Dave Bautista’s latest acting role saw him play controversial Twitch streamer Duke Cody in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Rian Johnson, the film’s director, recently spoke with The Atlantic about his time working on the film and admitted the former WWE Champion surprised him the most among the star-studded crew. He explained, “When I was writing (his character), I was picturing a scrawny dude who’s trying to overcompensate. When Bautista was brought up, I was instantly so smitten by the idea. I’ve been a very big fan of his dramatic chops as an actor.
“I absolutely 100 percent agree (that he’s the greatest wrestler-turned-actor),” Johnson added. “And I think somebody like [Paul Thomas Anderson] is going to give him a real part and is gonna look like a genius. As a person, Bautista is genuinely, immediately vulnerable when you meet him, and that’s what I was excited about. This is someone who has the physical trappings of someone who would play it big, but he actually brings sensitivity to the role.”
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Bautista initially retired from pro wrestling in 2010 and turned his attention to his acting career. His first big breakout role wound up being Drax The Destoryer in Guardians of the Galaxy, making him a fan-favorite among multiple MCU appearances. But while he’d continue to have action-based roles like Mr. Hinx in the James Bond film Spectre, “The Animal” also turned his attention to more thought-provoking films like Blade Runner 2049 and Dune. He has openly admitted in interviews that he does not want to go the same action-heavy route as other former wrestlers like John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
“Do not compare me to The Rock or John Cena. Everyone does it,” he told the Tampa Bay Times back in 2019. “Those guys are wrestlers who became movie stars. I’m … something else. I was a wrestler. Now, I’m an actor.”
“Rock was, in a way, a movie star before he was even a movie star,” he later added. “There is something about him that’s really special. I’d never take that away from him. Would I consider him a great actor? F— no.”
