Our greatest wrestler-turned-actor visited SmackDown's closing night

“While writing [Duke Cody, Bautista MRA/NRA influencer at Glass Onion], I envisioned a scrawny guy looking to overcompensate.

[{"selector":"#anim-d91fb1f2-754d-4aef-8d93-ec26bc5b6724 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-37.57812487200395%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-09214102-a860-4092-8b03-6e710e3b690b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1388135e-4338-45d6-ae74-5e7682edc01c","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

While raising Bautista, I immediately fell in love with the idea.

[{"selector":"#anim-0a29aa95-8905-4070-883c-d772b81ea3ed","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(129.72973%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f77744e1-b6a7-4661-aafc-8ddfdc314430","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ac4da3f5-6c41-4a58-8ba6-929003caffec [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

“I think someone like [Paul Thomas Anderson] will cast him in a real role and he'll look like a genius.

[{"selector":"#anim-0a0e3550-dd8a-4bf4-a169-e9d012d275ba","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2f2159f2-15bd-46d9-8ae4-1a3fea957b26","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-45c0c5b2-3f2e-49be-9212-af3d5eb41b26 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-24.998772368493015%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

As someone, Bautista definitely leans in immediately when you meet him, and that's what got me excited.

[{"selector":"#anim-a3936bf4-70ce-446b-a11e-e40b6b620c63","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-895bdce5-c1e0-430f-93ba-b481a0c2e4da","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bec09765-e082-4c1c-88d6-e2c051186420 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-34.15948266250105%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}]

This is a guy who has the physical attributes of someone who could play big

[{"selector":"#anim-969f0e87-4594-4961-858a-c46b61597bfc","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a0c963e0-7a32-48f4-805e-e7af42551542","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ae4e3b02-abd7-42d4-ab44-79d9cf59fa9a [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-31.249999886225726%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}]

to say that Johnson is right. Dwayne Johnson is a bigger superstar, and John Cena could still learn as much as his former OVW classmate

[{"selector":"#anim-8f2eda1e-1868-4ef5-8bc2-f30121811a39 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-37.57812487200395%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d3d96e4b-b410-44ee-a150-f6207b1d495b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f24d3f4d-a7e9-45f7-9ac9-af482a8c1778","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

on the subject of dramatic chops (Cena gave us more pathos in one season of Peacemaker

[{"selector":"#anim-3e141f2a-544e-436d-8a4d-27d15489a099","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dc7ef4d2-4a56-46c5-ac1a-606556db11d1","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0b394f4f-f56d-498f-906c-465125af9823 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-28.90624987200394%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}]

However, Bautista has generally had the sensibility the Knives Out author talks about

[{"selector":"#anim-c2300278-fc79-46a4-b0b8-112a96ebc880","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(117.26385%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cb9a7521-32e9-446a-b27a-de32e7f53022","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bee29ea2-cba2-405e-b2f6-8af4b2febab6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-34.15948266250105%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}]

Need More Stories

[{"selector":"#anim-8747d76e-4727-4caa-b8a4-c5ca88a04d8c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-37.57812487200395%, 0, 0) translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-feddd667-324a-45d7-9045-3ff20a3f3a93","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] Learn more