Jesse Ventura

Jesse Ventura

Active - 1987 - 2014  |   Born - Jul 15, 1951 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States  |   Genres - Sports & Recreation, Comedy, Adventure

Share on

Biography by AllMovie

Professional wrestler and sometime governor of Minnesota, Jesse Ventura has enjoyed a sideline in acting, appearing in action fare like Predator and Ricochet.

Movie Highlights

See Full Filmography

Factsheet

  • Served in the U.S. Navy from 1969 to '75 as a member of the Underwater Detonation Team (UDT), the precursor to the Navy Seals program.
  • Changed his name to Jesse Ventura, after San Buenaventura, CA, to fit a "California" image he was cultivating for himself upon embarking on a professional wrestling career.
  • Wrestled as Jesse "The Body" Ventura until late 1984 when symptoms from blood clots in his lungs ended his career in the ring.
  • Elected mayor of Brooklyn Park, MN, in 1990; served as mayor from 1991 to '95. 
  • Elected governor of Minnesota in 1998, served one term and did not seek reelection in 2002, citing the strain on his family caused by incessant media coverage of his personal life.
  • Appeared on the soap opera The Young and the Restless in 1999.
  • Appeared in Conspiracy Theory With Jesse Ventura, a series he also executive produced.