Best and Worst Athlete Actors on TV

BEST: Jason Lee, "My Name Is Earl"

Maybe only X Games aficionados remember this now, but Lee actually came of age as a pro skateboarder in the late '80s, joining Tony Hawk as the first two skateboarders to earn their own signature Airwalk shoe. But Lee ditched his deck for an acting career, starting with a lead role in Kevin Smith's proudly crude 1995 comedy, "Mallrats." A few more film roles followed, including a memorable supporting turn in ... more 

BEST: Jason Lee, "My Name Is Earl"

Maybe only X Games aficionados remember this now, but Lee actually came of age as a pro skateboarder in the late '80s, joining Tony Hawk as the first two skateboarders to earn their own signature Airwalk shoe. But Lee ditched his deck for an acting career, starting with a lead role in Kevin Smith's proudly crude 1995 comedy, "Mallrats." A few more film roles followed, including a memorable supporting turn in Cameron Crowe's "Almost Famous." But Lee's breakout role came on the small screen, playing karma-obsessed schlub Earl Hickey on NBC's shaggy-dog comedy "My Name Is Earl." The series earned a cult following and lasted a healthy four seasons -- so with all the residuals, now Lee can build his own halfpipe if he wants. less