How Pro Wrestlers Took Over Hollywood

John Cena, Dave Bautista, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson are the beatified trinity of wrestlers-turned-actors, breaking done to the larger civilization and stomping mudholes successful the container office. Other wrestlers are landing salient roles successful shows and movies, but nary person reached the aforesaid heights of mainstream megapower.

Why did these circumstantial superstars look from the acting undercard and go large draws? How did they shatter the sports amusement stigma? And what lessons could an aspiring in-ring thespian larn from their careers?

Suppose you’re a hard-working pro-wrestler who’s bushed of making towns and taking bumps, and you’re anxious to swap the sweaty canvas mat for a swanky reddish carpet. Lesson 1: Don’t beryllium excessively speedy to bent up your boots. Hollywood is wherever the large boys play, but successful wrestling, it helps to beryllium the Man.

1. Be “The Man”

The Rock, Batista, and Cena were each “top guys” successful their respective eras earlier jumping to Hollywood. With tons of satellite championships, pay-per-view main events, and truckloads of questionable merch betwixt them, each had reached the pinnacle of pro wrestling popularity earlier taking their talents to L.A. You’re improbable to spot a curtain-jerking “jobber” hosting SNL oregon changing the hierarchy of powerfulness successful the DC Universe. Wrestling prima powerfulness gives you a monolithic caput start.

Name designation evidently plays a immense part, but there’s much to it than that. Call it what you will: aura, rizz, energy – if there’s an “it” factor, these folks person it. Whether it’s wrestling, acting, music, oregon thing else, if you’re palmy successful 1 medium, you’ve got a large limb up successful another.

Before pro wrestling went corporate, a wrestler’s worthy was measured successful their quality to “draw money,” AKA selling tickets that enactment butts successful seats each astir the world. Movies aren’t overmuch different, and not conscionable successful Hollywood. The legendary El Santo and his chap luchadores starred successful dozens upon dozens of Mexican enactment films successful the ‘60s and ‘70s. Their in-ring fame and the undeniable drip of masked men successful wide-lapel suits transformed them into cinema superheroes.

Status-obsessed Hollywood took a small longer to clasp the inherently carny practice of pro wrestlers, but times person changed. A bankable star’s look connected a poster erstwhile each but guaranteed boffo container office, and present that the monoculture has conscionable astir tapped out, studios are looking for established, big-name talents – and the followers they bring with them.

You don’t need to beryllium a first-ballot Hall of Famer to person a large vocation successful the movies – workers little connected the marquee person carved retired awesome careers for themselves. The likes of Roddy Piper and Jesse Ventura worked with skilled and respected cult filmmakers passim the ‘80s, and countless wrestlers person go immortalized done insignificant roles and iconic cameos implicit the decades.

Pre-existing popularity is simply a immense help, but it’s nary guarantee. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin was arguably the astir fashionable and lucrative pro wrestler ever, and his movie vocation fizzled retired aft a mates of half-hearted attempts. “The Texas Rattlesnake” was an sick acceptable for acting, but helium yet recovered his existent passion: shouting encouragement astatine young radical doing obstacle courses successful his backyard.

Austin wasn’t adjacent the biggest Hollywood container fumble. That grant goes to the precocious Hulk Hogan. The Hulkster was the biggest prima of 1 roar play and a large subordinate successful another, but 1 immense misstep aboriginal successful his vocation K.O.’ed his acting ambitions similar Sweet Chin Music to the dome. Hogan could person had it all, but helium stuck excessively adjacent to wrestling. Which brings america to our 2nd portion of advice: Don’t beryllium acrophobic to tally wild.

2. Run Wild

The emergence of Hulkamania couldn’t person happened without Hollywood. Hogan’s ascent began with his pre-WWE relation arsenic “Thunderlips” successful Rocky III, which inspired WWE proprietor Vince McMahon to poach the Hulkster and marque him the look of a Rock N’ Wrestling revolution. Soon, Hogan was saying prayers and taking vitamins alongside ‘80s popular icons similar Cyndi Lauper, Mr. T, and Richard Belzer. It seemed lone a substance of clip earlier helium dropped the limb connected the movie business, leaving WWE successful the dust.

Afraid of losing his biggest draw, McMahon took matters into his ain hands. Rather than hazard losing power of his apical attraction, McMahon would money his ain blockbuster movie and person Hogan to prima with a juicy enforcement shaper credit. The Hulkster accepted, and the 2 acceptable disconnected to constitute a movie that would motorboat Hogan’s acting career.

Hulk Hogan ne'er rather mastered Hollywood the mode immoderate of his successors would.

What benignant of razor-sharp screenplay would look from the minds that brought america the “Kiss My Ass Club” and the “Dungeon of Doom?” What kino would they conceive to cement Hulk Hogan arsenic the adjacent Schwarzenegger oregon Stallone?

No Holds Barred.

The movie was a fiasco, 1 of cinema’s infamous disasters. Countless atrocious movie podcasts person spilled innumerable riffs upon its badness, which tin beryllium summed up successful 1 word: “Dookie.” As a debut, it couldn’t person truly gone overmuch worse.

No Holds Barred had the stink of wrestling each implicit it. It’s astir wrestling, Hulk Hogan plays a hardly fictionalized mentation of his in-ring character, and McMahon’s scatalogical consciousness of wit is rampant throughout. It’s 93 minutes of insulting sleaze. Today’s corporate, post-Vince WWE displays the broad, comparatively safe, and wildly palmy entreaty of Marvel and Disney, but backmost past determination was inactive an aerial of dirtbaggery astir the concern from which the movie could not escape.

It was shilled relentlessly connected WWF programming without overmuch success, culminating successful a hopeless pay-per-view cage lucifer betwixt Hogan and his on-screen nemesis, Zeus “Tiny” Lister, that didn’t adjacent bash precise well. No Holds Barred is simply a terrible, oftentimes revolting film. It soured the assemblage connected the expansive experimentation of wrestlers-turned-actors for a agelong clip – and enactment an extremity to Hogan’s Hollywood dreams.

The Hulkster ne'er recovered from No Holds Barred. He carried connected successful progressively low-status fare similar Mr. Nanny and the TV bid Thunder successful Paradise. His singular acting bequest is that trailer you benignant of retrieve from The Secret of the Ooze VHS tape. Hulk Hogan made a batch of wealth moving for Vince McMahon, and helium made the promoter adjacent much successful return. But Hogan’s loyalty to his brag – oregon his unwillingness to permission his comfortableness portion – hobbled his acting vocation successful its infancy.

Perhaps if Hulk had conscionable waited for the close opportunity, helium could person hooked up with chill directors the mode his co-workers did. A skilled filmmaker would person taken vantage of Hogan’s undeniable charisma and adapted to his weaknesses. Instead, the Hulkster hitched his wagon with McMahon and his highly unspeakable way grounds erstwhile it comes to thing extracurricular of pro wrestling.

Which brings america to our adjacent lesson: Everyone needs idiosyncratic successful their country – adjacent the astir electrifying antheral of all. The Rock came to Hollywood well-prepared to beryllium a large player, acknowledgment successful portion to choosing the close tag-team partner.

3. Tag-Team Action

Dwayne Johnson was destined for success. Born into a Samoan wrestling dynasty to a begetter who was 1 of WWE’s archetypal Black champions, The Rock would beryllium the eventual nepo babe – if helium wasn’t truthful evidently talented.

On his debut successful WWE, “Rocky Maivia” was portrayed arsenic a smiling, happy-go-lucky young rookie without overmuch personality. The assemblage turned connected him truthful “The Rock” turned heel, tapping into his innate aura to go 1 of the Attitude Era’s astir compelling performers. He didn’t bash it alone.

In 1999, WWE filmed an MTV peculiar to beforehand their upcoming SummerSlam pay-per-view. That’s wherever Johnson archetypal worked with a young writer named Brian Gewirtz. Gewirtz had bounced astir the TV manufacture for a fewer years, snagging credits connected respective short-lived sitcoms. The Rock smelled what helium was cooking.

In an unprecedented determination for the wrestling business, The Rock convinced WWE to prosecute Gewirtz arsenic his ain idiosyncratic writer. Today’s WWE is progressively cinematic and tightly-scripted, often mind-numbingly so, but successful The Rock’s epoch astir wrestlers were liable for their ain “promos.” The “booker” would springiness them immoderate bulletpoints, but the “worker” was expected to improvise. This was large if you were highly talented and/or moderately insane, but the bulk of the era’s muscleheads were not precisely eloquent.

The Rock changed each of that. He was ever a earthy promoter and a catchphrase machine, but helium intelligibly saw bigger things connected the horizon. Unlike Hulk Hogan, who hesitated erstwhile it came to leaving wrestling behind, The Rock embraced his evolution. By hooking up with an manufacture endowment similar Gewirtz, Johnson was capable to hone his skills for erstwhile Hollywood came calling.

Johnson launched his acting vocation with immoderate TV impermanent appearances, earlier making his large surface debut successful 2001’s The Mummy Returns, ushering successful a bold caller epoch of dazzling and wholly convincing computer-generated effects. The Scorpion King near the WWE to prosecute acting afloat clip successful 2004, leaving Gewirtz down arsenic Monday Night Raw’s caput writer. Johnson would support engaged implicit the adjacent fewer years, but his roody-poo roles successful mid-tier schlock near The Rock floundering for years.

Dwayne Johnson had a imaginativeness which took him to the apical of Hollywood.

Dwayne Johnson was adrift, but helium had his sights set. He told his agents to marque him bigger than Will Smith. They scoffed, truthful helium fired them and recovered absorption that could marque it happen. With their help, concern began to prime up for Johnson, particularly aft landing the relation of Luke Hobbs successful 2011’s Fast Five. His anointment by the Fast & the Furious franchise gave the nationalist support to comprehend him arsenic a movie prima archetypal and a wrestler second.

When The Rock yet came backmost to wrestling for 2 once-in-a-lifetime imagination matches against John Cena successful 2012, it was huge. He was huge, acknowledgment to countless hours clangin’ and bangin’ successful the robust paradise. Freshly tattooed and boldly bald, helium was afloat reborn arsenic a bigger than life, bigger than wrestling, S-tier star.

The Rock reunited with Gewirtz successful 2015, hiring him arsenic SVP of Development for his palmy Seven Bucks Productions. A concern sparked 16 years earlier present had the Hollywood clout to recognize their illustrious vision: A bald feline successful a brownish garment laying the smacketh down connected monsters, atrocious guys, and earthy disasters successful movies that marque billions of dollars. Gewirtz helped Dwayne Johnson blossom into a large Hollywood subordinate successful much ways than one, but arsenic The Rock began to propulsion his newfound value around, helium risked losing his rubric arsenic the People’s Champ.

Reports of “D.J.’s” diva-ish cognition abounded, from allegedly showing up precocious and peeing successful bottles to refusing to suffer a combat onscreen. Add successful his clumsy takeover effort of the DCEU and the chaos he’s caused down the scenes successful WWE, and it’s wide wherefore The Rock has turned bottommost successful the eyes of galore fans. It’ll instrumentality a batch of endearing viral videos to rehabilitate Johnson’s image. That oregon an Oscar.

The Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie’s biopic starring Johnson arsenic combatant Mark Kerr, dazzled astatine festivals worldwide, creating awards buzz for the archetypal clip successful the Great One’s vocation (though the container bureau wasn’t arsenic kind). Premiering alongside a new, slimmed-down look, The Rock seems unfastened to eating immoderate humble pastry and anxious to determination connected to the adjacent signifier of his stardom, with much challenging roles from auteur directors.

In short, Dwayne Johnson is entering his Dave Bautista era. Hopefully he’ll larn the astir important acquisition from “The Animal’s” rise: Check your ego astatine the doorway and prime your spots wisely.

4. Pick Your Spots

In wrestling, a “spot” is simply a preplanned flashy determination oregon item successful a match. It’s the Thing You Do successful a match, the notes betwixt the music. Some are riskier than others. A huffy leap disconnected a ladder could marque your vocation oregon extremity it, portion a method showcase tin either gain the crowd’s respect oregon shatter their disbelief. While it’s imaginable to seashore disconnected of canned routines, the champion wrestlers take their spots wisely and maximize each infinitesimal wrong the ring.

Actors besides excel astatine picking their spots, since they can’t precisely sprout each publication that comes crossed their table – though immoderate volition try. Some artists lone look from hibernation for the occasional circuit de force. The Rock played it harmless by creating his ain cottage manufacture of assembly-line “Dwayne Johnson” movies. Batista was a small much savvy. He realized that the astir beloved movie stars are the ones with an oculus for interesting, involving roles.

Dave Bautista successful his aboriginal WWE years.

Dave Bautista wasn’t the astir diversion wrestler ever, but each those miles walked wrong the pit of information gave him a knack for making memorable moments. “The Animal” intelligibly displayed immoderate acting endowment beyond “I privation to bushed that feline up”; it was evident Bautista had potential, and helium was consenting to stake connected it.

After leaving WWE successful 2010, Bautista began his movie vocation connected a akin trajectory to Johnson’s, paying his dues successful direct-to-video enactment movies. Also similar The Rock, his large interruption came from being formed successful a monolithic franchise: Drax the Destroyer made Bautista a star. But wherever Dwayne Johnson utilized his newfound fame to signifier Hollywood successful his image, Big Dave took the accidental to turn himself arsenic an actor.

Bautista’s scene-stealing crook successful Blade Runner 2049 arsenic a meek yet monolithic android successful tiny glasses showed much scope than fundamentally ever relation played by a wrestler up until that point, and helium would proceed to propulsion himself arsenic unique, atypical characters successful movies similar Glass Onion and Knock astatine the Cabin. He adjacent became the archetypal wrestler to dependable the American dub of a Studio Ghibli film.

Until The Smashing Machine, astute wealth had Dave Bautista arsenic the wrestler astir apt to triumph an Oscar first. No substance what benignant of movie he’s in, Bautista is ever improving, pushing himself to sharpen his craft. He’s ranked highest among wrestlers successful presumption of acting chops, but it’s not similar helium exclusively goes for artsy films. Big Dave has been successful plentifulness of high-profile blockbusters and the occasional bomb, but he’s learned to thin towards buzzworthy, respectable projects similar Dune and Knives Out arsenic opposed to CGI nonsense and Kevin Hart vehicles.

Even beyond his endowment and selectiveness (or large agent), Bautista has earned a rep successful Hollywood arsenic 1 of the kindest, astir generous stars around. His co-workers emotion him, helium spends his escaped clip rescuing animals, and the lone existent play he’s ever been progressive successful was defending his person James Gunn erstwhile Disney unfairly canned him. He’s conscionable a likeable feline with a ton of goodwill from the audience.

The satellite loves a babyface, aft all, and there’s nary bigger “good guy” successful the manufacture than John Cena, a antheral who embodies our last, and possibly astir important portion of proposal for pro wrestlers looking to marque the leap to movie stardom: Never springiness up.

5. Never Give Up

Like Hogan, Cena’s acting vocation started in-house. He starred successful WWE Studios’ inaugural The Marine film, starting a franchise that would go a investigating crushed of sorts for WWE Superstars with acting potential.

Though helium incorporated immoderate aspects of his Marine quality “John Triton” into his wrestling character, Cena enactment his movie ambitions to the broadside for the amended portion of the adjacent decade. He was inactive successful the premier of his in-ring career, and alternatively of leaving WWE astatine the archetypal accidental helium spent the adjacent decennary devoting his hustle, loyalty, and respect to the company.

John Cena successful WWE Studios’ inaugural The Marine film.

John Cena has granted much Make-a-Wishes than anyone successful quality history, endured endless publicity appearances and promo shoots, and willingly agreed to walk 20 years of his beingness dressed similar a three-year-old. He adjacent learned Mandarin conscionable to amended beforehand WWE (and himself) abroad. The lone spot we really couldn’t spot him was astatine the movie theatre – though that was astir to change.

The archetypal existent hint that Cena had immoderate untapped endowment came successful 2015, with 2 amazingly hilarious appearances successful comedies Trainwreck and Sisters. Cena lightened his wrestling docket arsenic the roles grew much frequent, but helium wouldn’t person a expansive definitive sendoff until 2025. He would spell disconnected to movie a movie, travel backmost to hastily FU idiosyncratic astatine WrestleMania, past divided again.

Maybe it’s the deficiency of closure that prevented Cena from achieving the benignant of singular deed movies that launched the careers of Rock and Bautista. Sure, he’s duked it retired with the Decepticons and butt-chugged a fewer forties implicit the years, but he’s ne'er enjoyed a Hobbes oregon Drax benignant breakout relation that genuinely separated the wrestler from the actor.

Obviously, his stellar tally arsenic Peacemaker has made him a large woody – it was the lone happening worthy salvaging from a billion-dollar cinematic universe. But 1 pandemic-era underperforming movie and a streaming bid bash not marque a megastar. Cena did that himself done sheer perseverance.

Cena pounced connected his acting vocation with the ruthless aggression helium displayed for WWE. Junkets? Bring it on. Cameos? Time to spell to work! Cena is truthful utterly dedicated to self-promotion that helium appears in-character arsenic Peacemaker successful assorted property tours – the eventual committedness to kayfabe. You don’t spot Robert Downey, Jr. cosplaying arsenic Marvel characters.

Well, present you do, but the constituent is: John Cena appears to beryllium a truly hard-working, dedicated feline conscionable similar his quality connected TV. He ne'er truly made that cleanable interruption from pro wrestling, and the enactment betwixt antheral and Superstar is truthful blurred we can’t assistance but basal for him. So beloved is Cena that his long-awaited bottommost crook crashed and burned aft fans refused to boo him.

John Cena is much than a specified movie prima similar The Rock oregon Batista. He’s an ambassador for the full creation of pro wrestling, and an inspiration for a caller procreation conscionable present stepping done the ropes of Hollywood. Younger wrestlers are making their move. Modern wrestlers similar Becky Lynch, Mercedes Moné, and MJF are getting their acting reps successful with immoderate large movies. More importantly, they’re making connections. Wrestling and movie are some cutthroat businesses, but savvy politicians similar Cody Rhodes are well-equipped to navigate the schmoozing backrooms of Hollywood.

How precocious are their ceilings? Who volition interruption through? Can the Street Fighter movie perchance beryllium immoderate bully with this many wrestlers involved? We’ll definite find out!

There’s nary azygous way to occurrence erstwhile it comes to sports entertainers dominating Hollywood, but successful a changing manufacture that’s thirsty for talent, immoderate lessons from the past tin assistance immoderate wrestler measurement retired of the squared ellipse and onto the metallic screen.