Dave Bautista Initially Left Wrestling Because He Realized He Was a Horrible Actor
Actor Dave Bautista wasn’t too confident in his acting abilities years before his breakthrough role in Guardians of the Galaxy. This led him to make a hard decision that would pay off enormously in the end.
Rian Johnson agreed that Dave Bautista is the best wrestler-turned-actor
Bautista has received a lot of work due to his performances in recent years. His range has allowed him to tap into many different film genres, from comedies to dramas and sci-fi blockbusters. Bautista recently added more to his filmography by starring in filmmaker Rian Johnson’s ensemble movie Glass Onion. Johnson himself had nothing but praise for Bautista, even agreeing in an interview with The Atlantic that Bautista was the best wrestler-turned-actor.
“I absolutely 100 percent agree. And I think somebody like [Paul Thomas Anderson] is going to give him a real part and is gonna look like a genius,” Johnson said. “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.”
Apart from him, Dwayne Johnson and John Cena are the only other two well-known WWE superstars who made a successful transition to acting. But comparing the two to Bautista has always been a bit of a sore spot for the Dune actor.
“Those guys are wrestlers who became movie stars. I’m … something else. I was a wrestler. Now, I’m an actor,” he said in a 2019 interview with the Tampa Bay Times.
Dave Bautista felt he was a horrible actor before he left the WWE
Although many may have a high opinion on Bautista’s acting ability, Bautista applied a lot of effort to hone his craft. He was also willing to make the necessary sacrifices to do so.
Before arriving to Hollywood, Bautista had a lucrative career as a WWE superstar. But after realizing his limitations as a performer, he wanted to be able to improve his acting by dabbling in film roles. At the time, WWE wasn’t all that receptive of the idea.
“It came about out of spite,” Bautista once told talksport about his decision to do acting. “First, I have to say, it came from me discovering I was a horrible actor. And I wanted to become a better actor. And I wanted to do it while I was still with WWE. They would not give me the opportunity within the company. So I said that I should be given the opportunity to do it outside the company, and they said absolutely not.”
Afterward, Bautista and the WWE amicably parted ways so Bautista could fulfill his acting ambitions. It was a gamble that paid off, but in hindsight, Bautista also felt doing so might not have been the smartest decision.
“It was brave, maybe a little stupid,” Bautista said. “There were three years of me barely working. And it was a nice thing with the WWE. I made a very good living there, I was very comfortable. I could’ve stuck with that. But I wanted to do something else.”
Dave Bautista refused to play the role of a wrestler in ‘Room 104’: ‘Not a Shot in Hell’
In 2020, Bautista starred in the HBO anthology series Room 104. The series would cover several different genres, focusing on a diverse set of characters passing through a motel. Bautista would find himself as one of the many characters a part of the anthology. But originally, the Marvel star turned down the role because it asked him to play a professional wrestler.
“When my agent told me it was a professional wrestling themed episode, I said, ‘Not a shot in hell,'” Bautista said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. “I’ve worked really hard to separate these two worlds.”
But he changed his mind after reading the episode’s script.
“One of my agents, Ryan Abboushi, said to me, ‘Just read the episode—it’s exactly what you’ve been looking for, it’s exactly what we’ve been talking about,'” Bautista added. “I read the script and I was blown away. It wasn’t what I thought it was. It was deep and rich and emotional.”
