MJF has spoken publicly about his interest in acting and his admiration for other wrestlers who have transitioned to film careers.
The AEW star spoke with KFC Radio about his career goals and what he shares in common with Batista, John Cena, and The Rock. Read on for a selection of noteworthy excerpts:
Wrestler: “You know, it’s pretty interesting I see myself performing. Somewhere between what Cena, Batista, and Rock did is where I envision myself.
There are a number of people reaching out, and I’ll be flying out to Los Angeles immediately after finishing work on “Dynamite” for a slew of meetings. A large number of people are curious about MJF.
Why most wrestlers can’t transition into actors like those three: “So, it’s fairly evident that I have what we call ‘it’ in the industry when I go into a room and when you listen to me talk.
There is no middle ground; you are either born with it or you are not. To paraphrase Batista, Cena, and Rock: “I feel like a person in hasn’t had this many droves in ‘it’ since Cena, Rock, and Batista.
“If you observe the later years of Batista’s career, you’ll actually notice that there was clearly a most surely a light bulb moment,” the critic said of Batista’s acting ability. To top it all off, I think his dry sense of humor works incredibly well in the movies.
With regards to Rock and Cena, Rock said, “Now when you look at Rock and Cena, I believe it’s a different type of charisma, you know? The Rock really is that enormous. However, I don’t believe that’s what makes him so attractive.
He’s just so lovely and engaging that you can’t help but keep watching him on screen.
“Oh my god, I don’t think you will find someone,” one person said when told they would have to locate someone with a horrible story about The Rock. I seriously doubt that’s going to happen.
To explain what sets him apart, he said, “So for me, another thing that I feel like makes me stand out — do you know Don Rickles? I seriously need more Don Rickles in my life.
On sites like YouTube, I watch montage films with Don Rickles. Something about him made him seem endearing, like an endearing bit of s**t. Also, I don’t think Hollywood has seen something like that in a long time.
Wrestling is another sport where it’s been a while since we’ve seen it. So, yes, I do appreciate the compliment and consider it a source of pleasure.