George Foreman is one boxer who managed to cross over into mainstream popularity as a result of his involvement in some of the biggest boxing matches of all time. Of course, most people will be familiar with the “George Foreman Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine” even if they don’t know what George Foreman is most well known for.
In the mid-1990s, Foreman could be seen in television commercials for the grill, but these spots weren’t the only time Big George had lit up the small screen. Here is a look back at George Foreman’s non-boxing TV appearances. As well as television, Foreman has enjoyed some time on the big screen in film roles. These will be mentioned in this piece also.
Acting on Television
According to IMDB, George Foreman has appeared in 10 television broadcasts, either in person or as a voice part in animated shows. The heavyweight boxer first dipped his toes into the entertainment field in 1975 in an episode of The Six Million Dollar Man. The show which crossed genres from science fiction to action and ran for five seasons on the ABC Network in America from 1973 to 1978. George Foreman appeared in episode 17 of season 2, playing a character called Marcus Grayson.
Foreman was next seen on the small screen in a 1976 sitcom Sanford and Son episode. Foreman appeared in episode 21 of season 5 of the show, which ran for five years on the NBC Network. Big George then took a break from acting until 1991. He next popped up in an episode of the CBS sitcom Good Sports. George appeared in the 12th episode of the show, which only ran for one season. Ryan O’Neal and Farrah Fawcett played the main characters in the sitcom.
In 1992, George Foreman appeared in one episode of another sitcom, Home Improvement. As he had done in his previous sitcom appearances, Foreman played himself. He can be seen in episode 19 of the first season of the Tim Allen/ABC Network vehicle. Foreman played himself once more on television in 1992 in episode seven of the first season of the HBO classic comedy The Larry Sanders Show.
His Own Sitcom, More TV Appearances, and Voice Work
With four sitcom appearances under his belt, the format seemed to suit Big George. The ABC Network offered the boxer the opportunity to star in his very own sitcom. George ran for one season (9 episodes) in 1993-94 and featured Mr. Foreman in the title role, playing a character named George Foster. The outline of the show was close to Foreman’s real life. The George Foster character was a retired boxer who ran an after-school program for troubled kids.
After George, Foreman provided his voice for an episode of the cartoon Garfield and Friends. He voiced the character of George Fisticuff in a 1994 episode of the long-running animated show. From Garfield to Navy Seals. Foreman’s next TV appearance was on the opening episode of the 1999 fictional show, but based on real-life accounts, Navy Seals: Untold Stories. The series started and ended in 1999. Perhaps the stories needed to remain untold.
Next up, George Foreman appeared in an episode of The Prosecutors: In Pursuit of Justice. Foreman played a witness in a season one episode of the drama based on the US judicial system. In 2003, Foreman returned to the animated arena, playing himself in a season seven episode of the hit comedy King of the Hill.
George Foreman in Movies
George Foreman first appeared on the big screen in the 1975 crime comedy film Let’s Do It Again. Foreman had a cameo role and is credited as “Factory Worker” in the cast listing. Foreman’s next silver screen appearance was in the 1999 boxing comedy drama Play It To The Bone, which featured Woody Harrelson and Antonio Banderas in the starring roles. Foreman played an HBO boxing commentator in the film – something he had a fair bit of experience with in real life. In 2010, Foreman returned to the film world, playing a fight announcer in the Mickey Ward-Dicky Eklund biographical sports movie The Fighter. From commercials to television to Hollywood movies, it’s fair to say that George Foreman also lit up the television screen in a non-boxing context during his years in front of the camera.
Pingback: The 10 Most Memorable George Foreman Fights - Fights Around The World