Cody Rhode's character on Arrow sells a drug called "Stardust".
He recently appeared on CW's Arrow. Collider.com interviewed Rhodes and he discussed his character Derek Sampson.
"Derek Sampson is a drug dealer. Star City finds itself with a lot of escalation in crime. All of these heroic elements in Star City, and everything the Green Arrow has done, brings out the worst in folks. I think about Vertigo and how that hit the streets, and then this situation where the drug Stardust, that Derek Sampson is pedaling, has hit the streets. I know a lot of people are aware that this season is back to the streets and we’re lifting the veil on who’s out there on the streets, and Derek Sampson is one of those individuals," said Rhodes.
He was nervous about making a reference to his past in Arrow. Ultimately he found a balance. He also sees connections between the character Stardust and the drug from Arrow.
"I think everybody agreed that there would be some sort of a wink to the audience who enjoyed the initial interaction with Stardust and the Arrow at WWE’s SummerSlam. It concerned me a little bit because there are tons of Arrow fans who do not like wrestling, or maybe they’re not aware of it and they don’t intend to be aware of it. So, the last thing I wanted to do was make it so obvious that it was, “Here’s the dumb wrestler who gives a dumb wrestler performance. Bye dumb wrestler!” But when I saw it all together, it’s just simply a good wink at the audience and, in a way, it bridges the experience from the wrestling that Stephen and I did to being on set. When I did the character of Stardust, for me to play the character, I had to give myself something in my mind for why, in eight years of being Cody Rhodes and myself, I would want to be Stardust. I always thought of it as some sort of drug or brainwashing, so it’s perfect. I think it bridges," said Rhodes.
Rhodes' character did not survive his debut episode. Rhodes has expressed his interest in acting now that he is no longer with the WWE, but can still be seen wrestling in independent promotions.
Rhodes discusses Arrow, his transition from wrestling and more in the rest of the interview with Collider.com.
