WWE SUPERSTAR TED DIBIASE, JR. SUITS UP FOR “THE MARINE 2”

Article and Photos by Suzanne Philips
Jul 23, 2009 San Diego, CA

2008_0323comiccon20090054WWE Superstar Ted DiBiase, Jr. stopped by the 2009 Comic Con in San Diego to promote his upcoming DVD release of “The Marine 2”.  CFM News caught up with
Ted and he filled us in on the details.

CFMNews: Is this the first time you have been to Comic Con?
Ted DiBiase:  The first time, yes, and it is…absolutely insane.

CFM: So going from doing live shows every week (on WWE Monday Night Raw, Mondays 9-11pm USA Network) to working on a film, what was different about that?
TD:  You know wrestling and acting, the film industry….they have their similarities.  In wrestling there is a lot more physicality.  Well there was a
lot of physicality in this film.  I did all my own stunts but when we are wrestling, it is more over the top.  When you are playing to a live crowd, you are a little
bit exaggerated.  You know….a little bit more.  And there are all of those millions of people who are watching on TV at home.  And the camera, it catches your facial
expressions.  And that is something that you have to let those people at home feel –  that emotion your face, whereas people in the crowd who are at the top of the arena,they have to feel it through your movements.  Film is more here (frames face).  Less is more.  And that is something that I learned as the process of the movie
went through and I really enjoyed it. The learning experience was just incredible.  I think it helped me a lot with my wrestling, you know?  Cause you understand the
importance of exemplifying that emotion.  This was my first film.  I hope there is more, because it was so much fun.

CFM: Are films something you always thought that maybe you wanted to do?
TD:  It was something that was always in the back of my head.  My mom always thought I would be an actor.  I was always pretending that I was hurt and she
would get worried you know?  And I was like, no I was just kidding.  And she would slap me and it would be bad.  (laughs)  Yea it was always in the back
of my head and when the opportunity came, it was just really a surprise to me because I had only been wrestling like 6 or 7 months and they came to me
with the script and I read it.  They said “wow how long have you been acting” and I looked at my wrist and said “about 10 minutes!”  They said they would get back
to me and they called me a week later and said you got the part.  And I was like, I got a part in a movie?!?  What part is it?  I was thinking it was
something small.  And they said…no you are the lead role.  And then it hit me and I was just….oh my gosh.  It was on from there.  It was just
a lot of learning and it was quite a trip and it was so much fun.

CFM:  Did you talk to John Cena (star of THE MARINE) to get any advice?
TD: Yea, I talked to Cena and he is incredible.  He is in THE MARINE 1 and he just finished 12 ROUNDS which just came out on DVD and is doing extremely well.  His
advice was…be yourself.  Just be yourself and listen.  It was all I could do.  It was my first time in any kind of acting role, apart from wrestling.  It was different.
This is new to him too.  He’s done two movies now but it’s still pretty fresh. He said be yourself, have fun with it, listen to what they have to say.  It was a
rollercoaster ride but it turned out to be an incredible film.

CFM:  How did you get along with the rest of the cast?
TD: Michael Rooker who plays Church…I mean Michael Rooker was in DAYS OF THUNDER and TOMBSTONE.  He was awesome.  Oh my gosh he was so much fun.  And Lara Cox who plays my wife….we just had great chemistry together.  Our director, Roel Reine, he made us do these exercises together. We want to malls and stuff holding hands and acting like a couple.
I had never done anything like that because I had never been to acting school or in Theatre or anything like that so it was interesting.  We hit it off right off
the bat.  They really helped me out a lot. I was surrounded by good people, great actors….veterans of the business so that really helped as well.  It inspired me
to do as good of a job as I could do to represent them and the WWE.  It was good all around.

CFM:  When does the film come out?
TD:  December 29th on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Check out THE MARINE 2 in December and watch Monday Night Raw on Mondays from 9-11pm on USA Networks.

Author: Suzanne Philips
Film, TV, Theatre reviewer. Mad Dance Skillz, Crazy in a good way.

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