Skateboardinghas had an enormous presence in popular culture since luminaries of the discipline like Tony Alva and Jay Adams began piloting plywood decks with urethane wheels over the death boxes of empty backyard pools in the 1970s. The rebellious Zephyr team, based in Santa Monica, California (“Dogtown”), created a cultural crossover, and Hollywood followed the trend with ’70s films likeSkateboard(starring teeny-bopper Leif Garrett) andFreewheelin'(starring seminal skater and later-documentarian Stacy Peralta, a member of the original Zephyr team).
Skateboarding’s popularity comes in waves, with fallow stretches that follow — most notably the collapse of skateboarding’s popularity in the early-80s. That led to a mid-’80s rebound, when Tony Hawk and the Bones Brigade (examined in Peralta’s incredible documentaryThe Bones Brigade) again made skateboarding a trend.That led to neon-radical ’80s feature films likeThrashin'(starring young skater Josh Brolin) andGleaming the Cube(where skateboard innovator Mike McGill donned a bleached wig to double for Christian Slater).
After another early-’90s dip in popularity,visionary director Larry Clarke helped revive skateboarding’s presence in film with his controversial 1995 indie,Kids. 22-years-later year, skater-turned-film star Jonah Hill would romanticize this period and Clarke’s influence with his feature directorial debut,Mid90s.
All these films have depended on a crucial component — the ability of young skateboarders to transition into careers as actors. Some, like Leo Fitzpatrick and Jason Lee, have proven to have serious chops and subsequently went on to big-time acting careers. Others, like Justin Pierce and Harold Hunter, have slipped through the cracks of sudden fame and met early ends — before a greater audience could truly appreciate their acting talent. The following are 20 great acting roles by skaters.
20Ryder McLaughlin - North Hollywood (2021)
North Hollywoodwas the brainchild of director Mikey Alfred, whose skate company/studio produced the film. Alfred was also a producer on Jonah Hill’s filmMid90s, but struck off on his own, after being rap syndicate Odd Future’s personal videographer then working with Hill. For his first feature directorial effort, Alfred used actorRyder McLaughlinas Michael, who already had a few credits to his name and stood out as an exceptional skater.
McLaughlin’s Chemistry with Vince Vaughan Drives the Movie
North Hollywoodmanaged to wrangle Vince Vaughan into the role of Michael’s dad, Oliver, and the two typify the relationship of many parents towards their kids when they become aspirant pro skaters. The film won exceptional RT ratings, and featured future Skater-of-the-Year Tyshawn Jonesand recently deceased Angus CloudofEuphoriafame. McLaughlin was exceptional in the role, mainly because his actual skating looked so good on camera.Stream on Prime Video.
19Na-Kel Smith - mid90s (2018)
Na-Kel Smithis a jack-of-all-trades, rising into the zeitgeist as a pro skater, talented actor, and notable hip-hop frontman.Jonah Hill recognized the young skateboarder’s presence, casting him as Ray inmid90s, the film’s most ambitious skater and most-engaging role. Ray provides a positive influence for Stevie, the film’s protagonist, as a skater willing to abandon the skate world’s disaffection with “trying hard” — and go against his friends' aversion to the pursuit of achievement.
Don’t Expect to See Na-Kel in Many Films Despite His Acting Talent
“Nak” remains a heavy presence on social media, in musical collaborations with talents like Earl Sweatshirt, and in skateboarding, still honing a deft touch with heavy skate clips. As famous for his style as his skating skills, he may be better-suited to being a pro skater than the trappings of acting fame, withmid90sremaining as his sole feature-film role. Regardless, Na-Kel is a creative force as soon as he walks into a room, and half-a-million Instagram followers should keep him afloat — unless he dares to further explore his acting talent.Stream on Max.
18Justin Pierce - Kids (1995)
Justin Piercemay have been too raw,tooauthentic to ever have a real career in Hollywood. His talent was indisputable as Casperin Larry Clarke’s cautionary tale,Kids. Pierce was deeply embedded in New York City’s ‘Downtown Kid’ scene, making him a natural selection to star inKidswhen director Larry Clarke discovered him in Washington Square Park. Casper was the most-engaging male character in the film — but also the most devious — a fact that showed the film’s authenticity as a semi-documentary of this drug-and-alcohol-fueled teenage NYC scene. The result was one of the most controversial films ever released.
Justin Pierce Was Emerging, He Ended His Life
Pierce got cast in another interesting role inFirst Time Felon, as a young delinquent sent to a prison camp. He Bic’d his head for the exceptional role, and it seemed to hint at a forthcoming career in indies. Still, his most-unforgettable role remained as Casper, the “dopest ghost in town.” Pierce met a tragic end soon after his brief foray into indie roles — some say due to the pressures of fame — when he took his own life in Las Vegas, Nevada in the summer of 2000. He was 25 years old.
17Austin Amelio - The Walking Dead
Above all else,Austin Ameliohas a great “look”. It locates him somewhere between ‘Middle-American’ and post-hipster intellectual — a space that pretty much no other actor occupies. That has boded well for roles insuper-high-profile shows likeThe Walking Dead. Turns out, Amelio is adept at the ‘shredding of the board,’ as well.
The Man Is Seriously Good at Skating
Amelio might have the most skating skills of any actor in Hollywood today, with an athletic frame that helps him unload effed-up stunts on the concrete landscape. Amelio’s ceiling as an actor is super-high, as well, and 10 years down the line he may top a list like this.Stream on Netflix.
The Walking Dead
Based on one of the most successful and popular comic books of all time, AMC’s The Walking Dead captures the ongoing human drama following a zombie apocalypse. The series, developed for television by Frank Darabont, follows a group of survivors, led by police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), who are traveling in search of a safe and secure home. However, instead of the zombies, it is the living who remain that truly become the walking dead. The Walking Dead lasted for eleven seasons and spawned several spinoff shows, such as Fear the Walking Dead and The Walking Dead: World Beyond.
Related:The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live Posts Highest Rotten Tomatoes Score of All the Spin-Offs
Chad Muskadefinitely didn’t have any training as an actor, but his enormous presence led to a believable role as a surf bully onEntourage. “The Muska”, known for negotiating death-defying tricks while his Ghetto Blaster plays his self-made beats nearby, perfectly fits the model set by surf bullies Warchild and Tone (Anthony Kiedis) inPoint Break.On the hit HBO showEntourage, Muska aggressively navigates a drop-top Chrysler on PCH to scare the bejeesus out of Turtle (Jerry Ferrara) and Drama (Kevin Dillon). OnEntourage, Muska had truly transcended from skateboarding to a pop culture phenomenon.
At one point in the late-’90s, Chad Muska dominated skateboarding with top-notch skating, an outsized persona, and enormous cred as a homeless-runaway-turned-cultural-phenom. Even today, Chad Muska has an enormous social media following as an artist and chicken farmer. Yes… chicken farmer.
15Steve Berra - Felicity
Steve Berramet all the common trappings of a Hollywood career —experimenting with Scientology, celebrity romance (he married Juliette Lewis), and getting hit by a bus on a JJ Abrams show. Ok, maybe that last one wasn’t so common. Yes, Berra’sFelicitycharacter, Todd Mulcahy, met his maker in pretty abrupt fashion, when, mid-conversation with Felicity Porter (Keri Russell), Todd steps into the street and into one of television’s biggest surprise deaths of all time — getting truck’d by a bus. Or was it bus’d by a truck? Anyways, it had to have hurt.
Berra Never Became a Movie Star, but Returned to Skateboarding with the Berrics
Despite never achieving the success of his Hollywood buddies like Leonardo DiCaprio (who has?), Berra had a commendable acting career. He later returned to the skate industry by co-founding the Berrics website and skate park with legendary colleague Eric Koston (the brand name is a portmanteau of their names). Berra has cornered the market in skate media, and makes regular appearances on camera for Berrics events, like the vaunted “Battle of the Berrics.“Stream on Hulu.
14Evan Mock - Gossip Girl
Evan Mockzagged, stylistically, from skateboarding’s norms, when he exploded on the Los Angeles scene after a Hawaiian upbringing. When singer Frank Ocean posted a video of Mock skating, he went viral, and his unique look caught the attention of casting directors. Thatled to a role on theGossip Girlreboot as Akeno “Aki” Menzies.
Despite Early Acting Promise, Mock Has Shied Away from Further Roles
Mock has remained mainly in the fashion and skateboarding world since his semi-iconic role, which inspired many a young skater to dye their hair pink and dangly earrings — not a far cry from the near-raver style of early-’90s skateboarders.Stream on Max.
Gossip Girl
13Rachelle Vinberg - Skate Kitchen (2018)
Rachelle Vinbergled a cast of female skaters inSkate Kitchen, a pioneering film for being the first to show skate life from the perspective of young women. What the film lacked in story, it made up for in heart, creating a narrative around a group of aspiring NYC skaters that was the polar opposite ofKids. The 2018 film was barely a blip on the popular radar, but that didn’t matter, as it asserted the position of young female skaters in the brave new world of 21st century skateboarding.
Why Skate Kitchen Has Staying Power
Skate Kitchenis one of the few moments where the inherent “coolness” of skating was challenged by another ethos — one that showed that skateboardingcan be enjoyed by any group of kids. The youth and vitality of the film trumps any concerns about it eschewing the core philosophy of skating, or skating’s supposed connection to machismo.Rent on Apple TV.
Skate Kitchen
12Rick McCrank - Machotaildrop (2009)
Maybe the most-talented skater to ever hail from Canada, Rick McCrank also had a unique comfort in front of a camera, that could be seen in the side sketches and candid moments of skating videos likeMenikmati. McCrank’s lanky look and goofy personality lent itself well to film crossovers, in uber-weird skate-indiesHarvey SpannosandMachotaildrop, which saw him play to his strengths as an aspirant amateur skater.
McCrank Also Impressed in His Documentary Series Abandoned
Atop his skateboard inAbandoned, McCrank traveled across North America exploring abandoned locales with experts to explain their significance. We wouldn’t rule out the possibility of seeing McCrank in another fictional film role, but he certainly has a knack for hosting a series — perhaps a better lane for him going forward.
11Sunny Suljic - mid90s (2018)
Discovered at Stoner Skate Plaza, an LA skate mecca, by mid90sdirector Jonah Hill, youngSunny Suljichad to actually pretend to beworseat skating to play Stevie, as explained by Suljic on Chris Roberts' amazing skate podcast,The Nine Club.
Using that device, the audience could live vicariously through Stevie’s experience of landing his first tricks in his driveway — the spark that’s ignited many a skate career. Hill captured that youthful exuberance masterfully with a colorful story about the commonly disaffected existence of a young skater, after Suljic proved to be an exceptional young skater who already had acting credits under his belt.
Though he’s largely returned to the confines of Instagram as an exceptional young skater, Suljic still has impressive roles inmid90sandThe Killing of a Sacred Deerunder his belt. Whether that translates to an acting career as an adult has yet to be seen.Stream on Max.
