Batista was recently interviewed by The Tampa Bay Times. In the interview, Batista took shots at Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and John Cena, saying they weren’t good actors, nor did they have the kind of fame that he craves.
“Those guys are wrestlers who became movie stars. I’m … something else. I was a wrestler. Now, I’m an actor,” the former WWE Champion said, dismissing comparisons to The Rock and Cena. Batista called himself a “character actor,” and that he was “proud” to be one.
“Rock was, in a way, a movie star before he was even a movie star. There is something about him that’s really special. I’d never take that away from him,” Bautista says. “Would I consider him a great actor? F— no.
“I want good roles. I don’t care about Fast and Furious or Bumblebee. … That’s not the kind of stardom I want. … I want to be in Dune. I want to work with Denis Villeneuve. I want to work with Sam Mendes and Jodie Foster. I want to work with Academy Award winners. I’m proud to be a character actor. I want that respect and credibility and education.”
Batista returned to WWE on Monday, attacking Ric Flair at his birthday party.
The Tampa Bay Times