Dave Bautista recently opened up to Men’s Health, revealing an intriguing addition he makes to all his movie contracts.
The strange clause actually makes a lot of sense.
The bizarre revelation comes after Bautista announced he wouldn’t be returning to Guardians of The Galaxy as Drax, explaining that he doesn’t want to be tarred with the same brush as fellow WWE stars Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and John Cena, who he believes have both been typecast.
The actor recently admitted that he wants to focus on “more dramatic stuff.”
Despite people going crazy over the trailer for Vol. 3, Bautista’s latest comments have left fans feeling deflated, as he’s announced he won’t be returning as the beloved character after this movie.
Speaking to GQ about his decision, Bautista revealed that while he does love the character, he doesn’t want the role to define his career.
He said: “I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him. But there’s a relief [that it’s over]. It wasn’t all pleasant. It was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don’t know if I want Draw to be my legacy.”
He went on to explain that he “never wanted to be the next Rock,” adding: “I just want to be a good f***ing actor. A respected actor.”
And by the looks of things, 2023 is set to be a pretty good year for Bautista’s blossoming career.
Following the success of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion, and with the release of Dune: Part Two, as well as M. Night Shyamalan’s anticipated thriller A Knock at the Cabin just around the corner, he’s proving that his efforts haven’t gone in vain.
It’s clear over the last few years, Bautista has tried to distance himself from the other wrestlers-turned-actors. He even shared his thoughts on Johnson’s acting with The Tampa Bay Times back in 2019, calling him a “movie star before he was even a movie star,” adding: “Would I consider him a great actor? F*** no.”
Then again in 2021, Bautista responded bluntly to a tweet asking about a possible collaboration between him, Johnson, and Cena, writing: “Nah I’m good,” and that he didn’t want to be “lumped in” with them.
It seems his decision came loosely from a conversation he had with the wrestling icon, ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin.
“Before I left WWE, [Steve] pulled me aside and said, ‘You’re going to get offers for horrible scripts. The money will be tempting. Don’t get caught in that trap,’” Bautista revealed to GQ.
This led him to be more “picky and choosy” with the roles he took on. But, as much as he’s eager to leave the character behind, it was playing Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy that really shot him to fame.
Despite that, he shared “There’s a relief [that it’s over].”
He’s excited to look forward, and while discussing A Knock at the Cabin, it’s clear he’s on the right track. “It’s by far the most I’ve ever spoken in a film,” he revealed. “Just huge pages of monologues … It’s a lot of pressure. I want to remember my dialogue, but not at the expense of losing the emotion of the scene.”
Although he’s attempting to leave his old image behind, there’s one thing Bautista can’t go without, and he’s recently opened up about it in an interview with Men’s Health.
As a former pro wrestler, Bautista takes his health and physical appearance very seriously, so much so, he has to eat frequently throughout the day to maintain his impressive physique.
Bautista told the outlet: “It’s actually in my contract that I have to eat no less than every 4 hours.”
He added: “In between those meals if I get hungry, I typically do an almond butter and banana, or a vegan, gluten-free grilled cheese is my favourite go-to.”
As well as maintaining a healthy diet, he also trains at the gym at least once a day.
“This is my sanctuary. I come here for peace of mind. It’s therapeutic for me,” he said.
