The Undertaker Explains Why He Never Had Hollywood Aspirations
The Undertaker could have easily followed in the footsteps of The Rock, Batista, and John Cena, and crossed over to Hollywood, especially when you consider how popular he is even outside the world of sports entertainment.
However, The Phenom admittedly never had such aspirations mainly because he was too determined "to protect" his iconic WWE character which played into his reluctance to break kayfabe. As a result of that, he didn't do as many media tours as other top guys in the WWE and turned down several opportunities to star in movies and TV shows.
In a recent chat with Barstool Sports, The Undertaker explained why fame and spotlight outside the WWE never appealed to him.
"They [WWE management] appreciated the fact that I was living my character even off the screen. And my mindset was like, I'm living my dream here as a wrestler. So, I didn't have aspirations of going to Hollywood and crossing over like that, which is something I never held against any guys who do," he said.
The Undertaker touched upon how he didn't want to come across as two different people inside and outside the ring.
"I was living my dream and doing what I wanted to do. I knew if I wanted to continue doing it, I had to protect my persona. Luckily, I didn't have to worry about social media in the early years. I knew I couldn't be two different guys on the Internet and TV, it was too much of a disconnect the way I looked at things.
"I understand that we're in sports entertainment and everybody understands how the business works now. However, to me, it was always about bringing the air of authenticity to what you, the fans, were seeing," stressed The Undertaker .
Furthermore, The Undertaker realized that appearing as a normal person outside the screen would not help him stand out from the rest of his peers.
"I always wanted to put it in everybody's minds–good, bad or different–that this dude is different. And what I was doing was different. I wouldn't blink, and there were so many small things that I thought about. It was all a part of the big picture of the character," he added.
The Undertaker, who named Black Hawk Down as his favorite movie ever, also took a hilarious jibe at The Rock, who is presently the highest paid actor in Hollywood.
"I mean, the jury's still out on whether it worked for The Rock or not. I don't know, I think he's gonna be alright. Something like that, he's a C-lister."
Interestingly, The Undertaker said he would never get to the point where he could let his guard down and do media interviews.
"I can't believe I'm actually talking to you guys [for an interview] and promoting a WWE video game. For me, that [breaking kayfabe] was never a goal.
"But through the process of making the Last Ride docuseries, it just happened. I was reluctant at first, even though it was my idea to have a camera follow me. Now that I've lifted the curtain, and started letting people in, there are a lot of questions I have to answer from fans and everyone else."
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit Barstool Sports and give a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.