Drew McIntyre (@dmcintyrewwe) is a WWE professional wrestler and actor. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet in Nashville, TN to discuss his role in the upcoming ReelShort film “Agent of Shadows” as well as his roles in “Hexed” and “The Last Druid”, working with Henry Cavill on “Highlander”, what’s next for him in Hollywood, preparing for a WWE return, getting more muscular during his time off, his viral gym photo with Russell Crowe, why he still hates CM Punk, his army of cats, and more!
I feel like you’ve gotten bigger since the last time I saw you!
“I have gotten bigger since the last time you saw me. I believe I was around 275 prior to Mania.”
How could you get bigger?
“Wasn’t intentional. I’ve been doing all the right things. I was in Barcelona for a few months. I came back and really dialed in the diet. I upped my cardio. I discovered the assault bike, which is the worst thing in the world and the best thing in the world. But that cardio was through the roof, and I figured, okay, I’m probably going to lean up, but that’s fine. You get leaner, you generally look bigger on camera, and I somehow gained 10 pounds of muscle. I’m 285. I’m the only man in the wrestling world where they under-exaggerate.”
So, are you doing all this because you’re getting ready to return to WWE?
“No, I just like to look good. Obviously, I’m in the best shape of my life. I feel physically great. I’m sure you saw the clip that was out there when I was running the ropes. I was just rolling around the ring at Miro’s school, Rusev; you’re very welcome. It’s here in Nashville, and my buddy was like, I’ve never seen anybody hit the ropes so fast because he’s not seen Bron Breaker, the only other man that’s faster than me. He got a little clip, a 15-second clip, and it blew up online. I think over 8 million views, so people seem to be excited about the idea that I’m coming back to wrestling, but I’m just seeing what happens right now. I’m enjoying myself. Hollywood Drew is jumping from project to project, and when the time is right, WWE is home.”
The last time that we saw you in the ring was WrestleMania, so you’ve had six-plus months off. That’s the longest time off I believe you’ve ever had in your career.
“Ever, by far since I started wrestling at 15 years old. I have not had six months off. I started doing shows and wrestling basically every weekend or every second weekend when I was 16. My summer job was wrestling at the Butlins holiday camp since I was about 17, and when I tore my bicep, I was out for three months in NXT. I was going stir crazy, so I’d drive down to the PC just to work with Shawn and watch tapes and stuff because you’ve got Shawn Michaels; use him if you’re at the PC. I’ve heard somebody literally say, ‘Who’s the Rockers?’ One time while Shawn was standing there, learn your history for the love of God. When I broke my neck, I was out for eight weeks physicality-wise, but I was doing promos in the second or third week for Evolve and a few other independent companies locally, where I’d take off the brace, cut the promo, head to the back. So this is by far the most amount of time I’ve ever had off.”
Has this felt like time off? Because it feels like with everything you’re doing with all of the movies, you might be busier than ever.
“Yeah, very, very busy. It has not felt like time off until the past couple of weeks, few weeks, where I’ve actually been at the house with the missus and the cats. It’s been nice, but I’ve been working a lot. It’s been very different. I’ve spent my whole life on the road from town to town, from country to country, 52 weeks a year, no reruns, no offseason in WWE, or the time I was away from WWE, I was even busier than the WWE schedule. So to spend time in the same place was very bizarre. To live in a different country, to live in Spain, was insane. I can tell you now, I’ve learned exactly no extra Spanish words that I knew when I got there.”
Agent of Shadows is about to come out. It’s you and a ton of other WWE superstars in this, but it feels like all the marketing seems to be around you. You’re one of the main characters.
“I’m the right-hand man of Adam, the lead character or James Bond type. I am the Q to his Bond. I’m the tech guy, and if called upon, I’m going to kick some butt too, and obviously, the sex appeal. But yeah, we got a lot of the superstars in there. Everybody did a great job, not just the action sequences, which is a given, being WWE superstars, but from the acting-wise, I thought everyone did a great job. It’s fun. It’s a really fun watch, and hopefully everyone goes into it with that idea. Hey, I’m about to have a little fun watch, and might be surprised about the romantic elements, the comedic elements, and at the center there is heart, and it is a very fun watch.”
So people can go watch this beginning October 23rd on ReelShort. This is a completely vertical film, right?
“It is. I’d never really seen it before or heard of it before until I was approached with the idea to be part of it. I was in Barcelona, got the call, was told about the microdrama world, the vertical short world, and I was interested, but more interested in the character, the story, and the fact it could be a lot of fun and also very important to the company, and Drew’s a company guy when called upon. I was flying back and forth one time, and I happened to catch one on my phone, and I was like oh, this is interesting, and the story was different. The one I was watching, it was a guy who seemed like a real nice man, and his ex was particularly evil, but he had an evil daughter as well that was siding with the ex. The one quote that sticks out in my mind was like, ‘Give her the money, Dad.’ This evil little daughter, and I was so sucked in that I found myself watching episode after episode after episode. I will tell you, this is a little bit different. Story’s much better. They’re a really high-budget microdrama. Chase, who plays Adam, the lead role, he’s been part of that world since 2019 and he told me he’s never seen anything like this. It’s a multi-billion-dollar industry is a massive audience lots of eyeballs on there that hopefully see this and start watching wrestling but we were shooting in the Hollywood Hills in a house, we’re shooting in the Biltmore Hotel. We’ve got a little bat cave where I spend most of my time, with my technology because I am such a whiz with technology.”
When you look at the poster, it is filled with stars! Joe Hendry, Jacob Fatu, Booker T…
“How on Earth could you leave out Michael Hayes? Nobody’s more excited about anybody being in that movie. Backstage, a curtain sell out. Everyone’s very excited to see Michael in action. He killed it. He’s exactly what was needed for that role. I’m kind of following in his footsteps in a way. He was a wrestler, and I became a wrestler. Then he was in Highlander, and then he’s going into Agent of Shadows. So in a way, I’m following in Michael’s footsteps, minus rehab. No offense, Michael.”
It was also just announced that you’re voicing a character in the new animated film from Disney called Hexed.
“Hollywood Drew’s a busy bee. That was really a lot of fun. I never thought about that kind of world. You think about the Simpsons voice actors or the Family Guy voice actors, Seth MacFarlane doing a million voices or whatever, and the experience was so much fun. I won’t give too much [away]. You can’t give too much away, but I can say it was fun, and the chance to improvise with the best in the game surprised me. And afterwards, I can say as much as they said, ‘You thought about doing this?'”
Is it your voice, or are you putting on a voice?
“It’s a bit of a mix. I saw the character and I felt this is how it would be, and I had fun with it, and we all had fun with it. They said, ‘You thought about doing it?’ I basically said, ‘It’s Disney. Anything else is a step down. If you’ve got anything else, bring it to me in WWE, please.’ But it was really fun, and it’s cool that I’ve had the chance to do so much within these six months. I’ve not been sitting with my feet kicked up. If you read some of the internet comments, you think I’ve been doing nothing this whole time. ‘Damn, Drew just won’t come back to work.’ I’ve been busy.”
There was this workout photo that you posted of you and Russell Crowe in the gym. What is the story behind this?
“We were in the gym working out. That’s the story. I mean, it wasn’t the first time, but yeah, he’s a machine. He’s an animal in the gym. I watch him and I’m like, okay, maybe I need to step up my game. He’s in great shape right now. He’s lost a bunch of weight. He’s thick as hell, powerful as hell, but his cardio’s crazy how he just goes around in his reps, and we’re working in and out together. The Smith machine was in the hotel we were staying at, and I was like, man, he’s about to start going heavier than me, I’ve got to start upping my game here. One of the days we decided, hey, we should post a picture. We’re starting to kind of resemble big brother little brother, maybe look more like his son than his actual son. So we had some fun, posted the picture, and then yeah, it just blew up. I mean, I don’t know why I was surprised it blew up. You know, it’s Russell Crowe, and he’s looking in amazing shape. I didn’t look like Drew McIntyre so much with the beard and the gray hair.”
What a wonderful feather in your cap to be Henry Cavill’s brother in a film.
“It’s crazy. I literally still can’t process everything that’s happened over these past six-plus months, doing scenes from the original movie. I’m not going to speak out of turn, but there’s pictures out there that show some of the original settings from the original movie, and getting to ride a horse in full Scottish regalia over the bridge at the castle and play the part of Angus. James Cosmo played the original Angus, such a Scottish legend, and I get to use some of his lines with a little bit of Drew flair on there. Again, I’m trying really hard not to give too much away, but it was really, really incredible, and the action sequences were so much fun. The whole time that I was learning from the amazing stunt team at Highlander, also everywhere, like Last Druid, Agent of Shadows. I think those guys are amazing, but they taught me how to use a sword in such a short amount of time, and I see myself back. Not only would I think, is that me? I was thinking, why on earth did I not get sword lessons when I carried a sword to the ring for freaking years? I was like, There’s one thing I can actually promote with Agent of Shadows here. So you know how like I had that sword for years, and everyone was like, is Drew ever going to use the sword?”
Well, you used it against the ropes.
“I stuck it in the ring, and I stuck it in the table, Pearce’s table. But finally, I also pitched to the big man himself. I was like, ‘Hey, you know Saving Private Ryan?’ Vince had never seen Saving Private Ryan, so I explained…”
He never saw it?!
“Didn’t know what I was talking about, but also I speak fast when I’m excited. Half the time, he’s like, ‘Oh yeah, yeah, sure Drew.’ But I was like, in Saving Private Ryan, they use actors, like amputees, etc. They lop off the limbs they’re actually missing. Very realistic. I think at Mania or something, we should have a fight sequence where we end up backstage, then we hit the pre-tape where I swing the sword at somebody. Whoosh, arm comes off. Finally, I use the sword, pay it off. It’s bothering me. I’m a stickler for details. That’s why I use social media the way I use it to tie stories together if I don’t think they’re tied together enough, and I’m a stickler for details. I’ve had the sword for so long. I have to stab someone. Finally, all those years later, Agent of Shadows, Drew McIntyre is going to go shanking. I’m stabbing some people. The Drew McIntyre guarantee. I finally use the sword!”
When you were growing your beard out, I think people were going that’s not the Drew McIntyre I’m used to seeing.
“It’s not the Drew McIntyre I was used to seeing in the mirror. “
How long did you let it get?
“It was crazy. I honestly don’t know. I put an 11 on the razor. I think that’s as high as it went, just to test, and I was like, man, I don’t even know. I can’t even put a number on how big it got. But I grew it since prior to Mania, but Mania kind of time. I didn’t realize how long it could actually get. I thought they’d have to add fake hair to my beard to get it where they wanted it. But turns out, yeah, just as fast as my hair grows, my beard grows, and everything grows, especially my guns. But yeah, it was wild having to wash it, which I washed with a little bit of shampoo or whatever. I had to get special beard soap and take care of it properly, or it’s just a big Brillo pad and nasty as hell. But it got huge, and for the sake of the movie and stuff, I was letting it get proper gray. Maybe more natural colors coming through, and yeah, it was wild seeing myself look like a crazy Santa Claus in the mirror or something, badass Santa looking back at me. The wife liked it; she like to keep it, but people stopped recognizing me, which was kind of nice in airports. Actually, went to the counter, one of the airports I can’t remember; I was flying back and forth for some project, and I got some food. I always have a hat on, like it’s gonna work being six five. Never can see my face anyway. I totally can’t see me. They’re all down here, but yeah, the guy turned to his colleague and went, ‘Man, it looks just like his twin.’ I heard it as I left, that’s pretty cool. Kind of blending in, Barcelona, I got away with a lot, this is kind of cool. Is this what life would be like if I wasn’t a WWE superstar and WWE wasn’t as big as it was? I’m kind of free-roaming, and most people recognizing me are kind of international travelers and the like. But yeah, eventually I got to the point. I was looking in the mirror, and I went, all right, you’re training for a potential comeback potentially soon, potentially when I feel like it. So maybe start looking like Drew McIntyre again.”
When people talk about wrestlers who are doing things in Hollywood, the three names that always pop up are Dave Bautista, John Cena, and The Rock. How far do you want to take this Hollywood career?
“I’m just living in the present and seeing what happens. Obviously, WWE is my home, and I always remind people that I’m from the generation before Roman and The Usos, and a few of the guys have been around for a long time, but I’m the same age. By the time I hear the guys like yourself and AJ and Cena around that age group, I’m like whoa, hold your horses! I just turned 41 a couple of months ago. I’ve just been on TV for 20 years. Cody’s got the same thing.”
You debuted in WWE in ’07. How long did you think it was going to take to become world champion?
“I mean, I was being realistic. I figured about a year, genuinely did in my mind. It just did the way I guess I kind of came up, especially in ’09 when I became The Chosen One. I don’t think I was arrogant or whatever. I just think just the way things had gone for me at that point since I was 16. We started the company in Scotland. I was the top guy. Whatever company I wrestled for, it was always in the main matches, and I was generally champion. When I met Sheamus, I defeated him for the title in Ireland. He was the undefeated longest-reigning champion, and considering he was like 59 at the time, he’d had it for like 40 years, and I defeat him at 19 years old. Finally, end that long, long streak. It’s an old joke. He loves this. Then inevitably I wrestled him in London against Pac. I’ve gone off track. I just started thinking, thinking about that match that Pac was in there. Ben and Sheamus and I were tussling each other. He did the cartwheel backflip over the top rope whenever and defeated me by count out. So I was on top in that place. That was the point. I was trying to remember the point of the story. I just was reminiscing there about that match and about the man himself. But yeah, and then I came to America straight on the road in three weeks. Florida Championship Wrestling Champion for Dusty and Steve Keirn and the gang, and The Chosen One all of a sudden. So I was just like yeah, that’s normal. Just I’m supposed to be on top. That’s perfectly normal. That’s just going to be my role. I’ll just be that guy until it wasn’t my role.”
Before the amazing feud you had with CM Punk, who would you say was your biggest feud, your biggest rival?
“I had a few. Sheamus and I have been going at it since before we were both signed. The biggest feud in Europe, the only little television show that existed in Europe at the time, Irish Whip Wrestling. We were the big program. I had a faction, the Foreign Legion, with Pierre Marceau; he was in NXT. I can’t quite remember what his name was there, Marcus Louis maybe? Wade Barrett was my heavy. Right through to coming to America, kind of like the movie, but not at all actually [laughs]. Then eventually WWE getting the chance to be on screen together, and especially during the pandemic, we had a chance to really have some good matches, and then the Donnybrook when we got the fans back. There was one particular match they played the build-up video and showed our entire history together because we have so many pictures from over 20 years of history, and we wanted to tell more of the story. That’s the one thing I wish we got to do. It’s never over til it’s over, of course, but I wish we had a chance to tell that story a little more. Then you’ve got people like Seth and I, professional rivals. It’s not personal like that idiot prick Punk. It’s more who believes they’re the better man and a better representative on top. Roman, my kryptonite, still haven’t defeated to this day. We got to get him before it’s all said and done. Him and his stupid family. Yeah, I’d say those are the top ones: Sheamus, Roman, Seth. Someone will probably point one out to me, and I’ll be like ah, them too.”
I’m guessing from your comments here, you still don’t like CM Punk.
“No. I just love the whole act. He’s very, very convincing, and he believes it himself. I mean, he does some acting stuff. I haven’t watched it because I don’t care. I believe he’d be bad at it because the only person he’s truly good at playing is CM Punk, and convincing everybody he is this great guy. These Charles Manson-like qualities, I’ve talked about it before, where he just convinces everyone he’s like this really nice guy. Cares so much about everyone around him. He’s not. It’s all for him. He wants everyone to tell him how great he is all the time. Just go on the internet. I have a criminology degree. You don’t even need one. Use Google. Use the AI apps, Grok or ChatGPT, and type in Drew McIntyre, for just an example, character witness reports. Nice guy, lovely guy, one of the nicest guys in wrestling. That’s what it’ll tell you because it’s true. And I’m modest. CM Punk, terrible human being. Story after story after story of what a genuinely horrible person he is! I only told the truth again, but the crowd were cheering for him. Am I the bad guy, or did they turn on the guy that was there for them during the worst of times? Is the audience the bad person? Am I part of a dysfunctional relationship, an abusive relationship, and is the audience the bad guy?”
At what point did you realize “I prayed for this and it happened” had become the meme that it is?
“I knew talking to Triple H during the day that this is going to be so good. I had an idea and it was too much. It would have offended a lot of people, which I’m very good at. He helped me reel it back, and then Hunter himself came out with the line, which I ended up using because I had such an extreme version, and he dialed it back and the way he said it and the cadence of how it’s to be said. He said it like that, and I got so excited. He’s obviously a savant when it comes to this business. Sometimes though he comes out with [things]; I went, how do you think of that? But it was like, that is genius, and oh my god, that is going to be so good. I know as a fan, I would lose my mind. Didn’t think I’d be seeing it to this day for everything, no matter what. It’s sports, it’s outside of wrestling, it’s constantly me pointing, ‘I prayed for this, and it happened.’ But I knew in that moment when Hunter delivered the line back to me by toning me down a little bit. I went, wow, that is genius. Because I’m going to use that exact tone. The promo itself, I was being sympathetic, I believe, because Punk had got injured, and I understand what it’s like to have things taken away from me, and I’ve been injured before, and I’ve lost in my life in the ring and out of the ring, and I can get real personal. But I hate that son of a bitch, and I’m going to say it in the exact same tone all the way through till people go, wait, what? His face goes, what? And I drop his ass. So yeah, that’s cool. I mean, those promos, that feud, they voted it the best feud of the 2020s.”
You’ve mentioned a few times during this interview, Hollywood Drew. Who’s Hollywood Drew?
“Sitting right in front of you. He’s looking tall. He’s looking dapper in his little outfit. I actually got this suit like two years ago, and it’s amazing it still fits. I forgot I had the blue suit on last week. I was doing some media in LA, and Kaitlyn had mentioned, ‘Hey, you’ve got the blue and green suit.’ I don’t have any blue and green suits, and sure enough, I did. I just got it two years ago, and still fits. Fits Hollywood Drew absolutely perfectly. But yeah, Hollywood Drew just hangs out and sees what comes to him, maybe eventually I’ll go out there and see what’s out there. But I do enjoy hanging out in the house and have been very fortunate, and I feel very lucky. The opportunities have kind of been coming my way, and I’ve had a chance to be stationary for a minute and a chance to be home for a minute, but WWE is home, and I’ll be back eventually, unless something else comes up, and I’ll bring it to Nick and Paul. Triple H, thank you for letting me do this stuff.”
You posted a photo in that blue suit. The caption was “Stupid sexy Drew.” That’s a Simpsons reference, right?
“Yeah, felt like I was wearing nothing at all. Nothing at all. Nothing at all. I love a Simpsons reference. The more obscure, the better.”
What is Drew McIntyre grateful for?
“My wife, the family, and for kindness.”
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