I came across this article that was taking odds on whom the next WWE star would be, that could break into Hollywood. At first, I was kind of like “pffh no way” when they had ranked Seth Rollins to be the #1 choice to possibly make it onto the silver screens of Hollywood (and not just WWE Film productions), but then it dawned on me that frankly, I’d never actually given it much thought about who the next guy really could be.
Typically I watch wrestling, because I’m a supersmark that likes to think I’m smarter than everyone else when it comes to wrestling, but I’ve been kind of caught up in the cat-and-mouse game between the fans and Triple H, who is doing a damn admirable job of taking the predictions and perceptions of supersmarks like me that think we’re smarter than everyone else, and turning them in all sorts of less-predictable directions. That being said, I’m not really thinking about the future endeavors (see what I did there) of the talent beyond what they’re doing on RAW.
But it’s an interesting idea, and upon giving it some thought, I took a little bit of time to actually think about who could follow in the footsteps of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and the more recent emergence of John “John Cena*” Cena, who did some show-stealing in Trainwreck with Amy Schumer, actually acting, instead of being a stone-faced Marine or vigilante. Especially since with the more recent partnerships the WWE has flexed with relevant and popular celebrities such as Jon Stewart and Stephen Amell, instead of the days of when they used to bring in people nobody cared about like Snooki, such crossover pots could actually be stirred.
*Nicknaming John Cena as John Cena seems appropriate, given the fact that “real” John Cena is assumed to be the corporate robot tool shown on Total Divas, which is a complete contrast from the super-paragon loud mouth white rapper in-ring John Cena persona.
Ultimately, I have to end up agreeing with the article that Seth Rollins is probably the most likely wrestler to transition into Hollywood. However, it’s weighted heavily on the notion that frankly, I don’t think there’s that much competition on the current WWE roster.
Simply put, there’s no standout megastar on the roster that can truly generate emotion from people, other than John Cena, and he’s already crossed the picket lines, so he’s no longer a part of this discussion. American cinema tends to lean towards chiseled physiques, handsome looks/bombshell beauty and larger-than-life personas to play roles in films, and there isn’t a ton in either department at the moment.
My first thought was “who’s the quintessential All-American hunk,” and combing through the current WWE roster, there simply aren’t many viable options. I thought about a guy like Cody Rhodes, because he’s handsome and in great shape, and has good facial features. But the speech impediment has got to be a major ding on his qualifications, and when the day is over, I question whether or not he’s capable of acting like anything other than a reincarnation of Goldust. Zack Ryder is kind of up there, but the jury’s out on whether or not he can act, but physically and looks-wise, he’d probably be someone who could transition decently to a television or movie camera.
I disagree with the notion that Kevin Steen Owens’ “every man” looks are what would make him remotely qualified to go into Hollywood. I’m under the belief that movies, like video games, and all other recreational indulgences of storytelling are used as escapes from reality, and I don’t think the idea of going out to watch a fat Montreal neckbeard in a film sounds that appealing, given the fact that at any given point, there’s bound to be at least eight guys that look just like Kevin Owens watching at the same time. His ability to speak French is a moot point, considering Cesaro speaks French and several other morelanguages than Steen, but Cesaro himself is balding, and based on how painfully awkward he sounds when he speaks, he probably can’t actually act.
But if “every man” is a desired criteria, then I’d say that Sami Zayn is probably a more likely candidate to make it than either Owens or Cesaro. Sure, he looks a little too babyfaced, kind of like Wayne from the Wonder Years in my opinion, but he also speaks French and allegedly some Arabic as well, based on his Muslim upbringing, he’s not fat and perpetually murderous looking like Owens, and genuinely seems like a more affable person, which is always a positive trait when it comes to trying to advance in any field.
One guy that I thought would have been a lock, if for anything at all, the evil foreign-looking guy archetype, would have been Mada; the guy from Tough Enough, that didn’t win. I’m not entirely sure of this ethnic background, but he speaks fluent Arabic along with English, is a menacing physical presence, has the look, and has some slight connections as it is; apparently, prior to competing on Tough Enough, he was a physical trainer, whose most notable client was training the guy who played Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones. That being said, Mada looks pretty much like a Dothraki as it is, maybe he will just end up in a future season of GoT.
Anyway, enough musing about counterpoints, this would be my list of potentially wrestlers-turned-Hollywood, based on the current roster, minus John Cena. Going backward:
Titus O’Neil. I’m a fan of Titus. I once said that Darren Young was in trouble, because Titus was both the Shawn Michaels and Marty Janetty of the Prime Time Players, because Titus was both better on the mic as well as in the ring, leaving Young as kind of unneeded. But Titus has great physical presence, is big and muscular, and has absolutely zero qualms with being able to speak on camera. He has a little bit of a buck-tooth speaking pattern which might hinder him a little bit, but given his combination of physical appearance and confidence on camera, he could probably get somewhere in Hollywood if he tried.
Can he be a leading man? I doubt it. But perhaps a ceiling of being like a Tyrese Gibson-replacement is the potential and that’s still work.
Bray Wyatt. Consider Bray Wyatt like a single-shell shotgun. He’s got one shot to kill it, but it’s an effective one if placed correctly. That being said, in wrestling, I’m personally tired of Bray Wyatt’s persona; he rambles more than the Ultimate Warrior and Jake the Snake combined, his promos take too long, he can never get to the point. But his crazy Southern Gothic Cult Leader persona would make for one compelling character in an actual orchestrated story that could translate well into Hollywood.
But that’s really about it for Bray. If he doesn’t nail it, there’s little else he can really contribute, at least without massive physical alterations. At best, he finds his niche being the creepy sidekick in dramas, a la Ethan Suplee.
Becky Lynch. My first thought when I saw Becky Lynch emerge on the Divas Revolution storyline was her steampunky looking ring attire; back when I saw her in early NXT, such was not the case. Either way, the Divas of the WWE are a little lacking in potential screen jumpers, in my opinion. Basically, when I thought of Becky Lynch for this list, my thought was she could basically play any role that the girl who played Ygritte from Game of Thrones did, but older. It turns out that Becky Lynch is barely a month older than Ygritte as it is, but there’s still a dramatic physical difference, as Becky Lynch is vastly more imposing than Ygritte, but still has the appealing Irish accent.
Can Becky Lynch lead? Probably not, but I could very easily see her have some significant screen time as a supporting character in a film. Most notably a future Fast and Furious installment; given the fact that Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty character has been given wins over a hot raven-haired Gina Carano and a hot blonde Ronda Rousey in prior films, Becky Lynch could easily be the hot redhead that could job in Fast 8 Furious or something, which being a professional wrestler, might be something she’s understanding of. Play her cards right, and parley that exposure into other things.
Sasha Banks. I would agree that the connection to Snoop is probably her greatest asset, but aside from that, I really don’t think Sasha has much to offer Hollywood. And I’m most definitely on the Sasha train as it is, and I’d totally be one of the smarks in a Brooklyn attendance that would chant for wanting her too. But the reality is that she’s physically kind of short, and not really the tall, leggy dame that Hollywood so often seeks out. The jury is out on whether or not she can actually act, and I have a hard time believing that she’s capable of leading.
But that’s just how powerful that Snoop connection is, to warrant considering her this high. Because Snoop is a joint and a TMZ rub from getting absolutely anyone into the public eye, and all it takes is an high idea to get Sasha Banks into brighter spotlights than wrestling can provide.
Roman Reigns. For obvious reasons, his placement on this list is pretty much solely based on his connection with his cousin, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. That along is probably among the strongest connections one could possibly have if there were Hollywood aspirations, and although I can’t speak for everyone, let’s hope that Roman Reigns doesn’t. He hasn’t demonstrated any genuine charisma, he’s not really good on the mic, and he’s only got two facial expressions: “I’m going to murder you” and “pffh whatever.”
But if coz wants to get him into film, he’s going to make it into film, because at the time I’m writing this, we still live in a time where whatever the Rock touches has a tendency to turn into gold. Roman would be ideal in roles where he’s kind of background/sidekick muscle, but in no way shape or form, should he ever be thrust into a position where he would have to carry a film. Sounds a lot like his wrestling career, to be perfectly honest, but that relationship with one of the biggest stars in both wrestling and Hollywood is just way too powerful of a connection to ignore for his potential.
Seth Rollins. And now, we arrive at the prodigal son. Despite my knee-jerk hesitations to see him in such a high position, upon thinking about it, I do have to admit that Rollins really does have a lot going for him. He’s that lean kind of physically muscular and athletic, like an in-prime Matthew McConaughey, he’s a very competent speaker who enunciates well, and if anything at all, he’s got the kind of mixed ethnicity look that could fit him into a large variety of roles. I could just as easily see him being the top villain if they did another Die Hard movie, or being the kind of athletic fighter in the vein of like Tony Jaa that would be used in an ensemble cast for a blockbuster (like another Fast & Furious). If done well, he could parlay that into potential other opportunities, but I’m not quite sure how he’d fare in a leading role, although I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility.
I still remain steadfast that this kind of positioning is based on a weak field of competition, but the truth of the matter is that Seth Rollins does still bring a lot to the table. It’s really a matter of if he ever pursues it in the future, but for the time being, the WWE Champion can still enjoy being the (supposed) top dog of the company.
However, I may agree that Seth Rollins might currently be the best wrestler on the roster that has might have the chance to go Hollywood, kind of out of lack of better alternatives, but I don’t think he’s best talent that could break out. Personally, I think if there’s anyone that could really shine in an actual Hollywood (and not WWE Film) production would have to be…
Paul Heyman. Simply put, Paul Heyman is the best talker in the business, and being able to speak with conviction and in a manner that makes people stop and listen is pretty much half the battle when it comes to acting. He’s engaging, he enunciates well, and he’s sharp as a whip when it comes to being able to work on the fly and have to improvise. Given his general passion for the wrestling business and his countless times he’s basically reinvented himself to adapt to the state of the business, I’d be fairly willing to go out on a limb and vouch that he could probably fare pretty well when it comes to acting.
Sure, he’s never going to be the chiseled and handsome protagonist in any sort of film, but he’s basically already parading around in the ring as the perfect type of evil genius bad guy there could be. The transition from the wrestling ring to the screen would be pretty seamless, and for some reason, I want to compare him to someone that could possibly emulate the kind of bad guy type that Paul Giamatti plays, when tasked to be the bad guy. The bigger question is if Heyman himself would want to; a self-proclaimed “calmed down” guy on account of two children, as well as successful creative ventures on the side, would he be willing to give it up for a bit acting gig?
Anyway, there we have it with the current state of the WWE roster, and contemplating on whom has the potential chops to cross over into film. The playing field is kind of weak as a whole, if you ask me, but it’s definitely not without any potential at all. Unfortunately for those looking for the next handsome leading hunk, the WWE is probably a little barren, but for good compelling character actors, or some solid support action types, then there’s still probably a good bit of talent that would be worth flying waivers on.
