Dave Bautista (Batista) discusses his acting career
During his WWE career, Bautista was a six-time world champion. He was one of the company's top stars, but he decided to leave WWE in 2010 in order to pursue other opportunities. Though he endured some struggles in the early stages of his acting career, Bautista landed a breakout role as Drax the Destroyer in "Guardians of the Galaxy". From there, he continued to prove himself in a variety of roles, and his career continues to flourish. All the while, Bautista has built a reputation as an actor that has impressive range, even if stars like Dwayne Johnson and John Cena have been bigger box office draws.
In an interview with GQ, Bautista discussed his acting career. While he acknowledged the success of Dwayne Johnson, he made it clear that he never wanted to be the next Rock. Instead, he emphasized that he wanted to be a good actor that was respected.
"I never wanted to be the next Rock. I just want to be a good fucking actor. A respected actor," Bautista said.
Bautista also described his enjoyment of acting by stating that he's obsessed with it. He called it a puzzle that continues to perplex him, and though it doesn't happen often, when he gets something right, it's a natural high that nothing can top.
"I’m obsessed with it. It’s this puzzle that I can’t figure out. You don’t know if it’s right, but sometimes it feels right. I don’t get those moments a lot, but every once in a while I do. And fuck, to me, there’s nothing like it. It’s a natural high. It’s an addiction," Bautista said.
The former WWE star also offered a glimpse into his mindset by noting that he's sometimes afraid and nervous, but he pushes himself in order to keep moving forward. He admitted that he might "cringe" after he takes these steps, but he refuses to let fear limit him.
“I’m afraid of things,” Bautista says. “I’m nervous about things. But I can force myself to do things that make me uncomfortable, because I know I’m not gonna get anywhere if I don’t. I may cringe after the fact, but I’m not going to let that fear hold me back," he said.
In the same interview, Bautista reflected on the beginning of his acting career and recalled some advice Steve Austin gave him. Check out his comments here.
Kevin Nash recently praised Bautista in "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery". Click here to see what he had to say.
In a recent interview, Rian Johnson agreed that Bautista is the greatest wrestler-to-actor ever. More information is available here.
