WWE legend ‘Big Show’ Paul Wight claims organisation restricted acting opportunities and explains shock exit
WRESTLING legend Big Show has revealed the WWE were ‘real strict’ by not allowing him to take certain acting roles. A number of WWE superstars have moved from wrestling into acting, most notably Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, but also Dave ‘Batista’ Bautista and John Cena. But Big Show – real name Paul Wight – who […]
WRESTLING legend Big Show has revealed the WWE were ‘real strict’ by not allowing him to take certain acting roles.
A number of WWE superstars have moved from wrestling into acting, most notably Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, but also Dave ‘Batista’ Bautista and John Cena.
But Big Show – real name Paul Wight – who left the organisation in February more than a quarter of a century after his debut, insists the creative restrictiveness of the WWE was a major reason why he moved to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
He told ComingSoon.net: “There were a lot of projects that I just wasn’t available to do, and WWE [was] real strict, especially at the very beginning.
“They were very strict about what they let their branded talent do. That was one of the conversations I had with [AEW Owner] Tony Khan when I made the commitment to come to AEW was, ‘Look, I’m going to pursue more television, more film projects.’
“And he was extremely excited about it and encouraging about it to the point that when things start rolling around again, we’ll start working with TNT and get some projects rolling. So, to know that you have that opportunity is an incredible motivator and also stress relief.
“Now you can apply all these ideas and all these desires to perform and be a part of all these new projects. Oh, yeah, at seven-foot and 400 pounds, it’s very tough to let people know that, ‘Hey, I am funny!’ Or, ‘Hey, I can carry a part.’
“I mean, I can always be bad guy number one or doorman at the bar. Sure, I can do that — and not to say there’s anything wrong with that — but you also want to prove to the audience that you can carry things. So that’s the great thing is to be supported in that endeavor.
Wight, who is set to star in season four of Fast & Furious: Spy Racers, went on to add: “Believe me, I thank my stars every day when I think about actors that have had a successful career elsewhere, so they don’t have to depend on their acting to pay the bills, because what a tough job to go out there and go through audition after audition and get rejected again and again.
“I don’t have that stress. I’m going to keep the lights turned on. So, it’s a lot more fun for me. But my hat really goes off to the actors that have slept in the cars and made something out of themselves because it’s not an easy transition.
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“It’s a very competitive, very ruthless business. If you get a part in a movie and that movie’s depending on you, as an investment, when that part was cast, it was done with who they felt could create the best investment for their character.
“So, it is a business, but it’s also a very, very tough one. As rewarding as it is, it’s also very tough, and I appreciate that challenge.”
Wight is second in the all-time list of most matches in WWF/WWE history with 1444.
The only superstar to have appeared in more match-ups than Big Show is Kane, who has competed in an incredible 1666.