThe X-Files
1993
as Man in Black #1
MovieWCW SuperBrawl III
1993
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentator)
MovieLiving and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun
1993
as DMV Testee
TVRaw
1993
TVRenegade
1992
as Joe Don Butler
MovieWCW Beach Blast
1992
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator)
TVThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
MovieHulkamania 6
1991
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura - Commentator
MovieRicochet
1991
as Chewalski
MovieTagteam
1991
as Bobby Youngblood
MovieAbraxas, Guardian of the Universe
1990
as Abraxas
MovieWrestling Tough Guys
1990
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieRepossessed
1990
as Himself
MovieWrestling Superheroes
1990
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieWWE SuperTape: Volume 1
1990
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieHulkamania 4
1989
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
MovieThunderground
1989
as The Man
MovieWWE SummerSlam 1989
1989
as Jesse Ventura
MovieDemolition: Witness the Power
1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieThe Best of the WWF: volume 20
1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieThe Best of the WWF: volume 19
1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieThe Ultimate Warrior
1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieNo Holds Barred
1989
as Himself - Commentator #1
MovieThe Brains Behind the Brawn
1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieHulk Hogan: Real American
1989
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieThe Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
1988
as Baseball Announcer (uncredited)
MovieMacho Madness
1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieWWE SummerSlam 1988
1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Referee)
MovieHulkamania 3
1988
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
MovieWomen of the WWF
1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
TVClash of the Champions
1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentary)
MovieWWE Royal Rumble 1988
1988
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieThe Best of the WWF: volume 14
1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieWrestling's Most Embarrassing Moments
1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieThe Running Man
1987
as Captain Freedom
MovieThe Best of the WWF: volume 13
1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieThe Ken Patera Story
1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieJake "The Snake" Roberts
1987
as Self
MoviePredator
1987
as Blain Cooper
MovieWWF Hulkamania 2
1987
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
MovieBob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
1987
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieThe Best of the WWF: volume 9
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieThe British Bulldogs
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
TVWWF Wrestling Challenge
1986
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
TVWWF Superstars
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino
1986
MovieVillains of the Squared Circle
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieRicky "The Dragon" Steamboat
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieWrestleMania II
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator)
MovieWWE Grudge Match
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieThe Life and Times of Captain Lou Albano
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieTag Team Champions
1986
as Jesse Ventura
MovieThe Best of the WWF: volume 5
1986
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieThe WWF's Amazing Managers
1985
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '85
1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
TVWWE Saturday Night's Main Event
1985
TVWWE Pay Per View
1985
MovieBob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports
1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (archive footage)
MovieBest of the WWF Volume 1
1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Ringside)
MovieWrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams
1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieWrestling's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest!
1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieMost Unusual Matches
1985
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
TVHunter
1984
as Jesse
TVTuesday Night Titans
1984
as Jesse Ventura
MovieAWA Christmas Night 1983
1983
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
AWA Christmas Show 1983
1983
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieAWA Super Sunday
1983
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
TVAWA Arena Shows
1981
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
TVMid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling
1981
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura
MovieSavage
1977
as himself
TVWWF All-Star Wrestling
1975
as Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
TVWWE Old School
1973
as Jesse "The Body" Ventura / Jesse Ventura (Commentary)
