You know what I want to start this interview with? The song "I Walk Alone". Didn't you say that was your signature like if you had one signature song? I don't know why that just popped in my head.

No, that was my theme music for the WWE.

Yes. And is it still?

Yeah, still is. And I I begged them. I wanted them, you know, my last run, I went back and I wanted to update the music a little bit and they're just like, no, it's iconic. You got to keep it the same.

Yeah.

Because I had uh you know, Riza from Wu Tang Clan, him and Method Man were gonna do something.

Yeah, that's the last time we interviewed you was.

Yeah, and I was like, man, all this. Why can't they remake it? They put a little spin a little. They just refused and it was killing me.

Can you rap?

Oh, no.

You could try. You could try. They could do a little, you know, sound buffering or whatever.

Yeah. It would be no good.

So, how have you been since the last time we saw you at Comic-Con when it was 150 degrees the last time? You're up on like a rooftop. Sweaty, sweaty pits.

I'm usually the only one with sweaty pits. I have them no matter where I am, so it's good to, you know, when other people are on the level with me.

I saw um Guardians of the Galaxy Friday night. I'm just gonna say this on camera for the record. I would say Guardians of the Galaxy is like my top five favorite movies of all time.

Awesome.

Just for you. I mean, obviously, such an incredible cast. I don't even believe you have a plan. I have part of a plan. What percentage of a plan do you have? You don't get to ask questions after the nonsense you pulled on Knowhere. I just saved Quill. We've already established that you destroying the ship that I'm on is not saving me. When do we establish? Like three seconds ago. I wasn't listening. I was thinking of something else. Oh, she's right. You don't get an opinion. Four months um audition process, I heard.

Yeah. Yeah. I mean that's not nerve-wracking. Yeah, I think it was about, yeah, a little over three months. And then it was even like a month and a half or two before I could actually acknowledge to people that I'd got the part.

Oh, so you knew? Are you good at keeping secrets?

They had yeah, and I and I did. You well, you have to sign your life away. It was brutal, man.

Yeah, well, Marvel didn't play. I know. You don't want them on your ass.

And I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize losing the job. So.

Right. Right. Yeah. So, no, I just. Right. You're like a vault. Yeah. Um, so, so, you know, like just sort of like the last audition, you've got one more to take me through, like, how do you stay focused in that situation and not just be like sort of seeing like if I get this and thinking, you know,

No, I mean, that was the thing was is like all along the process, it's like each time I went in, I felt like I got better, like my performances gotten better, we're getting better. I was getting more comfortable when I was working with James. So I, you know, gotten to know what at the same time, I was getting emotionally involved and I was invested in it.

Yeah, you get to know your character.

Yeah, and then I like I'm reading all the internet rumors and, you know, Jason Momoa's been cast as Drax and I'm Really? But yeah, so I was like, yeah, just, oh, of course, yeah. We were on it. Like every day, I was like, don't read into it, just rumors, don't worry about it. I was like, yeah, cuz I just, I wanted the role so bad.

How'd you find out?

Um, my agent, well, actually, my best friend, uh, and who's also my manager, he called me first. He goes, he said, hold on, I got something to tell you. I gotcha on the phone. I'm trying to get him on. He was like, what's going on? What's going on? And I thought they were gonna, I thought he wanted both, I thought they wanted to break the bad news to me. But I was on my way to the gym, surprise, surprise. And so I pulled up.

Yeah, I can tell you're really let yourself go. It's just a disaster. I never go to the gym.

I pulled over and they told me and I just started screaming, screaming, and I said, there any way they can change their mind? And they said, no, you have the part. You're locked.

Yeah, yeah, they gave me. You're locked and loaded and ready to go. Wasn't it something to do with like, didn't you have a reading with Chris Pratt or there was any chemistry or something that I think he James said that that was sort of what clinched it, that sort of sealed the deal when he saw like the chemistry that you guys had. So, are you having fun with this whole Hollywood thing? It's catching on.

No. Uh, yeah, this is just kind of the weird stuff for me. Like I'm just it's uh, yeah, it's it's uncomfortable to be honest.

Is it? Well, you've said before you're you were really shy growing up.

Yeah, real shy. I've come out of my shell um, a lot, yeah. a lot. The WWE kind of dragged me out of my shell, but yeah. It's still like it's weird, man. I get especially when I'm doing things like press conferences and stuff like that or any time you like red carpet stuff, I just I literally just want to crawl under a chair somewhere.

Do you have the red carpet pose down now?

No, and that's the thing. I never know. Like everybody's all cool and stuff and I'm just like, I feel all gangly.

Can I give you a tip?

Yeah.

Oh, I don't know if this is for girls or not, though. Girls do the whole, you know, you're supposed to do this. That could look ridiculous. But you're supposed to get three quarter with your body. You want to do it with me?

Uh, sure.

Three quarter with your body and you're supposed to stick your head up and your chin out and down. There we go. That is the And throw a little Blue Steel in there while you're at it. That's the secret to doing like, I don't know if that's a guy thing or not, but yeah.

Yeah, probably not.

Yeah. So, are you shy with girls too?

Well, no, I have I'm settled down.

I mean, I know you're settled down, but when you sort of have that, does does that make you feel shy?

Oh, it's brutally shy.

Really? I only dated a few girls that were really. Girls love that. It makes them want you even more, which is a curse.

Well, not when you look like a gorilla.

Yeah, no. I dated like a. Oh, giant. Girls love that.

I mean, I don't know, man. I'm self-deprecating too. I think they Yeah, I think they're more like like guys who are more aggressive, more confident and stuff like that.

Short term, maybe, not long term. Maybe. How how do you think you're sort of your WWE, you know, obviously you guys are in incredible shape, you're incredibly disciplined. I know I'm sure this set, long hours. I know you went through hours and hours of makeup every day. Sort of how does that how did that prepare you in a way?

That I mean, and that's what it was, cuz I, you know, as far as performance goes, there really isn't much of a comparison other than, you know, a camera being pointed at you. But um, it is. I mean, when you are with the WWE, you pull your load, or you're not with the WWE. I mean, you definitely develop a strong work ethic there. You don't complain about anything because same thing. They just don't put up with people who are high maintenance and complainers. You just go and you pull your weight and you work your ass off and you make a living and or else you're not gonna be there and they'll bring in the next guy and he will do what you were supposed to do.

How do you sit in that chair for hours and hours and hours and then you still gotta go to work? That's almost a full day. That's weird.

It wasn't it wasn't a chair. It was like a little perch that I kind of leaned on.

Oh, really? Like a tiny. I'm imagining like a tiny little.

Yeah, no, it's like a like a little saddle. It was like a little saddle that I leaned on and then I they gave me these sticks with tennis balls. So, really?

And are you naked? Can I ask you, you naked?

Um, no, I had like uh like sweatpants on.

Oh, okay. Yeah. But

Sorry. But there was like yeah, it's one of those things where you just um you know, you can't have that embarrassing element. You just kind of let your inhibitions go because they're gonna be pulling down your pants and stuff. May or may not pop out, you know. You know. And they're and they're not a shy bunch, you know, makeup artists.

No, no. They'll get in there. Your body is not your own.

They'll get in there. They'll get in there. And you're just holding on. Um, but yeah, I these sticks with with tennis balls on them and then it just like that's what I held on and they did their thing and when you do that, I wanna ask you advice. Cuz I'm not a big girl. I'm not a tough chick. No. How do I intimidate somebody without using my physical brawn? You must know this about in how to intimidate your opponent without using without just using your physicality.

No, I don't think it's it ever has to be that because I think some of the scariest people aren't like, you know, who's scary to me? And I just realized this like recently.

Like Benicio del Toro is terrifying to me. Yeah. It's something about him that's very eerie. Like even when he's looking at you smiling, he's just looking at you like. Yeah, you just kind of feel like he's gonna cut you up later. What is it about him? I don't know. It's like he has a secret. He has a secret that he knows and you don't know, but you're you might find out, but might not live to tell.

So, there is somebody that intimidates you, I know this.

Well, it's just, you know, it's just I think it is. It's something about, you know, a person's confidence or a person's look in their eye. Yeah. I don't think it's a physical thing at all. I'm giving you that look. Cuz most of the guys like a lot of the guys like a lot of the big tough guy bodybuilder type guys, the biggest kind of intimidating guys, you know, I see and I meet and they're walking around dirty looks on their face. And I'm looking at him like, I can break you in half. It take me like five seconds to to rip your arm off. You know, and that's kind of I joke with myself.

Don't you around LA with me? You know, most of those guys

Yes.

I really want you to mess with those dudes. I would love to just walk around with you for an hour.

Yeah. I think it's the scariest guys are probably the most dangerous guys are the guys who don't try to intimidate you. They could care less.

That's a metaphor for life too. I think so. Kind of true. Yeah, I think so. Thanks for coming in. This is great. Can we go walk around LA now? Yeah. And and point out the guys who are who think they're tough guys or not tough guys. All my ex-boyfriends. Who who gets to give them a little call? Hey, stop rolling now because Jay's gonna call my ex-boyfriends.