Here’s 7 Iconic Athlete TV Cameos To Rewatch This Olympic Season
The Paris Olympics are almost here and you know what that means? Rewatching the gifted athletes grace our screens throughout the years on some of our favorite shows. Pop Culture Planet contributor Paola Cardenas shares the iconic cameos of these amazing athletes.
Serena Williams | Drop Dead Diva
Point, set, match!
In the Drop Dead Diva episode “Rigged,” tennis star Serena Williams plays a prestigious attorney hired by Elisa (Brandy) who wants sole custody of her son Eric. However, Parker (Josh Stamberg) enlists Kim (Kate Levering) to help him prove he’s a great father. And the custody battle gets heated!
See how this case played out with Drop Dead Diva on AppleTV+.
McKayla Maroney | Hart Of Dixie
Gold medalist McKayla Maroney not only showcased her gymnastics skills as part of the 2012 Fierce Five, but also a recurring character in Hart Of Dixie.
Maroney played Tonya, a best friend to Rose Hattenbarger (McKaley Miller), across four episodes in season 2. While drama arises between Rose and Zoe (Rachel Bilson), Tonya is there to support her bestie.
Hart Of Dixie is on Prime Video.
Jalen Hurts | Abbott Elementary
Eagles fan anyone? Well so are the students and teachers of Abbott Elementary!
In the season 3 premiere, Janine (Quinta Brunson) organizes Career Day in hopes of bringing some excitement and insight for the students. When a surprise Zoom call from Philadelphia Eagle Jalen Hurts comes in, everyone is immediately excited. Some banter and humor is exchanged during the video call and we get two more cameos from teammates Jason Kelce and Brandon Graham.
Laugh along with Abbott Elementary on Hulu.
Nastia Liukin | Gossip Girl
After snagging five gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, gymnast Nastia Liukin appeared on the hit teen show Gossip Girl.
Liukin’s character in “It’s A Wonderful Lie” is briefly introduced as a student at Constance who approaches Chuck (Ed Westwick) at the Snowflake ball. However, her flirting is soon interrupted as Blair (Leighton Meester) steps in.
Gossip Girl is available on Max.
Shaquille O’Neal | Curb Your Enthusiasm
What would this list be if we didn’t include one of the greatest basketball players of all time? That’s right, it’s Shaquille O’Neal!
Shaq has one of the most extensive acting credits with various films and TV shows. In an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm named after the athlete, Larry (Larry David) gets court side tickets to a Lakers game that goes awry when he accidentally trips and injures Shaq. Suddenly Larry finds his luck has taken a turn for the better. That is until he tries to make amends for the incident.
Watch Curb Your Enthusiasm on Max and Hulu.
Neymar | Money Heist
If you’re a fútbol fan, you’ll recognize Brazilian player Neymar in his cameo on Money Heist.
In the season 3 episode “La Deriva,” Neymar plays Monje João, or Monk John. His character is seen with Berlin (Pedro Alonso) and The Professor (Álvaro Morte) as he talks about how he hates soccer and partying.
Money Heist is on Netflix.
Laurie Hernandez | Stuck In The Middle
Laurie Hernandez is another gymnastic star who graced our screen with her appearance on Disney’s Stuck In The Middle.
Titled “Stuck in a Gold Medal Performance,” the Diaz family hosts the Olympic star for dinner. Georgie (Kayla Maisonet) desperately tries to impress Laurie by planning an authentic Latina experience, but the plan backfires quickly.
Can she turn it around? Stuck In The Middle is on Disney+.
