1951-07-15 Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
Jesse "The Body" Ventura (born James George Janos) is an American politician, actor, and retired professional wrestler. After achieving fame in WWE, he served as the 38th governor of Minnesota from 1999 to 2003. He was elected governor with the Reform Party and is the party's only candidate to win a major government office. Ventura was a member of the United States Navy Underwater Demolition Team during the Vietnam War. After leaving the military, he embarked on a professional wrestling career as a heel from 1975 to 1986, taking the ring name "Jesse 'the Body' Ventura." He had a lengthy tenure in WWE as a performer and color commentator and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2004. In addition to wrestling, Ventura pursued an acting career, appearing in films such as Predator and The Running Man. Ventura entered politics in 1991 when he was elected mayor of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, a position he held until 1995. He was the Reform Party candidate in the 1998 Minnesota gubernatorial election, running a low-budget campaign centered on grassroots events and unusual advertising that urged citizens not to "vote for politics as usual". In a major upset, Ventura defeated both the Democratic and Republican nominees. Amid internal fights for control over the party, Ventura left the Reform Party a year after taking office and served the remainder of his term as a member of the Independence Party of Minnesota. Since holding public office, Ventura has referred to himself as a "statesman" instead of a politician. As governor, Ventura oversaw reforms of Minnesota's property tax as well as the state's first sales tax rebate. Other initiatives he took included construction of the METRO Blue Line light rail in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area and income tax cuts. Ventura did not run for reelection. After leaving office in 2003, he became a visiting fellow at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has since hosted a number of political television shows on RT America and Ora TV, and written several books. Ventura has been a prominent figure in third-party politics, having repeatedly floated the idea of running for President of the United States as an independent candidate. In late April 2020, Ventura endorsed the Green Party in the 2020 presidential election and showed interest in running for its nomination. He officially joined the Green Party of Minnesota on May 2. On May 7, he confirmed he would not run. The Alaskan division of the Green Party nominated Ventura without his involvement, causing the national party to disown it for abandoning its nominee, Howie Hawkins. Early life
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Saturday Night's Main Event XXXVII | Jesse "The Body" Ventura | 2024-12-14 |
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Jesse Ventura Shocks the World | Self | 2024-01-16 |
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Biography: Wrestlemania I | Self (archival footage) | 2022-09-04 |
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The Claw | Himself | 2021-05-13 |
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Andre the Giant | Self (archive footage) | 2018-04-10 |
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This Was the XFL | Himself | 2017-02-02 |
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The Making of Trump | Self (archive footage) | 2015-11-30 |
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The Drunk | Governor Littleton | 2014-02-16 |
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WWE Hall of Fame: Jesse Ventura | Himself | 2012-01-01 |
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9/11 Truth: Hollywood Speaks Up | Self | 2011-06-10 |
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Woodshop | Mr. Madson | 2010-09-01 |
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WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event | Himself | 2009-02-10 |
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The Obama Deception | Self | 2009-03-15 |
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WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology | Jesse Ventura | 2006-10-17 |
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WWE: The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA | Self | 2006-01-01 |
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If It Bleeds We Can Kill It: The Making of 'Predator' | 2004-08-10 | |
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WWE Hall of Fame 2004 | 2004-03-12 | |
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Stuck on You | Jesse Ventura (uncredited) | 2003-12-10 |
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Joe Somebody | Himself | 2001-12-21 |
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Beyond the Mat | Self | 1999-10-22 |
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WWE SummerSlam 1999 | Referee | 1999-08-22 |
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Batman & Robin | Arkham Asylum Guard | 1997-06-20 |
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WWF Summer Flashback! | 1997-07-14 | |
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Major League II | White Lightning | 1994-03-30 |
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Demolition Man | CryoCon | 1993-10-08 |
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WCW SuperBrawl III | Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Color Commentator) | 1993-02-21 |
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Living and Working in Space: The Countdown Has Begun | DMV Testee | 1993-01-30 |
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WCW Beach Blast | Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator) | 1992-06-20 |
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Ricochet | Chewalski | 1991-10-04 |
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Tagteam | Bobby Youngblood | 1991-01-26 |
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Repossessed | Himself | 1990-09-14 |
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Abraxas, Guardian of the Universe | Abraxas | 1990-12-18 |
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Thunderground | The Man | 1989-09-01 |
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No Holds Barred | Himself - Commentator #1 | 1989-06-02 |
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WWE SummerSlam 1989 | Jesse Ventura | 1989-08-28 |
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The Best of the WWF: volume 19 | Jesse "The Body" Ventura | 1989-07-19 |
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Hulkamania 4 | Jesse 'The Body' Ventura | 1989-11-01 |
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The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! | Baseball Announcer (uncredited) | 1988-12-02 |
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WWE SummerSlam 1988 | Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Referee) | 1988-08-29 |
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Hulkamania 3 | Jesse 'The Body' Ventura | 1988-08-27 |
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WWE Royal Rumble 1988 | Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentary) | 1988-01-24 |
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The Running Man | Captain Freedom | 1987-11-13 |
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WWF Hulkamania 2 | Jesse 'The Body' Ventura | 1987-05-01 |
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Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports | Jesse "The Body" Ventura | 1987-01-01 |
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Predator | Blain Cooper | 1987-06-12 |
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Tag Team Champions | Jesse Ventura | 1986-03-01 |
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WrestleMania II | Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Commentator) | 1986-04-07 |
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The Best of the WWF: volume 5 | Jesse "The Body" Ventura | 1986-01-01 |
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Wrestling's Living Legend Bruno Sammartino | 1986-06-06 | |
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The Best of the WWF: volume 9 | Jesse "The Body" Ventura | 1986-10-15 |
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Bob Uecker's Wacky World of Sports | Jesse "The Body" Ventura (archive footage) | 1985-03-01 |
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WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '85 | Jesse "The Body" Ventura | 1985-09-22 |
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Best of the WWF Volume 1 | Jesse "The Body" Ventura (Ringside) | 1985-01-01 |
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Wrestling's Bloopers, Bleeps and Bodyslams! | Jesse "The Body" Ventura | 1985-01-01 |
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WWF's Biggest, Smallest, Strangest, Strongest | Jesse Ventura | 1985-01-01 |
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AWA Christmas Night 1983 | Jesse "The Body" Ventura | 1983-12-25 |
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AWA Christmas Show 1983 | Jesse "The Body" Ventura | 1983-12-25 |
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AWA Super Sunday | Jesse "The Body" Ventura | 1983-04-24 |
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Savage | himself | 1977-01-01 |
