Dave Bautista on learning from Vin Diesel, hitting his mark, and earning praise from Denis Villeneuve

Welcome to Random Roles, wherein we talk to actors about the characters who defined their careers. The catch: They don’t know beforehand what roles we’ll ask them to talk about.

The actor: Dave Bautista was king of the WWE ring for a big chunk of his 20-year professional wrestling career. A superstar with the ring name Batista, he went from heel enforcer to WWE Champion during his long run in the squared circle. In 2010, Bautista did a solid for his friend and fellow wrestler Rob Van Dam by agreeing to appear with him in the direct-to-DVD film Wrong Side Of Town. A throwaway action flick by all measures, the film haunted Bautista because, in his estimation, his performance as Big Ronnie was so bad that it actually hurt his feelings to know how bad he was in it. But it galvanized him into figuring out how to get better at acting.

Bautista threw himself into moonlighting as a serious actor, and in 2014 changed the trajectory of his life by landing the role of Drax the Destroyer in Marvel Studios’ Guardians Of The Galaxy. Five years later, he retired from wrestling for good and has never looked back. With nearly 40 films on his resume and a handful of non-wrestling TV credits, Bautista is a jobbing actor, intent on improving his craft with every new role and director collaboration. While he’s had plenty of humbling moments, even on his most recent films, Bautista is refreshingly frank when speaking to The A.V. Club about his blind spots, the validating moments that keep him going, and how he’s stretching into new creative areas with his latest film, The Killer’s Game. 

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

The Killer’s Game (2024)—“Joe Flood”

The A.V. Club: For The Killer’s Game, you have an executive producer credit as well as the lead actor credit. Did you come into this film from the EP side and hire yourself?

Dave Bautista: I actually read the script years and years ago. I was looking for this kind of story, which I thought was a love story disguised as an action film. But lately, I've liked to sign on...I'm a little bit of a control freak. [Laughs.] Sometimes I look for scripts that aren't necessarily perfect but have an interesting concept or there's some kind of interesting twist that could be had. Why I like to sign on as a producer is because I love to collaborate creatively. I think that's where my strength is. I think I have a knack for storytelling. That's kind of always the way I look at this business and my career: I'm a storyteller. A lot of times I won't sign up unless I can be a producer on the film because I don't want to be just an actor for hire. I want to be involved. I want to collaborate and be in on the creative process. So it was very much that with The Killer's Game. I got the script and I thought it was interesting, but I didn't think it was perfect. I wanted to give it a little bit of my flavor.

AVC: The almost giddy romance between your character, Joe Flood, and Sofia Boutella’s Maize is the unexpected charm of the movie.

DB: I only ever saw Sofia Boutella playing the role. We did a film called Hotel Artemis together. We didn't really even have any scenes together but we got along so well. We spent time in the makeup trailer, and saw each other on set. There's something about her that she can play sweet and loving and funny. But she can also play sexy, badass. And because I knew we already organically had chemistry, I thought she'd be perfect for the role. Now I'm really patting myself on the back because I think it comes across on the screen. It's not that she wasn't wanted for the role. But not everybody along the way saw her in the role. There were a lot of other actresses brought up, but I stuck to my guns and I said, "Sofia is amazing."

AVC: The Killer's Game is also almost comically over-the-top with the action and violence. Director J. J. Perry started as a stunt performer, so how did he best position the ample fight scenes to your skills and strengths?

DB: We played around with it a lot. There was a certain feel we wanted this movie to have as far as the action went. We wanted it to be a little far-fetched. We wanted it to be a little over the top. We weren't going for the John Wick feel. Anybody who is trying to compete with John Wick is practicing an exercise in futility. They've set a new standard. We wanted to get away from that and go more funny, more ridiculous, more silly. It's all J.J. Perry.

AVC: You've worked with some great directors in a short time. You’ve already worked with Perry again in the upcoming Afterburn. Why is he a repeat collaborator?

DB: J.J. Perry has become one of my favorite people in the world. I met J.J. years and years ago, just in passing. I had a general meeting over at 87eleven and met him in passing. Years later, I was very familiar with his career in second unit. When his name came up for The Killer's Game, I was a bit skeptical because this wasn't an action film. To me, this is a love story. But upon our first conversation, he literally said, "I'm not really seeing this as an action film. I'm seeing this as a love story." I couldn't believe he said it. But that was all I needed to hear. He has been such a great partner in collaboration because he has a bit of a chip on his shoulder, as I do. I've always set out to prove myself as an actor. And he said, "Look, man, I've proven myself as an action director. People know I can do it. I can do it in my sleep. But I need to capture everything else. I need to prove that I'm a storyteller. So we're in this together." And that's what it felt like the whole way.

WWE (1999 - 2019)—“Batista”

AVC: Before you transitioned into acting professionally, you learned plenty about performance in the wrestling ring. Was there a match or event that helped you shift your mindset from ring performance to scripted acting?

DB: Honestly, that never crossed my mind, not even once. I think people would be surprised how obsessed with professional wrestling I was. I loved it. I was completely absorbed in it and I had no desire to act at all. I did my first film as a favor and still to that point, I had no desire to act. I was just doing it strictly as a favor. I didn't even think, “Oh, this would be fun.” It was a favor. And I realized on that film, how bad I was at acting. It hurt my feelings to the extent where I just wanted to prove to myself that I could be better at this. It had become this puzzle that I couldn't figure out. The way my mind works is I get obsessed with things that are like puzzles to me and I want to try to figure him out. And I'm still there. I'm still trying to figure this out.

Smallville (2006)—“Aldar”

AVC: With that humility in hand, how did Smallville fit into the puzzle?

DB: I did Smallville not because I wanted to act. I did Smallville because I'm a geek and I wanted to be in a superhero series and a Superman series. [Laughs.] And that's why I did it. When I did it, I basically played a version of a professional wrestler. I never considered it acting. I was the guy who grunted and growled and I flipped people over my head. When I talk about acting, I don't even throw that in.

AVC: As you got more acting gigs and learned the culture of a set and what hitting a mark is, what role felt the most intentional?

DB: Oh, it was every film after Wrong Side Of Town. I had a purpose at that point. I left wrestling with the intention to pursue acting. So, every set I walked on, I took it very seriously even if they weren't the best films, or they weren't the best parts. I was there to learn up until the films I'm doing now. Like I just recently, with the help of Sam Jackson, learned how to hit my mark. 

AVC: Seriously?

DB: Yeah. There's like two rules in acting: You hit your mark, and you say your line. I, typically, can never remember a line and I never hit my mark. [Laughs.] If I hit my mark, I do a celebration dance and I make sure everybody is aware that I hit my mark. Recently [on Afterburn], I was struggling to hit my mark. The shot was very camera dependent so I needed to hit my mark and I kept missing my mark. I walked into this room and I was handing Sam Jackson something. He said, "Look, man, you got that in your hand. Just pretend like you're looking down at it but find your mark and hand it to me." So, I walked in and just pretended like I was looking down at it and I hit my mark! He said, "See?" I said, "Man, I'm gonna have something in my hand on every film from now on."

AVC: You’re credited as playing a cop in the Werner Herzog film My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done. Is that true?

DB: I don't even know what that is. 

AVC: Ok, rumor dispelled.

Stuber (2019)—“Det. Victor "Vic" Manning”

AVC: Up until Guardians Of The Galaxy in 2014, you're still trying to learn this art. But comedy is a whole other acting muscle that takes a lot of skill and bravery. Was it terrifying or exciting to say yes to more comedies?

DB: It's funny because I never thought about those roles as comedic roles, because I don't find myself funny. I played those roles just very straight. But it was after the first Guardians where people kept offering me comedies. There was one comedy that came my way that I just thought was funny as hell and it was Stuber. I worked with a director named Michael Dowse on that. The whole way through, I doubted everything I was doing. There were even times when we were really having spirited debates about lines. [Laughs.] I just wasn't finding them in the performance. I trusted him to bring out my comedic side. And that's the thing, I'm a good straight man.

AVC: Watching your more recent comedies, I would say there’s more of a twinkle in your eye now than when you were just a good straight man.

DB: I think I've found my footing in comedy. I always get the joke. I'm well aware. I just never saw myself as a comedic actor, and it's hard to find myself funny. But I think I've found my place and what works for me. A lot of times it really is just playing straight. I play great opposite somebody who's very witty and funny and sharp.

The Boss (2016)—“Chad”

AVC: How did your uncredited role in Melissa McCarthy’s The Boss happen?

DB: I wanted to work with Melissa. It was an added scene. There was something they felt like they were missing in the film. They called me up and right away I said, "Yes, I want to work with Melissa." When they actually put the scene in the film, it didn't work. It was like one big fight scene after another and it didn't work. So it never made the final cut. But yeah, that was because I wanted to work with Melissa. I'm a fanboy. A lot of times I'm gonna sign up because there's just certain people I want to work with.

Riddick (2013)—“Diaz”

AVC: When it comes to the action path of your career, Riddick was a major jump in budget and scale. What did you learn from that set and experience?

DB: I remember feeling more nervous on bigger sets, for some reason. I am much more comfortable on a smaller, very contained [set]. I love indie dramas. I love when it's a very close-quartered room, and the dialogue is very quiet. I'm a soft-spoken actor. Being big is uncomfortable for me. With the scale of a film, the bigger it gets, the more uncomfortable I'm going to be. 

But I take away things from films and from actors. There was a very important lesson I learned from Vin Diesel on that one. There were a couple lines I had to say and I was saying them wrong. I was saying them in a way that felt comfortable to me. The director, David Twohy, kept coming in and saying, "Can you just say it this way?” I did and it felt very uncomfortable. It felt unnatural. I was struggling. And Vin Diesel came up to me and he goes, "Just say it the way you want." I said, "Yeah, but he's telling me..." And he goes, “Yeah, I know. But it's gotta be your performance. When you leave here, this is your performance. And if you don't feel good about your performance, it's gonna haunt you. So, say it the way you want. Dave's gonna come in and you say, "Yeah, yeah, sure. I'll do it that way.” And then do it the way you want again, and then just apologize and say you forgot." [Laughs.]

AVC: That’s quite the note. 

DB: I did it. I took his advice. And I started owning my performances.

Guardians Of The Galaxy trilogy (2014 - 2023)—“Drax the Destroyer”

AVC: Now that you have a bit of distance from the MCU, where you appeared across a lot of projects from films to specials and cameos, is there a scene where you feel like you really nailed what you wanted to do with Drax?

DB: There're certain moments that I was extremely proud of, and I'm sure that they were overlooked by everybody else because they're very subtle, understated performance moments. But there was a moment in Infinity War where I disintegrated. I looked at Quill and I was afraid. I said very softly "Quill..." because I didn't understand what was happening. I really loved that moment. I'm proud of myself for that moment.

There's another moment in Guardians Vol. 3 when I say goodbye to Mantis. I'm just waving at her. Even when I think about it, I still get emotional. A lot of people will overlook that moment and just think it was a performance… [Pauses as he wells up]. Sorry if I get emotional, but it was also me saying goodbye to Guardians. That was really me saying goodbye to the franchise. They became family for me over the years. And it was over, that's what I had in my head.

AVC: When you are thinking about retiring from certain things, such as wrestling or as Drax in Guardians, I was really taken by a quote where you said retirement is retirement for you. Most people usually leave it at “never say never.” Is it important to close chapters in your life and mean it?

DB: It is for me, in particular, with wrestling. You would be hard-pressed to find a wrestler who got to go out on his own terms. It just doesn't happen. But it did with me. I would never do anything to tarnish that. I would be broke and homeless before I went back and tarnished that, because it was a storybook ending. I take pride in that. It was a hard-fought war to get to that place. I had to be very stubborn to get to that place. I had to hold out a lot to get to that place. I got to go out when I wanted, with who I wanted, and I got to go out the way I wanted, which was on my back. I always felt that was the right way for a wrestler to retire. You're leaving, you make sure somebody else, you put them over because they're staying to be on top. I'm so proud of it. That was the highlight of my career and I'm not willing to tarnish it.

Dune (2021)—“Glossu Rabban”

AVC: One of your favorite repeat collaborators is director Denis Villeneuve. I’ve read that when anyone gets an “I deeply love that” on set from him, that’s a big thing. Which one was most impactful for you?

DB: I don't know if I could put one moment over the other but there were a few times on the second Dune, a few times on the first Dune, and there was a few times in Blade Runner 2049. 

AVC: When you heard it from him the first time, did you understand what you'd earned?

DB: I didn't, so it didn't mean as much to me. But when I understood—when I saw him say this to other people and I knew that that was really when Denis thought that was a special moment—is when it kind of clicked in. I think everybody is waiting to hear that. “Did he deeply love it? If he didn't, ugh!” [Laughs.]

AVC: Now that you are more attuned to him, is it easier to get there for him?

DB: What I've learned with Denis—and this may be the first time that I ever heard him say, "I deeply love this"—but he really empowered me to give my own performance. He really supported me. It was on the first Dune. There was a moment where I was speaking with my uncle, the Baron. I was questioning his decision. That was a big film and these are big actors so I'm super self-conscious. Denis came up to me and said, "I feel like you're holding back. I don't want you to hold back. Do what you want. You're a very powerful actor, my friend. Do what you want." So, I delivered the lines in a different way, in an aggressive way, an angry way. I screamed, and when I screamed everybody in the room jumped. He came in and said, "I deeply love this. I deeply love this!" He loved it so much that he turned the camera around again so he could get everybody else's coverage because he hadn't gotten their reaction to me performing that way. So that's the one that stands out. But also that moment is when I knew that Denis really believed in me and I could have performance freedom going forward. If he gave me notes, I'd follow the notes. But otherwise, it felt like he trusted me and believed in me which was a big deal for me. It's validation.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)—“Duke Cody”

AVC: I love the back-to-back juxtaposition of dumb-as-a-rock Duke in Glass Onion with Rian Johnson and then the quiet fervor of Leonard in Knock At The Cabin with M. Night Shyamalan. Both are ensemble pieces but diametrically opposed in tone. 

DB: There's definitely a different pressure. Rian's set was a no pressure set. There was nothing but fun and love. I never felt pressure on that set. It was just so easy to get through that and the cast was really incredible. Also, although I had done a film with Daniel (Craig)—we did Bond together—I felt like that was the first time I ever met the real Daniel, because he's a completely different person.

Knock At The Cabin (2023)—“Leonard”

DB: With Night's film, I'm still living with a lot of regret from that film. It doesn't have anything to do with the film, or with Night. What an amazing director and I love working with Night. But what I hate was, I had like two days to prepare for that film. I was so unprepared and it kills me, because I feel like I could have delivered a much better performance. But I wrapped on Guardians out in L.A. early on Friday morning. I jumped on a plane and flew to Philly. We started filming Knock At The Cabin on Monday morning.

It's just such a hard role. They had already started filming, so I was jumping in cold and everybody else was already hot. All along, Night was like, "Are you sure you're gonna be ready?" And I said, "I promise you. I'll be ready." And I was as ready as I could be, considering. But I wish I had been better prepared because it was a hard role.

AVC: As artists, it's easy to beat ourselves up. But in truth, you were an incredible rudder in that film. I think it’s one of the best things you’ve done to date.

DB: I fell in love with the script and I fell in love with the role. I wish I could have invested more. But that's what I had, I had two days. I really became dependent on Jonathan Groff. We became very close on that. I love him. I depended on him because he was always there for me. Even when he was off-camera, he was fully in it. And I really needed that support because I just wasn't as prepared as I wanted to be.