Jesse Ventura
Acting
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
Media of
Jesse Ventura
Photos (21)
Filmography of
Jesse Ventura
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 2024
... 2024
Self (archival footage)
... 2022
Himself
... 2021
Self (archive footage)
... 2018
Self (archive footage)
... 2018
Himself
... 2017
Self (archive footage)
... 2015
Governor Littleton
... 2014
Himself
... 2012
... 2011
Mr. Madson
... 2010
Self
... 2009
... 2009
Jesse Ventura
... 2006
... 2006
... 2004
Jesse Ventura (uncredited)
... 2003
Self (uncredited)
... 2002
Himself
... 2001
... 2000
Jesse Ventura
... 1999
Self
... 1999
Referee
... 1999
... 1997
Arkham Asylum Guard
... 1997
White Lightning
... 1994
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentary)
... 1993
CryoCon
... 1993
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentator)
... 1993
... 1993
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator)
... 1992
Jesse "The Body" Ventura - Commentator
... 1991
Chewalski
... 1991
Bobby Youngblood
... 1991
... 1990
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1990
Himself
... 1990
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1990
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1990
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
... 1989
The Man
... 1989
Jesse Ventura
... 1989
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1989
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1989
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1989
Himself - Commentator #1
... 1989
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1989
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1989
Baseball Announcer (uncredited)
... 1988
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1988
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Referee)
... 1988
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
... 1988
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
... 1988
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentary)
... 1988
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1987
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1987
Captain Freedom
... 1987
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1987
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1987
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1987
Blain Cooper
... 1987
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
... 1987
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
... 1987
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1987
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator)
... 1986
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
... 1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1986
Jesse Ventura
... 1986
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1986
Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
... 1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1985
... 1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (archive footage)
... 1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Ringside)
... 1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1985
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1983
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1983
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
... 1983
himself
... 1977