Movies & TV / News

Rian Johnson On How Dave Bautista Surprised Him In Glass Onion, Says He’s The Best Wrestler-to-Actor

December 27, 2022 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
Glass Onion Dave Bautista Leslie Odom Jr Image Credit: John Wilson/Netflix

Dave Bautista co-stars in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and writer-director Rian Johnson says the WWE star-turned-actor surprised him the most on set. Johnson spoke with The Atlantic for a new interview about the film, which is now streaming on Netflix, and praised Bautista’s work on the big screen. You can see a couple of highlights below:

On who surprised him the most on set: “Dave Bautista. When I was writing [his character, a men’s-rights streamer named Duke Cody], I was picturing a scrawny dude who’s trying to overcompensate. When Bautista was brought up, I was instantly so smitten by the idea. I’ve been a very big fan of his dramatic chops as an actor.”

On Bautista being the best wrestler-to-actor ever: “I absolutely 100% agree. And 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.”