Of the 80 plus actors to have been cast by Hollywood to play Tarzan, many of them have been former Olympic athletes.

Of the 80 plus actors to have been cast by Hollywood to play Tarzan, many have been former Olympic athletes. The trend started in 1933 when Herman Brix, winner of an Olympic silver medal in shot put at Amsterdam 1928, was selected to play the role. But Brix injured his shoulder before filming started and was replaced by former swimmer Johnny Weissmuller, winner of five Olympic golds at Paris 1924 and Amsterdam 1928. Weissmuller played the role in a dozen of movies and still remains the best known of all the Tarzans to be cast. 

Tonga's King Taufa'abou Topou IV declared a national holiday after boxer Paea Wolfgramm won an unexpected Olympic silver medal in the super heavyweight division at Atlanta 1996

Tonga's King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou IV declared a national holiday after boxer Paea Wolfgramm won an Olympic silver medal in the super-heavyweight division at Atlanta 1996. Wolfgramm, who stood at 1.93 metres tall and weighed 147 kilograms, was beaten in the final by Ukraine's Wladimir Klitschko. Klitschko won the world heavyweight title in 2006 and, as of November 2015, had successfully defended the title 23 times. Woflgramm's professional career was less successful and he retired after 20 victories and four defeats, including losing to Klitschko in just 90 seconds in 2000 for the WBC International heavyweight title. Wolfgramm now runs a car hire business in Brisbane.