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Wrestlers turning to acting is nothing new—it’s actually old when it comes to Hollywood, going back to at least the 1950s with Tor Johnson starring in string of B-horror movies. The 1980s saw a huge uptick with Jesse Ventura, Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and Roddy Piper on the big screen and the 1990s continued the trend with the Rock being the first new breakout. It’s continued to today where Rian Johnson calls his Glass Onion star, Dave Bautista, the best of them. And not just the best now, but ever.

The Atlantic, in a recent interview with the director, ranged over everything from his annoyance at the “A Knives Out Mystery” subtitle of his new movie to his feelings on Dave Bautista who took on a role that Johnson found himself surprised by.

Related: Knives Out, Last Jedi Director Rian Johnson Reveals Games He's Been Playing Recently

Rian Johnson is proud of Glass Onion, and he should be. It’s not only a fun movie, it’s become the conversation amongst film twitter of late and amongst the political class as well, which makes sense considering the targets it skewers in its runtime as he spoke about with the Atlantic. While Johnson wishes he could’ve just called the film Glass Onion (and does leave off the A Knives Out Mystery tag in the end credits) he understands the need for branding these days. But when the Atlantic asked him if he wrote with specific actors in mind, he said no, which was how someone like Dave Bautista could so surprise the veteran director.

dave bautista duke cody glass onion

Johnson, who was taking shots at the various types of influencers who spring up so often in these days, created the character of Duke Cody, a men’s rights activist whom he saw as a much scrawnier man trying to overcompensate, more of an Andrew Tate-like character than Bautista who’s size takes up the entirety of the camera frame. Said Johnson, “…I think somebody like Paul Thomas Anderson is going to give him a real part and is gonna look like a genius. As a person, Bautista is genuinely, immediately vulnerable when you meet him, and that’s what I was excited about. This is someone who has the physical trappings of someone who would play it big, but he actually brings sensitivity to the role.”

Bautista, for his part, has taken on both brassy, loud parts like that of Drax the Destroyer in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and quiet parts like his runaway replicant, Sapper Morton, in Blade Runner 2049 or his upcoming turn as the menacing Leonard in Knock at the Cabin. Like John Cena, however, he’s managed to find a way to deliver on quiet, thoughtful moments in otherwise loud action films, and unlike the Rock, hasn’t had his performances of late turned over and scrutinized (a common criticism of the recent Black Adam was the Rock having as much personality as his namesake). In Glass Onion, Rian Johnson revealed more than just layers to its mystery, he revealed layers to Dave Bautista.

Glass Onion is streaming on Netflix.

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Source: The Atlantic