Hulk Hogan, who passed away on July 24th, 2025, was known to millions as a wrestling star — but his influence extended far beyond the ring. Even if you never watched a single match, chances are you knew his name, his image, or one of his ventures in entertainment and merchandising.
Away from the squared circle, Hogan built a career as a crossover figure in films, television, and consumer products, often in ways that were as over‑the‑top as his wrestling persona.
A Saturday Morning Cartoon Hero
In 1985, NBC launched “Hulk Hogan’s Rock ’n’ Wrestling.” It ran for two seasons and turned Hogan into a Saturday‑morning staple, complete with animated adventures and moral lessons. The cartoon presented him as a clean‑cut, almost superhero‑like figure, a far cry from the backstage realities of wrestling. The show didn’t last long, but it proved that a wrestler’s image could sell well outside of wrestling itself.
Hollywood Ambitions and B‑Movie Stardom
Hogan’s film résumé became a defining part of his public image. He starred in:
- No Holds Barred (1989) – a WWF‑produced action movie that quickly developed a cult following for its absurd dialogue and over‑the‑top tone.
- Suburban Commando (1991) – in which Hogan played an intergalactic warrior stuck in suburbia, complete with slapstick encounters and sci‑fi gags.
- Mr. Nanny (1993) – a family comedy where Hogan donned a tutu at one point and took pratfalls for laughs.
He also had parts in Santa with Muscles (1996) and various TV movies. These projects rarely impressed critics, but they found their way into video rental stores and became nostalgic oddities. Hogan often claimed in interviews that he turned down major Hollywood roles, including being the next John Wayne or starring in big‑budget franchises — stories that remain unverified but added to his self‑made mythology.
Television Crossovers
Beyond films, Hogan showed up in surprising places. He appeared on The A‑Team, often playing characters only slightly different from his public persona. He guest‑starred on Baywatch, where his presence was used to promote special events. He also fronted reality shows later in his career, including Hogan Knows Best, which aired on VH1 and followed his family life with varying degrees of staged drama.
Merchandising Mania
Hulk Hogan’s likeness became a merchandising powerhouse. At the height of his popularity, you could buy:
- Action figures and playsets
- Branded lunchboxes and backpacks
- Cartoon‑themed vitamins
- Ice cream bars with his face on the wrapper
- Board games and puzzles
He endorsed everything from energy drinks to kitchen products — including the infamously marketed Hulk Hogan Thunder Mixer and Pastamania, a short‑lived pasta restaurant concept that operated out of the Mall of America in the mid‑1990s. Pastamania’s “Hulk‑A‑Roni” became a trivia favourite among fans of bizarre celebrity ventures.
A Pop Culture Figure with a Flair for the Absurd
Outside the ring, Hogan embraced opportunities with a mix of ambition and exaggeration. He made headlines with claims like having rewritten film scripts himself, or being offered roles that never materialised. He launched products that ranged from odd to forgettable, and he leaned heavily into the kind of branding that turned him into a fixture on toy shelves and in commercials.
While many of these ventures were short‑lived or critically panned, they reinforced Hogan’s unique status as a personality larger than the business that made him famous.
Remembering the Off‑Screen Hulk Hulk
Whether as a cartoon hero, a bumbling action star, a reality‑TV dad, or the face of an ill‑fated pasta chain, he left a mark that stretched across decades of pop culture. Hulk Hogan was more than a wrestler — he was a brand, a character, and, at times, a living oddity of celebrity culture. Even outside the ring, his influence and eccentric ventures remain unforgettable.
