Brazilian set to become slimmer version of Marlon Brando

When he dressed up as Godzilla for an Brazilian soft drink advert, (Fat) Ronaldo may have lost a sizable chunk of his dignity, but he developed a taste for life in front of a camera.

Spanish paper AS are reporting that the tubby World Cup winner will make his movie debut* in an Iranian film, after signing a ‘preliminary contract’ with its producers.

The main character is a Palestinian girl who lives in a refugee camp in Southern Lebanon. The young football fan - known as ‘Ronaldo’ - dies after losing a leg to an anti-personnel mine.

The as-yet-untitled film will begin filming in Lebanon in September. Conveniently, Ronaldo’s Corinthians are set to play a friendly against Flamengo in the region on September 15th, giving the striker the perfect opportunity to hone his acting chops.

*Before the pedants windmill in, we know Ronaldo already made his film debut in the utterly unremarkable Goal! 2: Living the Dream. However, we’re pretty sure this went straight to DVD, so it doesn’t count. 

Mental German keeper to challenge Alec Baldwin for World’s Greatest Living Actor title

Hot on the heels of his cameo appearance in the critically acclaimed masterpiece Goal II: Living the Dream, former Arsenal and current VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has earned his first acting role proper.

The German star will play football talent scout John Jacobs (!) in Themba, which is currently shooting in South Africa. The film - based on the novel of the same name by German-Dutch writer Lutz van Dijk - follows an eleven year-old named Themba as he makes his way from poverty to the South African Football Team.

The film is unlikely to be a blockbuster (it doesn’t even have an IMDB page at the moment), but its international release just before the South Africa 2010 World Cup should boost its popularity.

[ScreenDaily, thanks to Mozzer for the tip]

Cheslea striker could be the new (talented version of) Vinnie Jones

One may think that Nicolas Anelka’s favourite hobby outside of the beautiful is moaning, but the Frenchman actually holds a passion for the performing arts. He told us last month that he fancied himself as Chelsea’s resident stand up comedian (see his hi-larious Seinfeld-esque quip about a man in a bar here) and now he has revealed he wants to become an actor:

“After football, maybe we will see an Oscar in the Anelka trophy cabinet.

“I like action men. I think I’d like to be the bad man in a movie. Like Vinnie Jones? Ha ha! He’s good.”

Anelka has already displayed his DeNiro-esque acting chops in 2002’s “Wildly inconsistent” French film Le Boulet. Quite how he prepared fot he role of ‘Nicolas the soccer player’ is anyone’s guess.

[The Sun]

Yes, another footballer/actor

Football has spawned three amazing actors - Pele, Bryan Robson, Eric Cantona. And now you can add another name to that list - David Ginola. Having spent the last few years silently staring into a mirror as his hair slowly greys, he’s managed to peel himself off the floor to star in The Young and The Restless - America’s number one daytime soap opera. Playing the part of a modern day fashion photographer based in Paris, the above picture finds him talking to his stunt double whilst coming to terms with a gigantic camera. Might this be the beginning of a glorious Hollywood career? We hope so.

After the break, enjoy David in his Tottenham days…