In the first edition of #AskCVV, Chris Van Vliet answers questions that were submitted on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube from Insight Listeners. This will be a monthly episode so if you have a question that you’d like answered in the January edition, just send it with the hashtag #AskCVV. Here is a look at the questions from this month:

What’s the best piece of advice that you’ve gotten through your entrepreneurial journey, either from a guest, mentor, or somewhere else? 

“Well, thank you for the question. Man, I feel like there’s so many different pieces of advice, and it’s hard to narrow it down to just one piece of advice. So, I’ll go with a few pieces that I’ve got here. And I did an episode about it a few weeks ago, and you’ve probably heard me talk about it, but John Cena saying to me, control the controllable has really been a big one that has shaped my life in so many ways. Because it’s so easy to wake up every day and focus on all the things that you don’t have in your life. But I like to remind myself that we’ve got both the good things and the bad things in every single day, and it’s up to you which ones you want to focus on. So John Cena Cena saying to me control the controllable really meant a lot. Because you don’t have control over what other people say or what other people do, but what you do have control over is how you want to react to the things that other people say and other people do. So that’s a really big one for me. Tyler Perry, also just like straight up, looked me in the eyes and asked me what would you be doing right now if you knew you couldn’t fail? And that’s not really a piece of advice, but it’s just a way of thinking about things that I never really thought about in a way before. Like, I think a lot of people go into situations and they’re scared, they’re nervous. They think about the worst case scenario here. And he’s basically saying, what would you do? What would you change, if you knew you couldn’t fail. And I actually don’t think that failure is a thing that exists. I think it’s the idea that it’s either you win, or you learn. So it’s not win or lose, it’s not you succeed or fail. It’s you either win, or you learn. You either win, and you go on to the next level, or it doesn’t quite go the way that you think it should have gone. And you go, Alright, cool, I’ll learn from that. And now I’m a better person because of it. So I would say those are two big pieces. And I think another one is just swing for the fences, swing for the fences. Because if you don’t, if you don’t take those chances, those wild chances in life, you’re never gonna get anywhere. So I’d say that those are a few there off the top of my head. 

Besides John Cena and The Rock, who’s your most favourite person that you’ve interviewed?

“There are so many. I feel like there’s so many. I did one recently with George Clooney, and he’s just like effortlessly charismatic, effortlessly kind and funny. And that was one of those where you just sit back and you go, man, this person is just so good at everything that they do. So I think that was a really fun one, just because he’s having the best time. And I think that sometimes you interview people, and they don’t really want to be there, or they feel contractually obligated to be doing this interview while they’re promoting a film or an album or a book or whatever it happens to be a tour. George Clooney just like makes the best of it and has so, so much fun. So that was one that I really enjoyed. Hugh Jackman also falls into that same category. Like Hugh Jackman just has this insane energy level, and you walk into the room and like your energy level just immediately, like jumps up to match what his energy level is. And he’s thoughtful in his answers, and he plays along and he’s fun. So yeah, that’s another one. And then you know, The Rock was, then I always talk about how The Rock’s my favorite person I’ve ever interviewed. I’ve interviewed him, you know, 10 times, not that I’m counting or anything like that. And you know, you’ve probably heard the many reasons why I love talking to The Rock because he makes you feel seen. He understands, he’s self aware enough to know that, you know, it’s a big moment, and you’re going to probably tell people about it. Maybe you’ll even tell them on a podcast like this, right? And he turns the moment around to include you in that moment in something that’s so so special. So The Rock was number one on my list of people that I wanted to interview 10 years ago before I’d interviewed him for the first time. And then after that was Tom Cruise. So after I had interviewed The Rock, Tom Cruise was next on that list. And it was so fortunate to be able to interview Tom Cruise in Paris, in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. It’s the red carpet world premiere for Mission Impossible Fallout, so to be able to interview him in that setting. And I don’t know if you’ve seen the photo or not, I’ll post it on my website, so you can see it with this episode. So you can see what I’m talking about. But we’re standing there, red carpet behind us. We’re wearing tuxedos and suits and the Eiffel Tower is right there. So that was just such a cool moment. And I firmly believe that movie stars don’t really exist anymore. Like the model that used to exist in the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s of like, you would go to the movies to see a movie star and you didn’t didn’t really matter what the movie was about. I think that’s changed and shifted a lot, and maybe that’s a topic for another podcast episode. But Tom Cruise is like the last remaining movie star, where you go, that’s a Tom Cruise movie, and I know that he’s gonna give his all in this movie, and he’s gonna do some sort of crazy stunt, I’m gonna go see this thing. So it was really cool to be able to spend some time with him. And you know, it’s like a three minute interview, but to spend some time with him, and he was just so incredibly present in that moment. I mean, we’re talking about 1000s of screaming fans and reporters everywhere and cameras clicking and he was standing there looking me dead in the eyes and having a conversation like I was the only person that existed on Earth. And that was a really, really interesting thing.”

What is one part of your morning routine that you can’t live without?

“That’s hard to narrow down to just one, but I think the biggest one for me is before I do anything else in my day I drink a tonne of water, like I drink like a quarter of a gallon of water before I even like get out of bed. I think it feels like you’re envisioning me now like laying in bed like, you know, pouring water in my mouth. I get up and it’s on my nightstand, so I get up and I’m sitting on the edge of my bed. So before I even get out of bed, I’m sitting on the corner of my bed, and I drink like 32 ounces of water, like a quarter of a gallon of water. And the idea there is you haven’t drank water in, you know, 7, 8, 9, 10 hours at this point, it just kind of gets everything rehydrated. Because you had no water, the whole time that you were asleep, probably didn’t have water right before going to bed or else you were probably peeing in the middle of night. And it just kind of gets everything flowing, kind of flushes out everything that happened the night before. So that’s been a really big part of my morning routine. And gratitude, you know, you know that I end every episode asking my guests, what are three things they’re grateful for? And that’s something that I do first thing in the morning, I say out loud three things that I’m grateful for. Today was way more than three, and I mean, why not? Why not be grateful for all the things that you have in your life? But yeah, I think that a really important practice to get into is focusing on the great things that you have in your life, instead of trying to focus on the things that you don’t have in your life. So for me today, I was so grateful for my health, so grateful for my fiancée Rachel, and she’s just such an incredible person and an incredible partner. And so grateful for our baby that’s on the way, a little baby girl. So in May of next year, she will be with us in the world, so it’s crazy. So that was just three things, I ended up going on with many other things, my family, health of my family, my parents and that they’re still together. And they’ve been such an amazing support system for me and us. So anyway, that’s the most important part of my morning routine is hydration, and also gratitude, and then it’s followed by going to the gym, and cold showers or cold plunges. And I mean, if you heard the episode about cold plunging with the CEO of plunge Ryan Duey, you know all of the benefits of cold plunging and how good that is for you. So there we go. That’s just like a quick little snippet of my morning routine. Maybe we’ll do a whole episode about my morning routine, but there’s the most important things there.” 

Sometimes I get really nervous before interviews to the point where I have to cancel them. Any advice on this subject?

“Well, I would say the first thing is, if you’ve made a commitment to somebody that you need to keep your part of that commitment. I’m a big, big person when it comes to your word is your bond. So if you’re saying to someone, I will be somewhere at a certain time, you better be there, because you said that you were gonna be there, I know that you might have nerves that you’re dealing with, I know that it may feel overwhelming. But I think that, I love this quote that it doesn’t take talent to show up on time and hustle. And I’m a firm believer that if you say you’re gonna be somewhere, you better be there. So that’s the first part about it. The second part about it is being really nervous before interviews, I just think the most important thing is to stop thinking about them as interviews, just think about them as conversations with people. So like, if you were to bump into someone at the grocery store, if you were to go out and have a beer with somebody tonight, or have lunch with somebody, you probably wouldn’t be thinking about, like the ins and outs of the conversation of like alright, so I’m gonna ask this, and then hopefully, they’re gonna say this. And then the next thing I’m gonna say is this. And then after that… You will just kind of flow with the conversation. And I think that a lot of times people think of interviews with a capital I, like it’s this big, scary thing, because in your regular everyday life, you’re not really having interviews, right? Like, think about it in your regular normal life, an interview is what a job interview? Maybe a police interview? But you don’t ever think about the interactions between two humans, as an interviewer, think about it as just a conversation. So I would say start to reframe that in your mind that they’re not interviews. They’re just, they’re conversations between two people. Sure, you might be asking a lot more of the questions and you know, they’re going to be answering a lot more of the questions. But I would say that just approach it in the same way that you would approach any other conversation that you’re having. Obviously, you’ve done a tonne of research, you’ve thought up some great questions, but they’re just the person just like you are, and they put their pants on one leg at a time. You know, they brush their teeth, they do all the things, they go to the bathroom. They do all those same things that any other person does. So I think that just think of it as just a conversation with another person and just allow it to flow.”

Would you ever consider writing a book? 

“That’s a really good question, and I feel like you’ve been in my mind here. I feel like you’ve tapped into my brain as you’re asking this question, because I’ve been thinking about writing a book for the last probably a year or so, maybe a little bit over a year. Not a book about my life, not a book about you know, the kid from Pickering, Ontario, Canada, who moves to the United States and has a YouTube channel and hosts a TV show, but more of just a book about the things that I’ve learned. And maybe some of these things I’ve learned, maybe even some of the things that we’re talking about on this episode here could help you. So yes, I’ve been thinking about writing a book, I put that podcast episode out probably in the summer this year, and I titled it ‘What the F are you waiting for?’ And I got more feedback on that episode, more than any other episode I’ve ever done. More than any other solo episode, more than any interview with I mean, think of who we’ve had on the show this year, more than any interview with The Rock, or Mike Myers, or Adam Sandler, or Margot Robbie, or any of those people. Because I think there’s that idea of like, you want to do something great in your life, I know that you do. And the thing that stands between you and doing that great thing, is you. And the question I would ask is What the F are you waiting for? What is it? What is standing in the way of you doing the thing that you want to do? And that really resonated with a lot of people. So I think that we’re onto something, it’s clearly a subject that hits home for a lot of people. And I think it might be that, you know, kind of kick in the ass that some people need, even if you don’t read the book, if you buy the book, and it sits on your coffee table. And you’re looking at this every single day and it’s like in your face, what the F are you waiting for? You might start thinking to yourself, What am I waiting for? People always ask like, well, what can I do to start a podcast or a YouTube channel? What can I do to grow more on TikTok, or whatever it happens to be. And I usually tell people you believe you got to start. Instead of just thinking about it and talking about it, you have to start, you have to put one foot in front of the other. Like, if you want to run a marathon, you’ve got to take the first step, you’ve got to cross the start line before you can get to the finish line.” 

What’s your advice on the next step after graduating from university? 

“Well, first of all, congratulations, congratulations on graduating. I would say the next step is just know that you have time. And I know that there’s a lot of pressure, maybe some pressure you’re putting on yourself, maybe it’s seeing all your friends getting jobs, maybe it’s pressure that’s been put on you by your family, but just know that you have time. Okay, there’s no rush to dive into a job or a career that maybe won’t feel fulfilling to you. So I would say, You know what you want to do? I know Mike [who asked the question], I know that you’re passionate about broadcasting, and other you’re passionate about pro-wrestling. And you’re doing a lot of those things in that space. So I would say that if this is something that you do want to make a career out of, I would say you’re doing so much of it already. Continue to lean into that stuff. I mean, I don’t know if what I did when I graduated from college still applies as much now, because I graduated. Before there was YouTube before there was Facebook. Instagram wasn’t invented for many years later. I just reached out to every TV station and every radio station in my college town. And I was just super honest with them, I reached out and said, I’m passionate about broadcasting, can I come in and just volunteer and see how it’s done in the real world? And got a lot of no’s, I got a lot of no responses. But all it takes is one, right? And I got a radio station that said sure, come be part of our street team. There was also a community run television station that said, sure, yes, come on in, you can volunteer here and I got to do so many incredible things behind the scenes there. I ran cameras, I was a floor director, I did audio, I did VTR, I learned all the ins and outs of how a TV station works and how a TV show works. So I would say now that you’ve got some time and you don’t have to worry about getting your assignments in or studying for exams or things like that. Double down on that. You know, the thing that you have right now, the value that you bring right now is your time. So I would say try to trade your time for those experiences. Don’t be afraid to work for free, and don’t be afraid to take an internship. Don’t be afraid to volunteer because sure you’re not getting paid in money. But you’re getting paid in experience that is 100% Priceless. So I’m excited to see what’s next for you.”

What’s your guilty pleasure song?

“This is so embarrassing to admit. But do you remember LFO? We’re talking 1999, the song Summer Girls. Summertime girls are the kind I like. Steal your honey like I stole your bike.’ You know that song? That’s the guilty pleasure song. I know every word from it. ‘New Kids on the Block had a bunch of hits. Chinese food makes me sick.’ If you’ve never heard that song, or it came out before you were born, go check it out. LFO Summer Girls. That is the embarrassing, guilty pleasure song. Runner up to I want it that way, which is my go to karaoke song. Oh man, get a few tequilas in me, it’s a good thing to see. 

Favorite movie of 2022?

“It has been a good year for movies. It’s also like, it’s so exciting that this was the year when like we went back to the movie theatres and we were able to see things the way that they are truly intended to be seen. Like that’s the way that they’re filmed, for us to watch them on the biggest screen possible. And for me, I mean, there’s been so many great films this year. And I’m fortunate that I get to see a lot of them before they come out as a voting member of the Critics Choice Association. So it’s tough because there’s been so many good ones, but my favourite movie this year is Top Gun Maverick. So, so good, like that is the reason that we go to the movies. Tom Cruise, so good in it, the storyline, so good. The whole Val Kilmer arc there, I don’t want to give too much away if you haven’t seen it. Really, really good. And I’ve seen the movie a handful of times. And I was so fortunate to see it on an IMAX screen like weeks before it came out. And I was just like, I mean, I went into it going yeah, I hope this is good. Obviously the first Top Gun movie is, amazing and iconic, classic film. But I left the theatre going I hate to say it, I hate to say it, but I think I like that movie more than the first one. And it definitely holds true now, however many months, six months later now so Top Gun Maverick, highly recommended. If you haven’t seen it, go see if you have seen it, go see it again. 

How do you approach an interview where you don’t care about the subject? 

“That’s a really interesting question. I will say that I’ve never found myself in that situation before. Because every person that you talk to, from any different walks of life, whether they’re an actor, an athlete, a pro-wrestler, comedian, an entrepreneur, everybody has a story. So soon as I start diving into the story, and figuring out different things about their life, I’m like, immediately intrigued. And I like start thinking of questions like, instantly. So I’ve never had a situation where I don’t care about the subject. I mean, I’ve definitely done interviews where I didn’t love the movie, but I also understand the process of making a movie is incredibly difficult. It’s writing a script, having the script, you know, rewritten and then selling the movie and then getting the movie produced and directing it and casting it, all that. Like, there’s so many moving parts to a movie that, you know, it’s so unfortunate that, you know, we go and see a movie, and it’s 90 minutes long or 2 hours long, and you leave going, No, didn’t like it. And you never think about it again. It’s like, Ah, I just feel for the people who have made that film because there was years of so much hard work that went into it, for people to just go, yeah, well that sucked. So I like to just look at it of the, you know, the project as an art form. And like, I love diving into that. And I love looking at a person’s full scope of their journey. And I think that we can learn something from everybody, like absolutely everybody, you can learn something from anybody that you run into in your everyday life. And I think that when you start to be curious about things, that’s when it really changes.” 

Do you have any advice for growing or starting a YouTube channel or a podcast venture?

“I would say if you’re already at this point, if you’re already at the point where you’re thinking about this, I’d say go for it. And it kind of goes back to the title of the book, right? What are you waiting for? Like, what is it? Just start. I think it’s important to take that phone out and either hit record on a video or hit record on audio, and just go with it. And don’t look, don’t worry about looking at views for the first handful of months. Just go out and get start getting comfortable on camera, start getting comfortable with the way that your voice sounds. Because, yeah, yes, that is actually how it sounds. It’s like when you first hear your voice on the on a voicemail, you’re like, Ah, man do I really sound like that? Yeah, you really sound like that. That’s how the rest of the world hears you. Now you need to get used to that. And you also need to get used to yeah, that’s, that’s what you look like on camera. So I would say lean into the things that you love, lean into things that you’re passionate about. And we live in a world with 8 billion people. So there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll be able to find your tribe, you’ll be able to find your group of people who are also passionate about those same things, you know. And it’s gonna start off small, and don’t get discouraged. I think that’s the biggest thing that happens, especially with podcasts, is you put so much time into making these episodes. And you look, you look at the download numbers for the first few episodes and you go, man, nobody’s listening to this. I don’t even know if people know this exists. If you’re passionate about it, and you love the process of doing it, stick with it. And I think that that’s a really big thing, pod fade is a real thing that happens. It’s a term they come up with for people who start podcasts, and then I think it’s like seven episodes, just kind of fade out, stop, and then never put out another episode. If you like the process, the whole process, everything that goes into it, then you can’t lose. So I would say just start, just begin. And maybe you can be like one of those people who wants to make it like a New Year’s resolution thing, even though I really don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions, but make it a January 1 thing. And then stick to a schedule, that is another really big part of it. Especially if we’re talking about podcasting, stick to a schedule. I’m going to put out one podcast a week, every Wednesday or every Thursday, whatever it happens to be. And then stick to that schedule number one, because you said you were going to do it, you said you were going to put a podcast out every Wednesday. So now you’re being true to your word. And number two, it holds you accountable. So I would say do that, and also find somebody in this space that’s doing the thing that you want to do and that’s like just absolutely crushing it in the niche that you love, and then take little bits from them. Tony Robbins always says success leaves clues, so take little bits and pieces of them and make it your own. 

How are you feeling since you’re about to be a father? 

“It’s hard to sum up in just like a few sentences, because I have felt like I felt every emotion over the last three months since I found out that Rachel is pregnant, and, you know, like, you’re excited, you’re nervous, you’re scared. And then you start thinking of like, what was I like as a kid. And like, you know, I just want all the best parts of that I don’t want like the, you know, kid coming home late, or the I don’t know, all this, you know, all that kind of stuff. That’s the stuff you think about. But I’m so excited, so excited. We found out two weeks ago that we’re having a baby girl. We had a gender reveal party that was so cool to be able to share with my parents and some of our closest friends and family. Like so excited. I also find myself like just spontaneously getting emotional. For no reason, like a thought, I’ll just enter my head. I’m like, Oh, man. But I’m so excited. And Rachel’s starting to show she’s getting a baby bump, it is not a belly, it is the baby. Good thing she’s not around here hearing me say this, she’s gonna listen to this episode, she’s getting a little baby bump. And I’ve just been, you know, holding it and kissing it. And I’m just excited. I’m excited that all of you guys are with me on this journey. So you know, it’s been an exciting year for me. 2022, got engaged, bought a house, found out I was pregnant. Oh, not me pregnant, but found out that we were having a baby. And 2023 is gonna be a huge year. We’re gonna have a baby, I’m gonna turn 40 in May. So I’m just so excited for what 2023 has in store for me, for the podcast, for the YouTube channel, for the different TV shows that I work with. Just there’s been a lot of growth, maybe for the book that I’m writing, that’s really up to you guys. Please send me a tweet if you’re actually interested in this book, being a thing. But I’m just excited for what’s next. And that’s something I’m grateful for every single day, is opportunity. And I just love that we live in a time now where I am talking into a microphone just all by myself here. And you’re in your car, or you’re working out or you’re walking your dog. Or maybe you’re at work. And we’re connecting like this. And I love it. I just love that this exists right now. So I’m super grateful for opportunity. And I can’t wait to show you guys what we got in store in the next 12 or so months.”

Josh Alexander (@walking_weapon) is a professional wrestler and the current Impact Wrestling World Champion. He joins Chris Van Vliet to talk about his unlikely path to becoming a wrestler, getting discovered in Canada, making a name for himself in Ring Of Honor, becoming friends and eventually tag team partners with Ethan Page, how much interest there was from AEW when he let his Impact Wrestling contract expire, beating Christian Cage to become the shortest reigning Impact World Champion of all time and now being on the verge of being the longest reigning Champion, involving his family in storylines, why Scott D’Amore is good for wrestling and much more!

On a possible move to AEW:

“It was definitely on the table and it was definitely a thought and all this other stuff. But I wouldn’t say it was too close, because with all the stuff that had been happening and IMPACT I really felt like [I should stay]. And like also happening in AEW, with me watching every week, I still watch everything to this day. But I just like for me as a pro-wrestler, my fulfilment of what I do is to go out there and wrestle and show what I can do. I think my benefit is bell to bell, that is where I will gain notoriety, that is where I will show my worth in the pro-wrestling scene. And at the time watching AEW, it didn’t look like a lot of people were getting opportunities to do that stuff outside of like the top 20 people that were on the roster, you’d see people shuffle in and out and shuffle in and out it out there. They get their runs for a few weeks, and they go back to shorter matches on AEW Dark and it was just IMPACT has been so good to me. They were the first company that gave me an opportunity and got me that visa, did this stuff and like it’s all been roses since I got there man, I won the tag belts three months after I signed and got there. And I had the longest running tag team championship run, you know, and then as soon as Ethan left, everything’s like going through your mind. And I was stressing out being like man, I hope I don’t sit on the bench and just have to watch the shows until they figure out what they’re gonna do with me. And immediately, I got an opportunity in the X-Division. And you know, that happened and was awesome and all this other stuff. It was just opportunity after opportunity. I think all you can ask for as a wrestler is for an opportunity to show what you can do. Give me the ball and if I drop it, that’s fine. But you know, they’ve given me the ball a tonne of times, and I don’t think I’ve dropped it yet. So I’m just gonna ride this out and see how it goes.”

On winning the IMPACT World Championship and immediately losing it:

“It was pretty much exactly like that. It was hey, we’re thinking you and Christian at Bound for Glory in the main event that was just like, this probably like summertime, like, August or July, when they said this. I went oh damn, okay, you know, that sounds really cool and like a big opportunity. And they go, but you know, Moose is gonna cash in and take it right off you immediately. Okay, cool, whatever, it doesn’t matter to me. And like, it’s, I don’t write the show, you know what I mean? Like, I trust you guys. And you know, the whole time leading up to that for the next three months, you’re just like hopefully they change their mind, man, that’d be cool if they change their mind. You know, that’s in the back of your head. But then, you know, it all happened how it happened and I think everything you know, I’m not an everything happens for a reason guy, but like, definitely look at the pieces of things that have happened along the course of my career to put me in the place. I’m sitting right now. And I think everything has kind of happened the way it should have, you know, to maximise everything that’s happening my life now.”

On wearing headgear:

“I mean, it all happened by accident of course, I’m very thankful that it did happen. I think I’ve had a lot of conversations about the headgear recently because you know, the evolution of the character and the look and all this stuff. And you think about do I need to wear the headgear anymore? Should I take it off? Is it holding me back from elevating myself to a further platform or becoming a bigger star and wrestling or something like that. But for sure, I was just a talented Canadian wrestler that was booked consistently with no gimmick whatsoever who was just a very reliable wrestler. And when I found that headgear because I injured my ear, it really gave me something for the fans to remember me by. Because you gotta think like 70% of fans that leave a show that aren’t, you know, diehard wrestling fans aren’t gonna remember my name when they leave. A kid might turn to his dad and be like, man, I really liked that crazy guy with the face paint, you know what I mean? Like now they can leave shows and be like that guy with the headphones or the headgear, they know what it is, you know, he was a badass. It’s just a thing for people to notify and remember me by and it built into my look that I’m now you know, known for probably for the rest of my career.”

On the injury that caused the headgear to be necessitated:

“Yeah, I actually injured myself at AIW in Cleveland for the JLIT tournament, the first one I was ever going to, I think it was 2013. I’m really off with years, especially since the pandemic, but it would have been around that ballpark time where we first met and yeah, I took a kick in the ear from an ACH and my ear just blew up off my head. I filmed a promo that night, draining it with a syringe myself. And the next day, I got hit again in it and it blew up and it actually, like exploded off my head. So it’s like my ear split in half, and it was like dangling down. So I had to go get it surgically, like pinned to the side of my head. And like the doctors, they don’t care about pro-wrestling and they look at me and be like, well, whatever you do, whatever, do what you have to do to have it heal, you can’t touch this for six months or three months or whatever they said. And I was just like, I got a booking in two weeks in Ottawa like I gotta make it. So I went on eBay and ordered headgear and put it on for that show, and I felt like such a goofball. I remember I went out and I wrestled Mike Bailey and a guy named Hacker Scotty O’Shea in a threeway for C4 wrestling in Ottawa and walking out I’m getting like Princess Leia chants, I’m getting nice headphone chants. I’m getting chirp like crazy, still stuff that I hear to this day every so often for people that don’t know me. But you know, I felt like such a goof and I came to the back and by the end of the match, they were just standing and applauding the match because it was an awesome match, right? And I came to the back and I remember Ethan Page pulled me aside he was just like you’re keeping that headgear man. You look like a badass with it. I’m like, really? I feel like I look like a complete goof. But he was like, nope, it’s badass, you’re keeping that. I’m like okay, cool. And I haven’t taken that off since.”

On being compared to Kurt Angle in a wig:

“That’s the thing that I read it on social media all the time. It’s like fans are like ‘Man, I love Josh Alexander, but I can’t get over that headgear. [It] Just reminds me of Angle with the wig and it’s just so goofy, I just can’t see past it…’ and stuff like that. And I read it I go, if that’s really a thing that you can’t see past like, I can’t I can’t please everybody, you know what I’m saying? So it’s definitely the thing that I’m going to remember forever because I think you know, other than Rick Steiner, I’m the only one that’s pulled it off since and I think a lot of people have tried.”

On being compared to Kurt Angle:

“It’s insanely humbling. To me, you’re talking about one of the greatest of all time, you know. It’s a subjective list that you know, everybody can have their favourites. But to me, I think it’s undeniable that Kurt Angle is if not the best ever to get the ring for how fast you know, he just took to wait and stuff like that. As a personal fan of his forever to get those comparisons from not just fans, but from people that worked with Kurt, especially since I’ve started at IMPACT, like people that have worked with Kurt closely during the years that IMPACT that have come up to me and drawn these comparisons, like it’s insanely humbling.”

On crossing the border from Canada to USA:

“Probably the most stressful thing in the world I’ve ever done is just driving up to the border to talk to border guards. Because like I started wrestling after 9/11, and that’s when all the border things changed. Before you could cross like, I hear stories from Scott D’Amore and Eric young, and anybody who was wrestling before 9/11. And they’re like, hey, just go up with a birth certificate. Like, it might not even be yours as long as they just go oh sure, and they like keep going. Like that is so insane to me, because by the time I was crossing the border, it’s passports, it’s interrogation. Like they want to know everything and they have ultimate power, whether they believe you or not, you know, they could totally believe you and just not like the way you look that day and have a bad feeling to be like that turn around, get out of here. So like, it’s very stressful because you have these opportunities and these bookings that you’re talking about where you’re gonna get notoriety and be seen because of the American wrestling independent scene. And there’s just way more notoriety and eyes on it than in Canada. Regardless of talent, I think Canada has some of the most talented independent wrestlers, and some of the best shows in the world, from what I’ve seen travelling around. But I don’t know why that is, especially with the influx, the internet and streaming and stuff, I don’t know why Canadian promotions have a cut off. But you have, like all these opportunities that you might be crossing into America for and you don’t even know for sure if you’re gonna make it. So like, that’s a stress not just for the wrestler, but for the promoter booking these talents they want to give opportunities for and like, that’s why like as Canadians we have to be so thankful for like promoters like the AIW promoters and the AAW promoters and all these promoters that really wanted to give Canadians a chance to showcase themselves because without them, like myself, Ethan Page, we might never have gotten where we’ve got. But driving up is insanely stressful. We didn’t do it the best in the beginning. You know, the advice was always be like, oh just say you’re going training, and that’s why you have your stuff on you and whatever, because you have no name value. If they Google you, they’re not going to see anything. So did that for a while and you know, eventually it doesn’t work out because you get enough name value to where they Google you. They’ll see that, you know, Ethan Page and Josh Alexander are wrestling at Ring of Honor against homicide and Eddie Kingston in Baltimore. And we are just standing there going yeah, that’s us. And that’s when we get turned around and flagged for the first time and you know, your heart sinks because you think your career is completely over. And we continue to cross after that for years and just telling the truth, which is basically that we’re not going to make enough money to take away income from an American, we’re going to spend it all in America pretty much before we get back on gas and food. So you know, it’s just a crapshoot of which border guard you get and who sympathises with you or not, because some of them think that you’re crossing for these independent shows and it’s the biggest thing in the world. You’re gonna make a million dollars. So yeah, so stressful.”

On not being strong in the beginning:

“I remember going to the gym, just the local like school gym and like the monsters of human beings that were absolutely just tossing around weights, deadlifting. I’m an 18 year old kid, I couldn’t do a push up when I started wrestling at this time. The reason I started going to the gym was because I found a wrestling school while I was at university, right? But I’m looking around, I’m seeing these like grown monsters much like you know, the Kurt Angle’s and the Scott Steiner esque, you know, picture whatever they would be in college. These guys are deadlifting like 500 plus pounds, just getting ready for the wrestling stuff. And it’s like, I ended up talking to them and stuff but like I guess Brock and there’s a school in Victoria Vancouver that’s well known for amateur wrestling, right?”

On a passion for progress:

“Yeah, and I, as I did that show this last past Friday evening at that school where I dropped in. It was run by the programme, the sports management programme, as like a final like, project for one of the students who is a wrestler now kind of doing the same thing I did, but not dropping out. And I had like 100 different people all chanting ‘Schema drop out’ ‘sports management drop out’ to me the entire time I was wrestling. So after, after the match, I beat the guy, obviously, because I’m you know, the world champion. But I grabbed the microphone, I cut this promo saying listen guys, I was in your shoes. On the first day of school, my professor told me 99.9% of us aren’t going to work for Nike, aren’t going to be big sports agents, we’re going to be serving hot dogs and minor league baseball games for the rest of our lives. And you know, we better be happy with that, because that’s the brakes of this job. And you know, it was enough to turn me off pursuing sports management. But really, I had such a passion for pro-wrestling. Once I started, I said this in the promo too, it was just like, I needed to give myself no other options, I needed to take all these other things off the table to make sure that I put everything into this wrestling thing it was really gonna make a go at.”

On going all in:

“That’s the difference maker. I know, hundreds, if not thousands of people that had beer in their hand are like, I’m gonna give this a go. And they get the ring and they try it, you know, if they actually have the balls to actually get the ring and make that happen. But, you know, really, if you’re going to be successful at this, you just got to be, you know, one direction the entire time and one mindset, as hard as that is to maintain sometimes.”

On what Josh Alexander is grateful for:

“My wife, my health and opportunity.”

Featured image: F4WOnline

Margot Robbie is an actress known for her roles in movies like The Wolf of Wall Street, Suicide Squad, I Tonya, Bombshell and Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. Her new movie Babylon (@babylonmovie) comes out on December 23, 2022. Chris Van Vliet sits down with her and Diego Calva to talk about working with director Damien Chazelle on this film, the moment that made them want to become actors, the idea that performances live on forever, how Margot Robbie is able to cry on command and more!

Last time we spoke I found out that you are a WWE fan. Is John Cena still your favorite?

Margot: “He is [still my favorite]. He is so with the hype, he is the best. I love him, I really love him, even though you can’t see him.”

How do I get involved in a party like this?

Margot: “Well stick in town kid, this is Hollywood. No I mean, just come to a Damien Chazelle set. Being at that party like you see it on screen, that was how it felt.”

It was The Roaring 20’s then. It’s the 20’s now, doesn’t feel as roaring as perhaps.

Margot: “No, not quite the same.”

I love this idea that in the movie people do not last forever, but once you are on film, the performance does. That’s a pretty magical thing.

Margot: “I love that line. Jean Smart has this beautiful scene at the end with Brad [Pitt] and they talk about exactly that. She says you’ll die and stuff, but you’ll dine with ghosts and angels forever, because you are captured on cellular. That line always made me cry, it’s so beautiful.”

Do you know what the moment was for you Diego that you wanted to become an actor?

Diego Calva: “That I wanted to become an actor? Honestly I was doing boom operation and an actor didn’t show up. The director asked me if I could do this small role, and I felt like ok, this could be fun. I just kept doing it and doing it and now I am sitting here with Margot Robbie.”

Margot Robbie: “That’s so nice. Very art imitating life.”

I’ve been lucky enough to be on a few movie sets. What is it that is so magical about a movie set?

Margot: “I don’t know. Maybe it is the fact that we are adults and we are playing make believe on such a huge scale, and it feels like we have hacked the system.”

Diego: “Yeah, like freedom. You can breathe freedom. Anything can happen there.”

I love the scene where your character is crying on command repeatedly. How are you doing this?

Margot: “Just that I can cry on command, pretty much.”

What do you think of?

Margot: “I just think of something sad. Damien [Chazelle] asked me that too. [I think of] Family dying and stuff like that, it works. Also, if I have to do a lot of crying, I try to not sleep a lot in the days leading up to it. The more tired I am, the easier it is to cry. You know when you are really tired and you are on the brink of tears if you are really tired? So yeah, I just try to get 2 to 3 hours sleep in the days leading up to it, then I can do it. Give it a try! I also worked on a soap for 3 years, so I practised the crying thing.”

What is something that you think you will take with you from Damien that you will bring to every other set you work on?

Margot: “Oh God, so many things, you go first.”

Diego: “The concentration. He is just the hardest worker on set sometimes, he puts you on the next level. He found things on me that I didn’t know that I had. Just that hard working situation, that is something I will try to keep with me.”

Margot: “Yeah that and that relentless pursuit of perfection. It doesn’t have to have to be perfection in the sense that it’s perfect, but it has to be better than you ever imagined. If it’s not that, you haven’t got the take. I hate it when you have to move on because of time constraints, but not on a Damien Chazelle set. You will go again and again and again until you have gotten it better and more exciting. You never know when it’s going to be his version of perfection, but you give it your all until you got it.”

Featured image: IMDB

Jenn Sterger (@jennifersterger) is a comedian, actor, TV host and previously a backstage interviewer for AEW. She joins Chris Van Vliet for an in-person interview in Hollywood to talk about her time working with AEW, interacting with people like MJF and Chris Jericho, helping to write promos for Peter Avalon, how she got started as a standup comedian, what happened at her WWE Divas tryout in 2012, how she feels her situation with Brett Farve would be handled now, why Back To The Future is the perfect movie and much more!

On AEW interviews backstage:

“You know, it just all depended on who it was with, and I had such good chemistry with a lot of a lot of the cast. And they knew they could be funny with me, or they could be engaging with me. You know, I remember I gave, I think it was Scorpio Sky like a funny one liner and I was like, you should add that in there. Because he was cutting the promo, he was trying, it was very Rock-ish, you know, it was a very Rock type promo. And I was like, You should add this line in there. And I’m like, and then Frankie should react to you saying that line because it was like, it had like a little entendre to it. And so and I watched that clip back all the time, and I’m just like that was so smooth.”

On a timing issue in AEW:

“Usually they were just like keynotes, you had to hit you know what I mean? Like you make sure you promote this match coming up, ask their feelings on this. And then this is going to happen, then you have to react to this, and then this person is going to come in and hit this person, please get out of the way Jenn, we’re not insured for you, like that type of thing. You know, I had to do one in the ring one time and it didn’t go quite as planned, like someone jumped the cue a little bit faster than they should have. So I’m standing there in the ring interviewing Dustin, Dustin Rhodes and I was like sitting there talking to him. And all of a sudden, I think Sammy or somebody missed their cue and came in early. And I caught them out of my peripheral and I was like oh crap, I’m not supposed to be here. So you just see me sprinting out of the ring in like six inch heels. And my family was like I had no idea she could move like that. Like everyone was just really impressed, Jenn’s got some speed on her even in high heels, good for her. But I think I was so scared that it had happened out of sequence that I dropped the mic in the middle of the rings that was picking up all of the noise. You know what, it was like being involved in a circus. That’s the only way I can ever describe it.”

On a new fan base since being involved with wrestling:

“You know, I think my fan base was always predominantly male. So I don’t feel like that really don’t know. But I don’t feel like it changed that much. I think actually, comedy has, has really started to change my fan base. And I think the more vocal I am about women’s issues and the things that really matter to me, and creating a safe space for women, not only in comedy, but just, I taught a class the other morning about Sports Media at the University of Florida. And one of the things they asked me about was, you know, just creating a safe space for women and like giving all these women advice that had been through tough stuff and work environments and things that were going to prepare them going forward. And I just told them, I’m like, it is just so important that women become other women’s allies. And that means supporting their projects, supporting their art, just support women, it’s not that hard. You know, we can ask men to be better allies all we want, but if we’re not supporting our own, like that’s the real problem.”

On possibly returning to wrestling:

“You know, I just think it has to be the right opportunity. That travel schedule is wild. It’s way faster than comedy, honestly. You would get in the morning of, or shooting the next day, and we were only doing east coast loops, it was tough on my body. I was also doing 3 hours of live radio every day, so even when I was doing television, I had just done 3 hours of live radio. I know I won’t be bumping, that’s for sure.”

On plans changing:

“For sure. Like, for instance, I thought I was going to be a diva. I legit thought I was going to be a diva while divas were still a thing you know, in the WWE, like that’s what my dream was as a little girl. You know? I grew up watching wrestling, like Saturday mornings religiously right after cartoons came wrestling. And to the point where I love wrestling so much that I actually went to the hospital as a three year old child because I tried to do a flying elbow drop off the back of the couch. [Chris – like Macho Man?] Exactly, and took out the coffee table, the coffee table won. My mom was like, oh my god, I have to take my daughter to the hospital with this broken arm and they’re gonna be like what the hell did you do to her? She’s like they’re gonna think I beat you. No, the coffee table, the coffee table won that match.”

On there being no female wrestlers growing up until high school:

“Every girl that watched wrestling at the time wanted to be Lita. We all got sent home from school for wearing our underwear above our pants. You know what I mean? I couldn’t find padded bras big enough to be Trish Stratus. Like I wanted to be that, but not just because they were sexy and gorgeous, but because they were just these badass women that despite everything the late 90s put them through, because let’s face it, totally different era of women’s wrestling. They owned it, they owned who they were. I got the opportunity to audition for the Divas in like the last Divas Search that they did you know, where they were still taking girls that weren’t necessarily athletes or wrestlers. But they were like, are you a model? Are you moderately athletic, we’ll take you. I was in that crop. So they brought me in, I think at the end of 2012, beginning of 2013, I had just recovered from breaking my neck the previous year. I somehow passed their like a physical they may do. I was just like, oh my God, I am held together by graham crackers. I was like, I have no idea, like how I’m getting through this. And it just didn’t work out. You know, I ended up breaking my neck again in that training. And they were just like, we’re just gonna we’re just gonna table that for now. They tried to bring me in to do like, announcing type stuff, but I don’t think I understood as much as I thought I watched wrestling and I understood wrestling, I don’t think I understood the world back then as much as I thought I did.”

On not getting the gist of it:

“And so it’s funny because I don’t think I really got the gist of it while I was auditioning at WWE. I still was trying to be Jenn the comedian and Jenn like the host, when it was much more about being a good storyteller. And even when they were like, Jenn we want you to be like a heel announcer I didn’t know what that meant. So I just came in with this roast heat, you know, and they were like, that’s not it. And so now when I look back at my notes from my audition, I was like, oh, that’s why I didn’t get hired.”

On if Jenn Sterger misses WWE:

“Again, it was not getting WWE, I was taking stand-up classes when I was learning to be a Diva. I hadn’t started doing stand-up yet, it was 2013 when I first started taking classes and really learning comedy. Had WWE panned out, I might have never got onstage and realize how much I loved comedy.”

On negative body comments while in WWE:

“Yeah, that was really weird and something that in general wrestling should get away from. I think that had something to do with the Divas era and this is pre-me too. We can’t get mad at things when society was still figuring things out. We were different people back then, we can’t cancel somebody for something they said or did as recent as 5 years ago. So much changes as to what is acceptable and what is not.”

On moving to California:

“I moved out here because I wanted to get away from a terrible relationship. Besides that, I just felt like I had done everything that I could do in New York. At the time, I guess I was getting out of the public scandal thing that I went through, I was tired of seeing my face on the front of The Post every few weeks. I just wanted to anonymity, and coming out to LA, no one cared who I was. It was a chance to start over and figure out what I wanted to do again. At the time I had a job with Spike TV, I was doing some hosting for them and I interviewed this comedian. He was like ‘You are super funny, have you ever taken improv classes?’ I was like no, so I went and took some improv classes. But then I was like ‘You know what would be great? If we wrote all of this down and we f*cking rehearsed it.’ I had this thing where friends don’t ask friends to come to their improv shows. It’s great to have a skill, but I was always drawn to writing a story and making people laugh.”

How often is Jenn Sterger on stage:

“I mean a couple of nights a week for sure. When I am not on stage, I also help to teach classes with women that want to get into stand-up and comedy writing. But I try to be funny every day, try to stretch those muscles every day.”

On getting fired from Abercrombie & Fitch:

“Oh I did work for Abercrombie. I got fired because I got fake boobs and they said you don’t look like the all American girl anymore. True story. But I got fake boobs because I wanted to look like Trish and Lita, I wanted to be a Diva my entire life, but I am so f*cking uncoordinated. This is the stuff we need to talk about.”

On falling under many umbrellas:

“[I tell people] I am an entertainer, that’s what I say. I don’t say I am a lady of the night! I like to entertain people, I like to host, I like to do comedy, I like to act, I do all of it! I’m a writer, I even teach classes, I teach other women how to write comedy. It’s like Jack of all trades, master of none, what are they paying me for? Right now it is comedy, there is no better feeling than when I am on stage doing stand-up.”

On the Brett Farve controversy:

“Society took so long to catch up. It was basically weirdo cyberstalking. Celebrities, they are just like us! It was a really unsupportive time. I think the hardest part was being attacked by my peers, by women. They were supposed to have my back, because they know damn well it is happening to all of us. It’s just the way it is. I had a comedian tell me that comedy is hard for pretty women. I told him that every job I have had is hard for pretty women, how about all women? I had a chance to talk to some of the women that called me out in 2010 to further their career. When they were beating the drum, I called them out and asked them where were you when I needed you? I’m sorry I was not a good enough victim for you.”

On what Jenn Sterger is grateful for:

“On making people laugh, the amazing fanbase and friends I have made along the way.”

Featured image: The Spun

Freddie Prinze Jr. (@realfreddieprinze) is an actor, producer and screenwriter known for his roles in movies like She’s All That, Down To You, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Scooby Doo, Summer Catch and many others. He also worked for WWE as a writer and producer from 2008-2009 and again from 2010-2012. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet in person to talk about his new movie “Christmas With You” on Netflix, why he doesn’t like watching his own movies, his thoughts on MJF being the AEW Champion, why he isn’t a fan of Logan Paul in WWE, the best advice he ever received and more!

How many of his own films has Freddie Prinze Jr. seen:

Three. [Chris asks if She’s All That is one] No. I would have seen it at the premiere, but they debuted it on the anniversary of my dad’s death, and I was not having a good day that day. And I was the same age he was when he died, I was 22. So it was just like too much, and then I never saw it after that. I saw the first I know what you know did, no I saw the second I know what you did. I saw this little movie I made called Brooklyn Rules, which was me, Jerry Ferrara, Scott Cann and Mena Suvari. And I love that whole cast so much. And I saw it in a tiny little theatre with my wife. And I saw Christmas With You at the Netflix theaer because they made me go, Amy Garcia just doesn’t take no for an answer. it’s just like you’ve never seen your movies, you’re going to see this. I was like, all right, I promise I’ll come. So Rachel, my wife was working in Georgia. I called Rachel Lee. I said, Will you be my safe date at the premiere, she was like, oh my god, I’d love to. She was kind enough to come and hold my hand so I wouldn’t run out of the theater. And I sat and watched my big stupid face on a big stupid screen. And I didn’t run out of the theater, so it was a win.

On a bad experience filming I Know What You Did Last Summer:

Well, yeah, it’s been long enough, nobody’s gonna get their feelings to hurt. Well the director made certain that I knew I was not his choice for the film every single day. The producers and the studio, I was their choice, but he wanted a different actor. And every single day, man, it was just, he was just all my case. If I left my mouth open, he would go ‘You look stupid when your mouths open, close your mouth.’ I’m just like dude get off my case. And then there was a stunt where they, to save money, sent the stunt crew home. And they wanted me to drive this dinghy with an outboard motor over the wake of this boat, right? And I’m sitting there going, did Freddie Hice approve this? Freddie Hice was the stunt coordinator. He’s [the director] like Oh, yeah. He [Freddie Hice] did not. By the way, Freddie is an amazing stunt coordinator and always had all the actor’s back in that movie. He was great, not good, great. He did the sequel as well, and hell of a horseback rider too. He did like a bunch of westerns and stuff. So any like horse stunts, like, oh yeah, he’s a master. So anyway, we do the we do the rehearsal, and the boat is not safe to do this jump. And I fly out of the boat and it goes right over my head, the outboard engine, and I can feel, I don’t know how close it was, but it felt like it was a millimetre away. And I get out of the water and I’m p*ssed. And I’m like, where is Freddie Hice? Because I’m mad at Freddie. And someone goes ‘They didn’t want to say it, they sent him home.’ And I’m like, what? And the director comes up to me. He goes, you told me you knew how to drive a speedboat. And I’m like, yes, I do, that’s not a speedboat, it’s a dinghy with an outboard motor. You’re mad at me? You’re mad at me? And he’s like, Well, we have to do it again. I’m like, I’m not doing that again. You’re crazy. And every single day was just him letting me know that I wasn’t good enough and it was my first movie, really my first big movie I’d done. 

On wrestling not being good anymore:

I mean, I will say this that AEW pay-per-view, Full Gear, was great. Not good, great. So every once in a while I think both teams get it right. Whether it’s WWE under Hunter’s control, or AEW under Tony’s. When they get it right, I love it, and it’s great. And when they get it wrong, I feel the same way everyone else does.

On MJF:

I’ve been saying this for a long time, man. I’ve gotten to know Maxwell over the last two years. Every time he comes to LA, we make it a point to go to dinner, and I try to take him to like a different sushi spot every time, right? And this kid is 26 years old, so I can say kid, and he has the single most brilliant mind in the wrestling business. Every storyline that he’s come up with, man, I shouldn’t even say that. Well, I said it. Listen, the ideas in this kid’s head at getting multiple people over, not just himself, but focusing on what’s best for the business, not what’s best for MJF, is second to none. And I’m not the most experienced and educated wrestling cat in the world, but I did work for the WWE. And I did ask a million questions to the Pat Patterson’s of the world, to The Freebirds’ of the world, to the Arn Anderson’s, the Dean Malenko’s, all these old school people. And everything they taught me this dude has in spades, it is unreal how his mind works. He does not go into business for himself. That’s like such a cliche thing to say now ever since that CM Punk explosion at AEW. But for real, like, that’s the best way to say it, I love this kid, I texted him the night he won. Don’t get mad at me for saying this. He wrote back ‘We did it.’ Not meaning he and I, meaning him and everyone, all I wrote back was ‘Damn right you did.’ Because I wanted him to know like, brother, this was you and it’s awesome that you’re trying to get as many people over, as many people over as humanly possible. But you did this, like otherwise at 26, it does not happen. And so I just hate complimenting a heel. But man he’s just, he’s so great at it. I love this guy so much. He’s so good for the business on both sides. Like not even working for WWE, I feel he helps WWE as well.

On wrestling scrums:

I hate post wrestling scrums, I think those shouldn’t exist. I don’t think they’re cool. I think it’s real weird. Sometimes I think it’s kind of goofy. And every once in a while someone comes out there and you’re like, okay, yeah, all right, I get why you’re giving these guys an opportunity to talk. Because every once in a while, you get some magic, like that [the MJF promo].

On MJF’s promo ability:

I was there in LA at that pipe bomb promo that he cut when he went beserk and was just f this, and f that, and this and that. And I was sitting there, like, I can’t believe I got to be here for this, this is absolutely phenomenal. And I’m not a big proponent of cursing to make the promo cooler, right? That’s what the Attitude Era was like, oohhh he said son of a bitch. And like, I could have said it without that, and still been good. Show me you can get over without cursing and then I’ll be like, dang, you know what I mean? But with Max, it doesn’t matter. He can make you cry. And like when he did with that CM Punk story when he was talking about making the football team and starting defence. And here comes the defensive line, the whole defensive unit, while he’s walking down the hall to his locker, and he’s finally going to be accepted. And instead of giving him love, they threw quarters on the floor and said, pick them up Jewboy. And the whole crowd that hated him, suddenly, you saw them when they made the cut, and you saw people feel ashamed of themselves. And I’m sitting there and I’m like, Sarah, Sarah, get in here you got to see this, when it’s special, I make her watch. And I’m like, Look at this kid, this kid is acting, you could put this in a movie, and it would move you and there’d be a soundtrack behind it. And I’m sitting there looking at him just like how is he doing this? And then I think he just at the end of it just kicks CM Punk in the nuts, just to let you know, like no, you’re right to hate me. I just wanted to make you feel like sh*t for a minute, and because I can for no other reason than I can. And he told such a beautiful story over those few weeks that they had that storyline. I could have watched that go on another two, three fights, to be honest. But he knew the perfect amount of time it should be. And he pulled it off. And he wasn’t the one that came out on top at the end of it. And that was just that’s where you see like the selfishness and the selflessness all at the same time. It’s like Bruce Lee out there, man. Unnatural naturalness, or natural unnaturalness, like that’s what he’s doing. It’s crazy. I know I’m speaking about him like, he’s a poet, or Picasso, but that’s what he is. Don’t forget, in that pay-per-view, that was his blood, sweat and tears on an actual canvas, painting a picture for everyone to see with Jon Moxley, who I call the werewolf. Because that’s what he looks like, wrestles like, sounds like, he’s just a werewolf out there. Um, so yeah, man, he is a Picasso out there. And the good thing is, he’s being appreciated within his lifetime, instead of long after he’s gone.

Will we see MJF in Freddie Prinze Jr’s federation:

Mine’s too weird for someone like him. Mine is much different. And I haven’t been completely honest with everyone about what it is because I don’t want it getting out there. But he’s so different than what I’m going to do. He would look out of place, and it wouldn’t be the right thing for him. Although he’s read the script, I’ve pitched the entire thing to him, he’s given me notes. Because I value that young generation’s opinion, I don’t want to do stuff that’s too old man-ish and he’s been straightforward. He’s like, only old guys are going to connect to that, I think you focus more on this. And I’m looking at it like, Damn, he’s dead on, dead on. And I’ve applied those notes. So yeah, it’s different.

On not liking behind the scenes secrets revealed:

I don’t like all the behind the scenes stuff, you know, there should be magic left in it, otherwise everyone feels like they can do it and everyone can’t. I don’t like all the behind the scenes stuff in movies, I don’t like the masked magician, screw that guy Val Valentino or whatever his name is. Vince made me produce a damn segment with him when the show, when Smackdown was on the UPN, and so was his [Valentino’s] show and he [Vince] did it just to rib me. And I was like you know I hate that son of a b*tch. He just laughs like ha ha ha and I’m like son of a b*tch, and had to go and produce that schlock. So I wanted all his tricks to fail. Screw that guy, man, all those YouTube videos. ‘Here’s so and so did this…’ Screw that video, man. Like you’re taking away someone’s livelihood when you do that. You know what I mean? Just so you can make a couple bucks? That seems dirty and shady to me. Everyone’s got to hustle, I know that, but I don’t have to respect everybody’s hustle. So yeah, man, I’m not, I’m not about that. So it’s gonna be different and people see it [Freddie Prinze Jr’s promotion] and then they can judge for themselves. They can click with it and love it, or they can not click with it and hate it, and you’re both right. However you feel about art, you’re correct. Because it’s art. It’s never going to be viewed the way three plus three is viewed. Because it’s not, it’s not science. But uh, but yeah, man. So I’m not as concerned with that as I am. I want to execute this the right way. And I want it to be my vision, not anybody else’s vision. And the proof will be in the pudding man.

Will CM Punk return:

I don’t know. I don’t know if he wrestles again. I don’t. I mean, his body wasn’t able to hold up. You know, he was getting hurt a lot, as we all do when we get older. His patience wasn’t able to hold up in dealing with a younger generation. I mean, look, for millennials and Gen Z, my generation and up. It’s not an illusion, they hate you, because they don’t want to understand you. The things that my generation and older say about them are the same things my mom’s generation said about me. You’re softer, you don’t work as hard on this. Yeah, you’re right, you made it easier for me to live. So thank you to your generation, but now we have a remote control and I don’t have to get up and change the channel because you’re old and arthritic, and can’t do it anymore. I get that they hate the fact that kids can make millions on YouTube or Twitch and they don’t have a boss telling them they suck every day. But here’s the flip side to that. Yeah, they may not have a boss, but they have dozens, hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions of people that not only say they suck, but demand to have say in what they do. That’s what the life of a streamer is. I’ve seen people sacrifice their dignity and their soul, I’ll put on a banana suit if I get 50 followers today. You can’t take that back, you know what I mean? If you start living by people who are giving you $5 a month and all of a sudden you want some of that dignity back, so goes their $5 too. So they have to deal with much different pressures than these older generations had to deal with. Yeah, I had a director who was on my case every day on I Know What You Did Last Summer, every single day. It sucked. That’s one son of a bitch. All right, that’s one guy. The streamers out there YouTuber all these, everyone in the world that has access to the internet can say horrible things about you. And these are young kids that are not prepared for that type of fame. That’s why I took my channel off Twitch because they don’t care, they don’t care about these young kids. They don’t put any measures in to protect them until four or five years later after, you know, these kids have been complaining and begging and asking for it. And it’s not like once they were bought by Amazon, they couldn’t afford to put measures in place. They simply chose not to because it wasn’t cost effective. So screw Twitch, screw those companies, man. I hope all of you go to YouTube or somewhere else where you’re in control and you’re not having to pay for their service in order for you to get paid. Like, I got love for y’all, I really do. And I understand the pressures that they have to go through. I’ve seen it affects so many young people, I’ve seen it. The first person that called me uncle Freddy, or I think it was she said he’s my twitch uncle, was this girl I found randomly on Stream and I was reading the comments and I was just like, oh my God, is this what streamers have to go through? And for a female streamer it’s different right? Because these guys were letting her know exactly why they were watching her and saying sh*t that you’re just like Jesus Christ, like Michelle Pfeiffer never had to hear that in her Catwoman suit looking fine as hell. Like she didn’t have to hear just non stop and there’s no accountability. And there’s no one there to smack them and be like show some respect, because it’s all digital. And they’re just enduring that at an age where you’re not equipped to deal with that yet. And I just remember going like this is a bad bad place and so I get it and I have a lot of empathy, sympathy as I would have gone through it, and I haven’t. So I empathise with what they have to go through. And I respect the ones that are able to come out on the other side and still have their dignity intact. Because it’s soul selling, and soul stealing. And those are hard things to deal with in your early 20s. So I don’t know how CM Punk moves forward. He’s of that older generation.

On wrestling taking its toll on CM Punk:

Like emotionally, he wasn’t able to keep up with it either. Like physically, you kind of saw it on the failed Buckshot Lariat when the knees gave out, the injury after injury after injury. But to lose it like that in that post Scrum, which everyone loved in the media, but I thought it was so bad for the business, to just bury everyone and right next to Tony. And while he’s saying he didn’t like people going into business for themselves, the philosophy had to be in his head. Well, if they’re going to do it, I’m going to do it right. Like Barry Bonds on steroids, like well, if Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa are going to do it, and I’m already better than them. I’ll do it and become the greatest baseball player ever. Yeah, so once you do that, there’s no going back and I mean, you heard the chants during the Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks trios match where they were saying, you know, F you CM Punk like the fans weren’t having it whether they’re right in that opinion or not. That’s their opinion, because they’re the viewers of art, so it can’t be incorrect if that’s how they feel again, it’s not three plus three, which we agree is still six. So you know, you got to evolve. This is something CM Punk said when WWE, you either evolve or you die.

On Logan Paul:

Look, I get why they’re doing it, I wasn’t a big fan of it. I will say this. He did his thing like the dude can wrestle. He’s done I think three matches now, and I finally watched the Crown Jewel match, I was so proud of the fact that I didn’t watch it because I hate Crown Jewel. It’s just the goofiest. Um, so yeah, so it’s a tricky thing. I get why they did it, right. I get why they brought Mr. T to Wrestlemania. But I’m not a fan of it. Like I would rather see wrestlers wrestle. I didn’t like that he videoed himself doing a Frog Splash. How serious are you, this is the old school mentality, how serious are you about winning the WWE Championship if you’re going to hold a phone and video yourself doing a Frog Splash? It should be a singular [focus]. Again. It’s an old school mentality, and I’m not saying it’s right. I’m just saying it’s mine. How serious are you about winning, if you don’t have a singular focus on winning. [Chris mentions Hulk Hogan flexing]. It’s not, the flex was to power him up. And you know, like, show you how into it he is. Whereas this is like, I’m gonna bring everyone into my social media page and get even more followers while I do this. 

On possibly being a UFC fighter:

I don’t know if I would have been good enough. I don’t know. First of all, I don’t think my godfather would have let me, there’s better ways to make a living, just asked Matt Riddle. So yeah, you know, I always wanted to make a good living and, and make money and be successful in not just the career I chose, but in the ability to have what I want. We didn’t have anything growing up, like we got kicked out at two houses by the time I was a sophomore in high school, because we couldn’t afford it. My dad was successful, but for a very short period of time, and when he died, he didn’t leave anything, he didn’t have a will. My grandma came out and fought for her share and kind of took a lot. And my mom didn’t have much, you know, she had to go job to job and I had to grow up with my grandparents for a good portion of time. Because we didn’t have a house I had to grow up with my godparents who I mentioned Bob Wall, who was one of the main influences on my life and my godmother, Lillian, who’s still with us and just an amazing human being. So yeah, I didn’t want to be broke, and UFC fighters don’t make any money. So that wasn’t that wasn’t gonna be in my future. I think it was act or nothing, man. I really do.

On not wanting to live up to his father’s legacy:

Never though, I would never stand on the same stage as he did, ever. I didn’t even like doing Saturday Night Live because it felt too close to what he did. But yeah, there was never going to be a day where I did stand up comedy. I did get to hang out at the Improv, rest and peace Budd Friedman, and we just lost [him]. I’m losing everybody that was like a father figure to me when I was a kid, Gene LeBell this year, lost my godfather Bob Wall this year, Budd just past that my father opened that club, the improv on Melrose. And I was 12 years old, and would hang out there with spiral notebooks. And I would write down the comics jokes as fast as I could and then and then rate how loud the audience reacted. And I’ve handed those journals to comics, like as an adult, and it literally has blown their mind. They’re like, I remember that joke, holy sh*t that’s amazing. Three stars? What is that? I’m like, No, I laughed. But for real man, if I had to go to the bathroom, he would have to take me and he would clear out the bathroom because that’s where like, all the actors and comics and musicians would be doing cocaine. He’d be like, Oh, I got little Freddie coming in, and these guys would go and be like sorry, let me get out of here. And then I could go take a leak.

On what he is grateful for:

A higher power, a family that is healthy and every opportunity.

Featured image: GQ

Mandy Rose (@mandysacs) is a professional wrestler signed to WWE where she is the current NXT Women’s Champion. She joins Chris Van Vliet to talk about winning the NXT Women’s Championship, her thoughts about moving from Raw to NXT, how different things are with Triple H in charge, being a contestant on WWE Tough Enough, her storyline with Otis and Dolph Ziggler, who she thinks is the greatest women’s wrestler of all time, getting engaged to Sabby Piscitelli (Tino Sabbatelli from WWE) and more!

On being grateful for the spot:

“I’m so grateful. And I feel like, you know, everyone’s different. Sometimes it matter how much talent you have, obviously, we’ve seen that. And it’s just, it’s just some things just don’t work out, or some things just weren’t meant to be. So I am really grateful for that. But, you know, deep down, I knew that, you know, I always knew I had this, I always knew I could always get better at it, right? Like, everyone, you get better with time, but you need the opportunity, right? So it’s like, can’t really show anything if you don’t have that opportunity. And if you’re just kind of known for being the blond bombshell, or the golden goddess and eye candy, or whatever it is, my whole vision of ever since I started in WWE was always even in the NXT back in the day was like, Yeah, I know, I look like this. And I know, it could be intimidating. Or also like, Oh, she’s just here for the fame and whatnot, all the, you know, stigmas that I’ve gotten. But I knew that like, my biggest thing was to prove myself in the ring. I knew it was like a Trish Stratus story, you know, like, why can’t you be hot and still, like, be able to wrestle, right? Like, it’s been done before? Like, why do I get such like heat? Or why do I get so much backlash for looking like this? But I knew in the back of my head that like, it takes time, respect, you know, you have to kind of gain your respect you have to put your time in. So I just knew over time, eventually it would turn.”

Mandy Rose On the return to NXT:

“I feel like it was, it was a timing thing. I feel like it was gonna happen. But yeah, I couldn’t picture it this way. You know, I couldn’t have pictured it if I wanted to. But it’s like, I knew I had this vision when I first went to NXT, and I knew that I wanted to rebrand myself, I knew that I wanted to get more opportunities. And I wasn’t really that fond of like what I was doing at the moment. And I just didn’t didn’t think that I was showing my true potential. So I knew there needed to be something. And sometimes you just need to like, you need to change a little bit, you need to like, you know, evolve a little bit or just have a clean slate or first coat of paint. And like, I felt like I needed that. So I think it all worked out for the best. Of course, in the moment, I was a little bit like taken aback, but then I know looking back, I’m just so happy that I went in with such a positive mindset because Sabbi says this a lot too, my fiance. He’s just very like proud of me and that aspect of life, because he’s been through a lot, but of like having that positive mindset and kind of like, knowing that this could be something good. Whereas instead of most people would might take that as like a demotion or like, or just like, Oh, you’re going back to NXT? Like, oh, like most people would have that attitude of like, well why and all these questions and, and, you know, in our business, it’s like, you don’t really get a lot of answers most of the time. Like, if you do your job and you do it well, you know, it’s going to eventually pay off. And I think that goes a long way. So I’m just really happy I went in with such a positive mindset. And I just had this vision. And I knew if I had the right people in my corner and the right people to back me up, that it would be successful. And you know, I’m really grateful for that.”

On initial plans when Mandy Rose won the NXT Women’s Championship:

“You know, I didn’t know exactly when I first won. But then when I, you know, started kind of getting in the groove and really, like, with this whole character change and stuff, I felt like, I was like, you know, I think this is going to be a good run and a long run, because I think we’re going to really make it mean something. I think, you know, it’s a good story, me coming back here and kind of even, like, helping some of the younger girls, even the whole, like, transition of NXT you know, NXT 2.0. And like, you know, there’s so many young people and young, you know, great talent that is just like up and coming. So I feel like it just made the most sense, you know. And now, I mean, over a year now, I didn’t know it’d be this long, but hey, I ain’t complaining.”

On the genesis of the new Mandy Rose character:

“I would just say it’s still me, I’m still like, you know, I didn’t go from like, I didn’t change that much. It’s still me. I think it’s more just like adding a little edge to Mandy Rose, I think it’s more about yeah, I can still look good and you know, beat bitches up, but also, like, I have this edge to me. And I think the whole idea was that as well with Gigi and Jacey when we all teamed up, like, I think everyone kind of thought I was going to make them be more like Mandy, but instead, we all kind of, we’ve all taken a little bit from each other, right? So I feel like I have learned from them a lot.” 

On how much Shawn Michaels has helped Mandy Rose:

“A lot Yeah, Shawn Michaels is amazing and he’s great to work with. He has been nothing but amazing towards me and you know, Toxic Attraction, and you know, we all kind of it was a collaboration of Toxic Attraction. You know, when I first got there, it was like, oh, maybe you’ll team with these girls, they’re just gonna just about ready to be on TV. But, you know, we don’t really know exactly and it was Triple H that said this before he, you know, took a leave of absence, but he had said too like we’re not going to pigeonhole you either, you know, like, this might be something good, but we’ll see. Like, then that’s how we work, you know, nothing’s ever really set in stone, everything changes by the day. But yeah, so we just, we kind of all collaborated and, and I think Shawn and you know, our writer, Johnny Russo and coach Bloom, and like the people that were really behind Toxic Attraction and really, like, you know, had strong belief in making us successful. It worked. Because when you have the right people behind you, and you have those people that believe in you, they’re going to stand up for you, and they’re gonna put you hopefully put you in the right spot.”

Mandy Rose On teaching the current NXT roster:

“Yeah, I mean like, even just, you know, whether it’s helping the girls with, you know, hotels, cars, like rentals, we do a lot of that stuff on our own. Like they don’t teach you that in NXT like, you know, you don’t really travel that much in NXT. So it’s like, get a good credit card where you can put your hotels on there for expenses and for stuff, you know, for write offs and whether it’s, you know, ideas for, for promos, whether it’s how you present yourself, clothing. Like for a lot of people it’s hard too in NXT you know, you’re on a different pay scale and then the main roster obviously. You’re just in developmental, you’re just working your way. So little ins and outs of how to kind of not only beat the system, but you know, like be ahead of the game when you’re up there. Right? So it’s like just little things like that and just trying to help them about even how they present themselves with higher ups when they get there. You know, like you don’t have to go around kissing everyone’s ass, you just have to, you know, know your role, always say hello to people and like there’s certain things you know, common courtesy and stuff like that. But sometimes people get wrapped up in like, so many different cooks in the kitchen in NXT. Because you do have a lot of coaches, you have a lot of producers, you have everyone in your ear about certain things. And also just like, my biggest thing with them is like telling them like no matter what people say about your character, like you know your character best, like take the advice. They’ve been doing this a long time, not discrediting them at all, they all know what they’re doing. But like if you wouldn’t say that word or you wouldn’t say that sentence from that promo ask can I change this? Because I’ve done that a bunch of times. I mean, they’ll write things for me sometimes where I’m like, not any more but, you know, a while ago, where I was like, I would never talk like that, like it’s not going to come out natural, you know? Yeah. So those little things, I feel like help can go a long way.”

On what advice Mandy Rose would give to her Tough Enough self:

“I think it would be, I was pretty good at this too. I wouldn’t say that I was bad, a lot of people get caught up in this, but I think it’s like, just not caring or giving, you know, a sh*t about what other people thought. Like you’re, you’re constantly trying to and this is like, in the beginning of like any probably job, right? Like you’re always trying to impress your boss, or you’re trying to impress the higher ups, you want to make more money, you want to like [progress]. I just feel like, and obviously sports entertainment, we’re on TV or in the spotlight, I feel like I see that a lot too. And it’s like you’re always trying to impress, but I feel like if you just be yourself more, and not really care about what everyone has to say so much. Like I tell them I tell the girls and the guys this all the time, like don’t sweat the small stuff. Like I always tell the story about with Cora Jade when I first met her, because I first met her in the beginning when I went there and it was you know, before she was really getting put on TV, but they obviously liked her and they wanted to get her out there. And she was crying in the bathroom, and I went up to her and I honestly asked her what was wrong. And she said that, you know, she just being told the same thing over and over again about her matches that she’s moving too fast, or whatever it was. [Cora said] ‘I just don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m trying to improve, but I feel…’ And I just told her listen. I said, hate to break it to you, but this is how they are, this is how it goes, you’re probably never going to not move too fast. Like you’re gonna get better but like this is just something that they’re on with you right now. In a couple of weeks, there’ll be something else or someone else. Just take it with a grain of salt and that’s the biggest thing. Sonya and I always talk about it too, because we came up together and we had each other’s backs and we’re obviously very close. But I’m just not like sweating all the, everything they say to you, you know, we used to live together, we used to come back from training and we would talk for hours about like, I can’t believe coach so and so said that about me… And it’s like, who cares? Like it’s their job, you know, like, so that’s my biggest like take home with a lot of the girls and guys. And the biggest thing I would say if I went back like just and I was pretty good, I wasn’t as bad as a lot of people but you know, knowing what I know now I would have probably been better.”

On a possible match with Nikki Bella:

“I feel like also, like, even my promo the other night, like, our, you know, I want to say her legacy and also just like everything I’ve done. Like, we have a little bit of similar backgrounds in the sense because she, you know, she’s obviously had paved the way for us, definitely during like the Divas time and, you know, the women’s revolution and all that. So it’s like, I feel like there’s some kind of, you know, similarity with the both of us because she was always one to be like, you know, she wants to have people respect her more and she did gain that respect over the years, but in the beginning, it wasn’t maybe so much like that. So, like, there is a little you know, little story there.”

On the balance between work and home life in WWE:

“Yeah, um, you know, it’s always kind of a struggle, because our schedules are kind of crazy. However, since you know, over the last year, being in NXT, I’ve had a really good schedule, and I actually love my schedule. I don’t have to fly that much, obviously, I drive to Orlando and so I have way more time on my hands than I ever did and I feel like it’s the like, I’m trying to make the most of it. I felt like it was pretty good timing because, you know, we had just bought our house and there’s so many different little projects we’re getting ourselves into, but I think it’s just really kind of not making yourself get like too crazy and overload, you know what I mean? Like I really tried to like base my schedule, you know, after Tuesday, Wednesday on it’s like, Okay, now it’s my time to like, get stuff done, you know, whether it’s around the house, workouts, you know, interviews and whatnot. But, I try to just like stay focused for TV like Monday and Tuesday or like my get ready for TV days, you know, and then like, once that’s done, I can do other things that I have to do in life, you know, it’s just a balance.”

On the Otis and Mandy Rose storyline:

“That was such a fun, like, loving, entertaining story. And I think of the timing of it, like, you know, right during the pandemic, too. So I feel like there was so much, you know, so much negativity going around, and just like, you know, people cooped up in their homes, and I felt like it was such a good story to just kind of like for, I don’t know, it was just pure entertainment. And it was fun. But for me, I just had a lot of fun. I had a lot of fun working with him. He’s obviously a character in and out in and out of the ring. And it was really cool to be able to have that kind of storyline where it was like, you know, we barely wrestled, it was more just like that was an entertaining [storyline]. Like, when they talked about sports entertainment, like that was pure entertainment I feel like. But it was fun. I had a lot of fun.”

On who is in better shape – Mandy Rose or her fiancé Tino Sabbatelli 

“Objectively, um, I would have to go with him. He, I mean I don’t know, he’s like a freak. Like I have good genetics and all sorry about my dog. [His name is] Trey That’s the big one. The little ones underneath me. Yeah, they’ve been walking around my house a little bit. Sorry, what was I saying? Yeah. Like he’s a genetic freak. I have good genetics for sure. But like, people think he eats like, you know, chicken and rice every day. And he does not eat chicken and rice. Like he’s a big snacker, loves his potato chips, and Cold Stone. We have Cold Stone once a week, which I just told someone the other day, and they’re like you two have Cold Stone every week? I said, Yes. Every week [on] Sundays.”

On people not believing that Mandy Rose eats pizza:

“I know, actually people do probably think that but I mean, I used to be really really strict when I was competing, but since then and wrestling and it’s definitely more of a consistent, balanced diet. But I like to have my cheat days and I like to splurge and I snack and all that. So it’s you know, I mean, my workouts have changed a little bit I do a little bit more cardio, which might help obviously. But yeah, I grew up in a you know, Italian home with my dad who owns delis. So like we just grew up around really good food. I can’t stop now.”

On Mandy Rose’s cheat meal:

“Oh, my go to is usually like a good, you know, good pasta or ravioli or pizza, and ice cream. I love ice cream.”

What is Mandy Rose grateful for:

“Obviously my fiancé Sabby, my health and my family.”

Featured image: Wrestling News

David Harbour (@dkharbour) is an actor known for his roles in Stranger Things, Hellboy, Suicide Squad, Extraction, Black Widow and many others. He joins Chris Van Vliet from Budapest to talk about his new holiday movie “Violent Night” where he plays a version of Santa Claus with a twist. He also talks about putting a twist on other holiday characters like the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.

So good to see you again. When I saw the title of this film, Violent Night, I was like oh this is cute, it’s like Silent Night. Then when I watched the movie, I don’t know if you got the title right. I feel like it should be Extremely Violent Night.

“Violent is not enough for you? You need more adjectives. I’m sorry but I think violent sums it up, there is a lot of extreme violence.”

There is a lot! I’m curious, is playing Santa something that was on your bucket list?

“No, never in a million years. You know, there’s Hamlet and King Lear, but Santa? The thing is I never thought that I would be invited into that world. There’s people out there who are like well one day I will play Santa. But not me, I’m a more complicated guy. I look at the characters that people like and are more complicated individuals. Someone like Santa seemed pretty straight ahead. When this came to me, I was like OK, this is a Santa Claus I could play, because this is a complicated Santa Claus. But one of the great things is that there are films that people watch every year for Christmas, it puts them in the holiday spirit. The greatest thing about this movie is that there is this extreme violence, but at the end it feels like a Christmas movie. Once I got the part, the violence and the humour took care of itself.”

Now we have opened the door to having R rated Christmas movies. What’s going to be next?

“I’ve already pitched a bunch of my cool actor friends The Easter Bunny. That is a creature that is little understood. We do have these things, like a guy in a red suit that comes in your house once a year, who is this guy? What is his deal? I feel like our movie tries to attempt to somewhat understand that guy. Then you’ve got The Easter Bunny, what up with him? And then there is The Tooth Fairy, where is she getting all that money?”

When you play Santa, the pinnacle is getting the Ho Ho Ho correct. How much time did you spend on nailing it for this version.

“It’s sort of a pivotal point in the movie. He talks about how it’s his iconic thing, but he can’t do it in the beginning of the movie. It literally sticks in his throat until the end of the movie. We did shoot it a bit sequential, as the movie went on I couldn’t find. It sort of came out by the end of the film, and I liked what I found.”

Would Jim Hopper be on the nice list?

“If my Santa was making the list, then yes. But I think Jim Hopper would be too embarrassed to be on it.”

Featured image: NME

The Dangerous Summer (@thedangeroussummer) are a rock band from Ellicott City, Maryland comprised of AJ Perdomo, Matt Kennedy, Josh Withenshaw and Christian Zawacki. They join Chris Van Vliet inside the Blue Wire Studios at Wynn Las Vegas to talk about their new album called “Coming Home”, how the band came together, overcoming personal hardships and breaking up, why they got back together, the process of writing songs, they reveal the name of their new album “Gravity”, their take on Blink-182 reuniting with the three original members and much more!

On the breakup:

“It was painful, man. It was like watching one of your best friends die, it was a sad time for us. I think we needed it though, I talk about it all the time, the steps that it takes to get there, you have to go through the sh*t to get there. Sometimes you need to get away from stuff and I felt like I hated it all completely.”

On bands staying together for 30 plus years:

“Dude how do they do it? Like who is on there? The Rolling Stones are they original? But how do you keep it together? Especially with being artists, we are all f*cking insane.”

On new members feeling like a different band:

“Man, it’s funny. I was initially like we should just drop the summer. Let’s just call it The Dangerous. But The Dangerous Summer is The Dangerous Summer, it’s just this kind of machine that despite falling apart millions of times it always comes back together. It’s a wild thing man, but starting over is never a good thing.”

On Blink-182 reuniting:

“I actually had an awkward interaction with Tom DeLonge [Blink 182 lead singer]. So we were playing a show in Australia with Angels and Airwaves, we actually flew on the plane there [with them]. We were instant messaging on the flights. When we fly back, I had to talk to them, because not now then when? I was like ‘Hey man, I’m in The Dangerous Summer, we played Soundwave. I’m a huge fan of everything that you’ve done.’ He goes ‘How was it?’ I’m like it’s good, and that was it! I ruined my moment!. Someone you care about and you grew up listening to, what do you say?”

On writing a song that is personal to other people:

“It’s crazy man. You know, I think my coping mechanism of dealing with the magnitude is that I’m like a good antenna man. It all comes from the universe, whatever it is, it comes from somewhere else. I feel like the words are a message from the universe and people interpret it the way they want to interpret it. For me it is like a healing, so I take peace from it. It’s unreal to hear the stories where people say things like we’ve saved their life. But it’s not just me, it’s the magic of the universe.”

On where The Dangerous Summer are currently based:

“I’m in Richmond, Josh is in Nashville and Christian is in Virginia Beach. We all fly in when there’s a tour but it makes us work harder. When we have to fly in together, it’s like ok, let’s make an album. When we are on vacation, we are off and we are chilling, we have a new album ready to go. It might be called Gravity, there you go, you heard it here first.” 

On being put on earth to be musicians, but then doing the 9 to 5:

“I actually kind of loved that. If people say I should be an artist, a part of me is like well no, f*ck you. I need to have that power to do whatever I need to do. I saw the grass was greener on the other side, it was nice to have that for a while. So I was living a peaceful life, but it was then too peaceful.”

On being in LA:

“You know what it’s like being in LA. No one actually works here in LA, everyone is just like super chill and whatever. There’s just a lax atmosphere man, my boss was high every day. We travel so much, sometimes you dream of not travelling. But then you get home and you realize you do like the travelling. You always want the other side.”

On life after touring:

“To deal with the feelings of being on such a high from playing shows and then it just stops. Some days you don’t want to get up in the morning and you don’t know what to do with your life. You just have to stay busy and just keep working.”

On Machine Gun Kelly:

“I think he’s cool man, I like a lot of the music that he has put out. I see him carving his own way, he is an artist just like us. A lot of the Soundcloud stuff now is like the Lil Wayne thing, they are rappers but they want to be rockstars. This feels like the return of rock, guitars are coming up and rock is returning to the radio.”

On what is the most emo lyric of all time:

“Do you remember the era of Hawthorne Heights like ‘Cut my wrists and black my eyes.’ I think Hawthorne Heights have a good picture of what popular emo became.” 

Featured image: Gig Goer

Saraya (@saraya) is a professional wrestler signed to AEW and is known for her time in WWE as Paige. She joins Chris Van Vliet from her home in Los Angeles to talk about getting medically cleared to wrestle again after a neck injury in 2017, what it was like being forced to retire from WWE, who she would like to wrestle in All Elite Wrestling, getting sober from drugs and alcohol, clears up rumors about the plastic surgery she’s done, what her future goals are and much more!

On being cleared to wrestle:

“Thank you. Yeah, so I never thought I’d see the day where I’d be back in a wrestling ring, especially in a physical capacity. That day was never gonna come from me. By the way. Apologies for the viewers. But you can’t be that mad at me. I have two dogs. People love dogs. But he’s a puppy. So he’s gonna be [excitable] He’s all black too, so it’s like black carpet black dog. He’s chewing up one of my slippers. Actually, he’s being very sweet. And chewing up my stuff for me Yeah, it feels really good to be back. In the wrestling world, in general, like before we even knew that I was going to be completely cleared to wrestle. It was just really nice to be in a new world too with AEW. Everyone is so sweet and so fantastic and kind of holding my hand throughout the whole thing. They welcomed me with open arms, like I’m having a fantastic time. And now I get to wrestle too, miracles can happen.”

On wondering if a return could happen after the returns of Edge and Bryan Danielson:

“Well, when I got told that you can’t wrestle anymore, the thing that was causing me the issue is that there was no fluid around my spinal cord, a couple of points of my neck where you know, the first surgery was, and the second surgery like there was no fluid there. And so if I was to get even like a little kick or you know, an accident happened, like I could be completely paralysed. So in my head back then I had come to terms with the fact that I’m probably never gonna be able to wrestle anymore, or at least for a very very long time. Like I didn’t have my hopes up to wrestle. But you know, when Edge did come back, I was like nine years, okay, nine years is doable, I’ll still be kind of young by then, you know. And so, you know, going into AEW, there wasn’t really a plan of like me to wrestle straight away. And what people get confused about is that they think AEW doctors just paid me to wrestle and that was that. They weren’t the ones that cleared me to wrestle. They told me I couldn’t take a bump until I get like, a full scan of absolutely everything. So, you know, the first physicality, we didn’t really ask permission, we kind of just did it. Then the doctors were like yeah, I mean, do that just don’t take a bump, please. So they will give us the okay to do the physicality of limited physicality. Like once you get the taste of it and just coming back to wrestling in general is just like, man, I want to do more than just to get on microphone or doing things backstage and like, I probably will be able to do something. If I can do this small physicality. Maybe I’m able to do a little bit more. So I asked Tony about it. And at first he was like, well, maybe we can do tag matches, depending on how cleared you are, you know, kind of like how we did with Sting. And I was just like, Yeah, but like, if I was to come back, I would want it to be like a singles match. I feel like that’s such a big deal. Not that I didn’t want to work with the rest of the girls, I was just like, if I wanted to come back, I just had this dream in my head that it will be a singles match. And so I took it upon myself to be like, Alright, I’m gonna go to a non-wrestling doctor. Nothing to do with WWE, nothing to do with AEW, just a doctor as like, doesn’t have like [bias]. I know doctors are not supposed to be biased, but that was in my head. There’s zero bias if I go to someone outside of wrestling, because this time around, if I was potentially able to get cleared, I would want it to be because I’m 100% ready to go. Not because they’re like, well, maybe we can squeeze her in these and these matches. Like I know, I want to be 100% Ready. I want to go to a doctor that works with NFL NBA singers, like actors, just all these massive people were like, if it was declare me, it would be because again, I’m 100% ready to go because he wouldn’t want his job to be [in jeopardy].”

On doctor’s advice:

“So we get everything done. He brings me back upstairs, and then he just like, he looks at it. And okay, so I’ve seen a few of my MRIs now and I’m fully aware of like, I’m not saying I’m a doctor of any kind and I know how to perfectly read them, but I saw where I didn’t have any fluid. And this time around, I see that there’s nothing like it on my neck. So I’m just like, am I like reading this right, or does that look like this fluid around my spinal cord? So then the doctor straightaway was just like your neck looks fantastic. And I’m like what? he’s like you got all your fluid back around just fine. I’m like, what? after five years? He’s like yes, you have all the fluid around your spine. Again, your fusions look fantastic. He said the top one is nearly like 100% fused, there’s just a tiny bit where like, you know where there’s a little bit of wiggle room, but he’s not worried about it. You know, like that’s not going to hinder me in any way shape or form. But usually the most important part is that you have your fluid around your spinal cord. So I said to him like, well, what are the odds of me being paralysed now? Because that’s the thing that was holding me back, not the fusions because my neck wasn’t 100 cent fused when it came back the first time, and it’s perfectly fine this time around. And then the top one is like, 99% there right? And so he was like, oh, it’s very rare. He was like, now you have all that cushion around your spinal cord. And here’s like, if something does happen, when someone does kick you, the most that will happen is what happened before or you’ll get like a little pain, and then you just take some time away. [With] your body, you know what to do, you know what not to do. He was like, but I trust that you can go in there. He’s like, if you were in the NFL, and you had to do like, you know football games where you have to charge each other like full pelt and stuff, maybe like, probably not, but he was like, but I trust that you could go in there and limit what you want to do and adjust what you need. And he was like your neck is great, it’s in great health. And I put that to the five that like the last five years, I’ve been nothing but healthy being, being sober and going the gym, just leaving a very, very healthy lifestyle. My boyfriend is kind of like the one that kind of kick started that for me too. Like he was the one he was like, we should not drink anymore. I’d already been sober off drugs at that point. He was like, we should not drink anymore. We should not vape. I was vaping, we should not vape anymore, we should eat cleaner. So we should go back to the gym. So he kind of was the one that ignited that fire. So I thank him a lot because I feel like if it was five or so years ago, and I was still in Orlando and partying and stuff like that, I don’t think my neck would be as healthy as it is now. You know, I’m not saying a green drink is going to make my neck healthy. But I’m saying like, I’m less likely to do some stupid, you know, if I’m sober.”

On Saraya’s body healing itself:

“In five years, I couldn’t believe it. I was like, everyone’s body heals differently. I know that like Cena had his neck surgery and within a couple of weeks, he was back in the ring again, or something like that Edge, it took nine years for him to finally come back to the ring. So and I just fought mentally for a while I couldn’t do it because I was too scared. But also, I just didn’t know how far my neck came compared to how it was when it first got injured. So I was very fortunate in a way that my neck healed the way it did. I couldn’t believe it, I cried my eyes out. I called my family straightaway. I FaceTimed them, and they’re all crying and stuff because like wrestling is their life. You know, and for somebody to like, you know, had their career taken away from it at such a young age without, you know, an end in sight when it comes to it. It is just a miracle and absolutely fantastic. So I was just over the moon. And then one of the first people I texted was Mercedes, Sasha Banks. Because Sasha went through a lot too. She wasn’t the one that was hurt, but she was the one who accidentally ended someone’s career. And she went through a lot mentally, like, social media were cruel to her. And then it just messed her up in general, because she was just like, I can’t believe that happened. And it was a freak accident, you know, wrestling is wrestling, you’re gonna get hurt eventually. Luckily, if you don’t, you know, in your whole career, you don’t get hurt that’s a miracle in itself. But it happens. And I just wanted her to be one of the first people to know that I was like, I’m back. You don’t have to stress anymore, like I’m back, you didn’t end it, I’m good. And she was just over the moon, she was so happy. She was very pleased for me, she was very encouraging. And I just like the fact that it kind of took all that weight off her shoulders too.”

On having a match with Sasha Banks:

“That’s what I said. So I really wanted to have that match for Sasha. Like I wanted to have that rematch with her, because we have a built in story you know, so I really wanted that. But she’s kind of going down her own path and stuff now, doing her own thing. You don’t know where she’s going to be. She has an exciting life going on right now, I’m very pleased and like she’s building her career outside of wrestling too, you know, awesome. And Naomi. So it’s really really cool to see. But I get to face Britt too, who I’ve always wanted to face, and then in this brand new company as well. And the crazy part is that she’s always been like a big fan of mine. I’ve seen the interviews Britt, I’ve seen them all, she was a fan of mine so it’s kind of cool that I get to have like a comeback story with her, and she’s so supportive. So I’m excited. I’m excited to have that match. One day I’ll have that match with Sasha, though.”

On being smarter this time around:

“So I’m still focusing on things outside of wrestling and kind of building Saraya up as a brand rather than, you know, Paige and being a wrestler and stuff like that. So I was always still in the mindset of still building that, but it’s so good to be able to do something that I have been in love with my whole life. And just, I mean, doing it 100% too, like, I can go in there. I’m not saying I’m gonna be doing 100% of the things, I’m gonna be going crazy. I’m not gonna be doing like, you know, I didn’t come off my feet a lot anyway when I was wrestling, but yeah, I’m not gonna be doing too crazy. Because the thing that I love to do the most back then is I love to take a bump, I love to take people’s stuff. I loved to bump mostly on the back of my neck, so we had to adjust that. So I have to adjust that to like a regular flat back bump and trying to just like, completely protect myself, even if my neck is 100%. Just because I want to be smarter this time around.”

On the reaction to Saraya’s AEW debut:

“I have never had a pop like that before in my life, and I had a good reaction coming back the first time. I was like, I’m back, you know? That was crazy. And then like my debut just for the Divas Championship was crazy. Even when people didn’t know who I was back then you know, but it just felt really good to have just all the support from so many people. It just felt really good. I was like, man, they really did miss me. Because again, you get in your head a lot. You’re like, Well, maybe not because social media is real. And then it’s, you know, the trolls that followed us on social media. You think the whole world hates here when in fact, it’s just like six people with different like multiple accounts just attacking you.”

On Saraya’s name being pronounced wrong at the debut:

“I was a surprise from everyone backstage too, so it wasn’t even their fault. And that’s why I even mentioned it on my Twitter. I was just like, it’s not their fault. You know, they didn’t like get to see me beforehand. And so everyone just assumes the American way of saying my name is Sar-i-ah because of the way you guys pronounce that r-a-y. Yeah, the way I like to pronounce it is Sa-ray-a like a ray of sunshine. Um, but yeah, I like I didn’t get to talk to them beforehand. But after that Taz still kept getting it wrong. He cannot get my name right to save his life. He’ll be like Sariah? Saraya? Throughout his commentary. I’m like, bro, come on.”

On taking that first bump:

“[It’s going to be scary] For everybody. Everybody watching, just everybody in general is just going to be it’s gonna be a big deal. I’m going to be under a microscope that day. And everything that I’m going to be doing is going to be scrutinised, it’s just I’m fully expecting it. That’s why after the match, I’m not even going to look at social media, I’m not even going to have it on my phone, because I’m already too much in my head to the point where I just want to be good and I have to focus on making sure I keep myself safe. Make sure that Britt is safe, you know, and just the pressure just having a match. It’s just, it’s just wild to me. It’s just, it’s a beautiful story, but it makes me nervous.”

On the difference between Saraya and Paige:

“Saraya is more mature, that’s definitely a big thing, and sober. But the thing is, with Paige, you know, she was, I’m trying to explain how she was. First of all, she was like, you know, this little emo girl teenager, kind of like, I’m like the angsty teenager phase. And going into Saraya. Like, I can’t imagine myself being that character anymore. Just that I would rather be a more elevated version of that character, a more grown up version of that character. Because I’m not her anymore, she’s the young version of me. And now I’m like the older version. Yeah, that kind of Paige just didn’t give an F about anybody, not even herself. She just cared about, outside of wrestling, partying and stuff like that. As Saraya, I focused on elevating myself, remaining healthy mentally being happier.”

On the leaked videos that went public:

“So WWE were really fantastic. I mean, they were helping me and they were keeping me updated. And they were texting me and just just constantly, like, sending out like that olive branch of like, we want to help you like, let us help you. And at the time, I didn’t listen to people because I didn’t think that I could be helped. I was like, you can’t help the person that doesn’t want to be helped, and I didn’t want to be helped at the time either. And so I was just going through a whole lot, you know, the first surgery, all the public stuff that came up the videos that came out, and it was just completely rock bottom, like, it was a f*cking awful time in my life. I said to myself, I was like in a bush outside of Walmart right when these videos came out, like I ran out of my house, and I just started running. And I don’t know why I was running, but I was running. And I got to like Walmart, and then I hid in a bush. I don’t know why, but I just felt so humiliated that I was out there on the f*cking internet for people to see. And no one was ever supposed to see those. You know, I was 19, you know, and I just remember being so low at that point. I’m saying like to myself, If my dad doesn’t accept me in this, my dad’s opinion of me mattered so much, I probably wouldn’t be here today is how bad it was. And I remember calling him and I was absolutely devastated. I’m like, I’m so sorry. You know, I was completely f*cking heartbroken. I was like, I’m so sorry, and he straightaway was like, I don’t care. I’m like what? He was like, I don’t care. He was like, Look at Kim Kardashian. He was just like, everyone does what you’ve done, you’re just in the spotlight? So you had sex, if they’re mad about it, they’re probably virgins, or they can’t pull a decent bird. But he was just like, who cares? And so I called my brothers after that. And I was like, I’m so sorry, and they said the same thing. My family was just like, we don’t care about that stuff, we just want to be there for you. And so after that, I just remember feeling like a lot of weight coming off my shoulders. Although publicly, people would recognise me and say the meanest sh*t. Like Twitter was real life for a second, which Twitter is not usually real, like people would be hurling f*cking sh*t at me. I remember one time I was sitting at a bar with my friends and someone asked for like a picture or something like that. And I was like, yeah, like, we get it afterwards I’m just like, gonna eat my food, and then totally we can we can, I’m just in the middle of eating. And then he was just like, I only want it because you’re a f*cking porn star. You know? And like, it was the first time hearing it in public, like someone’s saying that to me. And usually it’s just on social media and I have control of that because I can just delete it off my phone, right? But having that in person. I like ran to the bathroom. And I started sobbing. I was like crying my eyes out. I was just like, I can’t believe someone said that to me. And I’m not a f*cking porn star. Like this is not who I am. Like, this is not what I wanted. Like, this is the you know, somewhat like I’m the victim in this like, people don’t realise that I’m the f*cking victim in this. People just think I put them on the internet. And I’m like, I would never that wasn’t even on my phone. That stuff wasn’t on my in my cloud. It wasn’t in my stuff. It was on my boyfriend’s at the time phone. And so I mean, I believe it was him, he can deny all he wants but I believe it was him. Because no one else had that stuff.”

On an argument with Sebastian Bach:

“He’s an asshole, I was so disappointed. So this is the story right? My boyfriend was about to go and do this festival. And then his laptops like got stolen, he didn’t know where they were. But the laptops are so important because it has the lighting, it has the rap beats, it has the synths, it has everything right? It doesn’t have his vocals and stuff on there. He’s naturally so gifted with his vocals, but these laptops went missing and he doesn’t like to put on half assed shows, right? So he was like, I’d rather cancel than put on a show that’s 50%. So Sebastian Bach saw that and said that he’s not a real rock star and all that kind of stuff and you shouldn’t have to use laptops. It’s just like, I don’t know if you listened to my music, but I rap in my music too, as well as sing so like the band can’t just do these like rap beats like, you know, you can’t just do that using your instruments and f*cking beatboxing. You need laptops, there’s laptops for that and for the lights and stuff like that. So and then Sebastian Bach tried to say that he never cancelled shows, which he has. But he also said that he doesn’t use laptops, which he does like there’s literally videos of him with the laptop, I don’t  what he’s talking about. But he just like decided to say that when he’s not a real rock star. Anyway, the whole of the music industry had phonies back like Nicky Sixx from Kiss was just like, What are you talking about Sebastian? Like, you’re so old. And you know, like, you don’t have the gatekeep rock’n’roll, and Ronnie just became like this f*cking like God in the music industry like talking to Sebastian Bach, we didn’t realise how much the Sebastian Bach was f*cking hated. And I was like this guy is a menace, he got in an argument with Chris Jericho at one point, like he is a menace. So I tried to like write on his Instagram, like something nice, like you don’t realise like, you know, what you would use as like a backing tape tape. So like, for example, when Aerosmith had like, you know, like, Welcome to the Jungle or something like that already. Or even Kiss, they had like intros and stuff like that they didn’t play those live, they had like, even if it was like a CD or like a cassette, you know, like, they had that. I was, I was trying to say to him, like, it’s 2022, we can use laptops now. You don’t have to put in a tape and play the intro that way or that way. Anyway, he was telling me I was fake that wrestling’s fake and stuff like that. And I was like, Look, I’m just as fake as your f*cking hair plugs. Because if this all sounds like one of my music idols like I love like Sebastian Bach, he was in my favourite band like of all time but I can’t believe him arguing with him. So long story short, he is not on my top five list anymore.”

On what Saraya is grateful for:

“My health, my boyfriend and my family.”

Millie Bobby Brown (@milliebobbybrown) is an actor and producer known for playing Eleven in the Netflix series “Stranger Things” as well as her roles in “Enola Holmes”, “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and “Godzilla vs. Kong”. She joins Chris Van Vliet to talk about Enola Holmes 2 which is streaming now on Netflix, whether she feels people underestimate her because of her age, her 6 dogs and whether they get along with Henry Cavill’s dog named Kal, the role where she felt like she had to prove herself the most and more!

Does anyone call you MBB? I get a lot of CVV myself.

“You do? No, if anyone does call me MBB I would not respond. I would tell them to call me Mills.”

What has Enola been up to?

“She has now created her own detective agency. It’s not going well becasue people are not trusting her because of her age and gender, so she has to really prove herself this time. Just as she thinks she has to cut her losses, this young girl comes in and takes her on a wild adventure.”

The whole theme of this movie is about proving yourself. I am curious, when did you feel like you had to prove yourself?

“Actually I think during the first film [Enola Holmes]. With this one I got the incredible opportunity to be a producer, so I really wanted to prove myself despite my gender or age.”

Do you feel like people do underestimate you becasue of your gender or age?

“I think it can be done. But I also think it is a systematic thing that women or young women are not capable of doing things. It happens every day, not just in this industry but in everyday life. I think it’s about breaking down those stereotypes so that we are seen as an equal.”

You and Henry [Cavill] get on so well on camera. I’m curious, what is it like when the cameras stop rolling?

“Well I mean, he’s an animal lover and so am I. Both of our dogs mean the world to us, we have a common denominator there. But overall I am very lucky and grateful to work alongside someone like Henry.”

Is your dog with you today?

“No, she goes to this luxurious doggy day spa to get her grooming, but I miss her terribly. I have 6 dogs, they don’t all come with me but they do fly overseas with me.”

Millie Bobby Brown stars as Enola Holmes in Enola Holmes 2. For more information about Enola Holmes 2 visit: 

www.netflix.com/EnolaHolmes2

Featured image: Teen Vogue

Chris Van Vliet answers the question “What is the best piece of advice you’ve received during an interview” and talks about the 3 words that John Cena (@johncena) told him that completely changed his life forever. It’s powerful and poignant advice that could change anyone’s life.

One question that I get asked a ton is “what is biggest thing you’ve learned during one of your interviews” or “what is the best piece of advice you received during an interview” and there’s two that really stand out for me. At least for now, I’m sure there will continue to be more.

Learning from The Rock:

The first one is from The Rock. I’m sure you’ve heard me mention this before so I’ll make it brief, but he told me a great story about how sometimes the best things in life are the things that don’t happen. It was his goal in life to play in the NFL. He had an amazing college career, tried out for the CFL, and he got cut from the CFL and never made it to the NFL. But that everything lined up to get him to exactly where he is right now, which is one of, if not the biggest star on the planet. He also recently told me a quote that I love so much. “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” And Dwayne is a shining example of that. He is one of the kindest people, not just celebrities, but one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. He always make space for whoever he is talking to. I have learned so much from him to make the person you are interviewing just feel so special. It doesn’t take much to make people smile, so always go that extra mile to make someone feel special.

Lessons from John Cena:

And the second was from John Cena. I’ve interviewed him a bunch of times but the interview we did in 2019 during WrestleMania 35 weekend in New York City was really special. This interview was was all about making time, making space and making someone feel special. If you remember the interview, he just seemed so grounded and so self-reflective of his career, present and future. He said 3 words during that conversation that immediately changed my life:

Control the Controllable.

Far too often we worry about things that we have ZERO control over and we focus our thoughts, our emotions and our time on them. We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to the things that happen to us. there’s no point in getting mad about something you have ZERO control over. But what can you do is think about how you can react in this moment. You can choose to get angry, or you can choose to go well that person’s actions have nothing to do with my life. That is where you should focus your efforts.

Takeaways from Tony Robbins:

Tony Robbins says “What you focus on is how you feel.” If you focus on being angry, how are you going to feel all day, all month or all year? What you can focus on is all the things that happen in your life. Not every day will be perfect, but you do have control over what you have in front of you right now.

Criss Angel (@crissangel) is a magician and illusionist. His Las Vegas stage show MINDFREAK is live 5 nights a week at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino and his new television show “Magic With The Stars” airs on The CW Network on Saturdays at 8pm ET. He joins Chris Van Vliet to talk about his earliest memory of magic, how Vince McMahon helped him get his big break by allowing him to perform at WWF New York in Time Square, the illusion that put him on the map, what his biggest fear is, the difference between an illusion and a magic trick, why he says “life is death without change” and much more!

On spelling his name Criss:

“Oh it’s just to be a little different. I always wanted to spell my name a little different, it is my signature. When I was a kid, I always wanted to be successful in the world of entertainment. All I ever did was magic and music since I was 6 years old.” 

On an introduction to magic:

“My aunt Stella taught me my first card trick when I was 6. I saw her do it and didn’t understand how it worked. I drove her crazy to find out how it was done until she showed me, then I drove everybody crazy in the house doing the same trick over and over again. Then when I was 10 I got a magic set under the Christmas tree, and I really got the bug. I started performing at birthday parties when I was 12 and at bars when I was 14. It was quick.” 

Criss Angel on working at WWF New York:

“That’s true, it was the McMahons [that hired me]. We are still good friends to this day. They gave me an opportunity to take their banquet room in the basement in what was WWF [New York], then they got the F out and it was WWE. Eventually I was supposed to do a few weeks there, but I did over 14 months there. I did 600 performances on Broadway and 43rd, it was the real start of all these other things that followed, such as my first television special. It all kind of evolved and escalated from the WWE.”

On the balance between skill and showmanship:

“Well for me, I have been doing it for so long. It’s all about creating experiences that are really unique and original. For me it is about reverse engineering. What do I want to see as a fan? What do I want to see that would be a visual feat? I then reverse engineer that and how to do it.”

On a celebrity getting involved in a trick:

“Well we break it down into 3 different categories. There is closeup magic, stage magic and grand escape. We take the 3 different categories, take the celebrities and teach them the same categories but different effects. Sometimes the grand illusion would be the same, but we want to see what effect they would bring to it so the audience can see the difference and who can do it better. But then we have different closeup effects where they bring their own style and character to it. It’s about breaking it down to what they are learning, and how do I teach it to them? I look at their discipline, if they are an actor, they are used to learning lines and hitting marks, interacting with props and people. So I do a layered approach with them. It’s fascinating when you get different celebrities, like UFC fighters, teach them their disciplines while taking them out of their wheelhouse.”

On Criss Angel’s favorite movie about magic:

“Oh man. I’m not that big of a movie buff, but there has been several. If you go classic then it is obviously the Houdini [starring] Tony Curtis movie. It’s not true, how Houdini died at the end, but it is an interesting movie. They are always presented to me in a little bit more of a bubble. Burt Wonderstone had the opportunity to be special, but it really missed the mark. The people who are creating it don’t do magic every day like I do, so they don’t really know how to translate it in a way that is believable or engaging in a funny or serious way. Movies by enlarge are magic by themselves, it’s movie magic. How do they create these special effects? Things that inspire me are movies like the terminator, that had movie magic at that time.”

On Criss Angel’s favorite celebrity on Magic With The Stars:

“I mean they all did a great job, but I think that Frank Mir and Randy Couture did a really really great job. Donnie Osmond and Debbie Gibson did a really good job. I think a lot of the celebrities stepped up and did what they had to do and I was really proud of them. Everybody that did season 1 should be really proud of themselves. We had to pick someone for the sake of the show, but everyone did a great job.”

Trick or illusion?

“To me there are illusions and illustrations. I don’t use the word trick, to me the trick is a bit cheaper. I guess levitating is a trick, but to me there is a bit more substance or meaning than a card trick.”

On what scares Criss Angel:

“The only thing that scares me is when I go before God. My faith in God is the most important thing, I don’t want to push that on anybody. For me, that really is it. I try to be true to myself, look at myself in the mirror and look at my kids. We have all made mistakes, but life without change is death. As you get older, your priorities get in order.”

On what Criss Angel is grateful for:

“My better half, my 3 children and family and friends.” 

Featured image: EDM

Ryan Duey (@ryanaduey) is the co-founder and CEO of Plunge. He sits down with Chris Van Vliet at the Plunge headquarters in Sacramento, CA to talk about the many health benefits of cold water exposure like reduced inflammation, increased energy levels, lower stress and many more. He discusses how the company got started, why he says cold is his medicine, his morning routine, tips for longevity, why Chris looks up to Tom Brady’s diet and exercise routine, Ryan’s experience on Shark Tank with his co-founder Michael Garrett, getting a deal with Robert Herjavec and much more!

On the success of cold plunge:

“I think about that a lot. When Mike [Garrett, co-founder of Cold Plunge] and I started we were like let’s build 20 of these. We had an email list from our other companies, so we would message them ‘Hey, this is what we have been working on through COVID…’ Our other businesses were shut down, so we were like let’s do 20. Then it was about what micromovement we had to do at the time. We sensed and we both knew how impactful cold plunging would be, but we didn’t lay out a number or do this or that, we never played that game. But we did think that there was a special opportunity, and it’s all about the magic of it. I never played it out to what it could look like, we have always shot short. Whenever we have tried to plan, we have always done it short to our capabilities of what is happening.”

On submerging in cold water:

“There are a million different names for it now. It is called ice baths, it is called cold plunging, cold water therapy, cold immersion, all of the things. It is all about getting into cold water and getting your core temperature down. There are a lot of different benefits that show up, the big one is that it will increase your baseline dopamine levels. Dopamine is the key chemical that turns on the motivation and the drive. We commonly hear that people that cold plunge are motivated, can think clearer, all the long term benefits. It is a crazy concept but that is what is so cool, you have to do the crazy thing and you get the same sensation every time. I don’t know of anything else out there that is like it. You don’t have to go to the gym to work out, you don’t have to go for a run. With a cold plunge, all you have to do is to get in it, breathe, and then the magic happens. But why? We are still figuring out why. We are seeing benefits that we never saw. Mike was doing it for energy boosting and mental clarity, I was getting sick loads so I was using it to beef up the immune system. The big one we are noticing now is customers with autoimmune disorders coming in with things like MS or anything with a hormone imbalance. Cold plunging regulates that imbalance. There is not a lot of treatment for those diseases, and one of our customers with an autoimmune disease did it and it changed his life. The fun part is all the testimonies.”

On an entry to cold plunge:

“You can do cold water in the shower. I think the cold shower is actually more challenging than the cold plunge. The shower to me is more annoying how it hits a certain part of your body. But as we are getting into the colder months, you can do it with your tap water in the morning. Aim for the chest, the back and the crown of your head. If you can rotate 30 seconds in each of those sections and breathe through it, it will lower the heart rate. There’s also a ton of local facilities, if you go onto Google, there is probably a ton of communities where you can just go in and get a day pass.”

On Ryan Duey’s morning routine:

“I feel like everyone has a morning routine, mine varies. I probably achieve 70 to 80% of these things consistently. I wake up and I like to do 3 rounds of Wim Hof breath. I get groggy, I don’t hop right out of bed. Also I have a trainer, so on many mornings a week I will do a workout, and I will cold plunge after. If I am not working out, then I will cold plunge after the breathing. Some mornings there is a workout, but all of the mornings there is a cold plunge.”

On negative comments:

“You get people who just take shots at things like how people look, they are doing it wrong, they could do better, stuff like that. But 95% of comments are so positive, however the 5% get 100% of the attention. I’m getting better at it, but I used to just want to defend myself. I am learning to deal with the comments better though.”

On the education process:

“Of course the person buying it is excited. They have been talking about it for weeks, and they didn’t just buy it on a whim, they have seen the changes. But the coolest thing is to do it with people, the greatest feeling is to do something hard with someone. Cold plunging is a community piece. There is nothing better than cold plunging as a group.”

On who Ryan Duey looks up to for peak health at an increased age:

“I mean Mark Sisson, The Primal Kitchen guy, is like one of the most healthy and jacked guys I’ve ever seen. There’s also a guy named Doug Steiny, he is not well known. He is a Wim Hof instructor, I think he is about 70, and he is maybe the epitome of health right now. He was in his 60’s and he was on his death bed and paralysed, then he found the Wim Hof method. His family rolled him into the shower each day before, but now he can do power cleans, do the splits and he is just healthy now. Those are the guys who are doing the cold plunges at 6am and those are who I look at from a health standpoint.”

On changing your life today:

“Yes you can do it when you are 60, but getting that momentum will be harder. There will be later, but do one thing now. Do 2 push ups today, that’s 1 degree. In 6 months you are at 180 degrees and going in the other direction. The body wants to go back into homeostasis, you just have to do it right. I would say start smaller than bigger, you are witnessing a tree that has been growing for years, you are just planting the seed.” 

On appearing on Shark Tank:

“It definitely made [a difference]. The web traffic was insane, it was really fun that first night when we aired in May. We kind of named ourselves the thing, which is great for SEO but the trademark is the challenge. The show was a great experience. They reached out to us from the beginning, it was never on our radar when we reached out. They were like we think you should apply, so we were like let’s do it, but it was the most intense application process that I have ever been through. It was a lot of dots, a lot of interviews, probably took a month of things to go through. We got our flights booked and went into the studio, and I didn’t know what to expect. You know, how much of this is staged? What really goes on? But it was really an authentic show, it was cool to see how much they cared about business. It was authentic, us and the 5 sharks. Everything is open and here we go. The set is silent and no one tells you a thing. They did prep us a lot with our pitch.”

Did they change anything?

“I would say 90% of it was us, they did give us feedback. If we said a stat, they need to know the study and that it was real. They would say that it is too long or too short, just trying to coach us on things. It got to a point where we went to a music festival the week before, and all we were doing was practicing our pitches.”

On the biggest lesson learned in the past 2 years:

“I think I have learned from having a co-founder, that was massive. The fact we could accomplish so much together, that is such a testament to finding the right co-founder. I think learning for us as a company and being all into the process, that has been a massive learning overall. And I am still learning every single day.”

On what Ryan Duey is grateful for:

“My health, my parents and my partner.”

Featured image: The Journey Podcast

Henry Cavill (@henrycavill) is an actor known for playing Superman and for his roles in films and TV series like Enola Holmes, The Witcher, Mission: Impossible – Fallout, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. He joins Chris Van Vliet to talk about returning as Superman in Black Adam and how much Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson helped to make that happen, his American Akita dog named Kal, playing Sherlock Holmes in Enola Holmes 2 on Netflix, having to prove himself in Hollywood, the best advice he has ever received and more!

On The Rock getting Henry Cavill to return as Superman:

“Look, it’s always tough to say after the fact. There have been so many voices that have gone into this. Whether it’s Danny Garcia working endlessly and tirelessly to make this happen, or Hiram Garcia and indeed The Rock as well. But there are other voices too, the important thing is that I feel so fortunate that there are those people doing that, and also the opportunity to be back, look to the future and to do something exciting.”

How do you approach an iconic role like Sherlock Holmes or Superman, when fans have an idea in their head of how that character should be?

“Well this Sherlock Holmes has a very unique situation in that he exists in the Enola Holmes universe. None of the other Sherlock Holmes have that. Especially with Sherlock as a supporting character rather than a lead character, this is not a universe that revolves around him, he is a color to this universe. The decision for me was to collaborate with Harry [Bradbeer – director] and with Millie [Bobby Brown] and make sure that every decision I made, everything that I did, tied into their plans for Enola’s arc and for the story. That’s how I approached it. The important thing is recognizing that there is a difference and that Enola is that difference. That changes a lot.

There’s a big theme in Enola Holmes of Enola trying to prove herself to everybody. When was it in your career that you felt like you had to prove yourself?

“I feel like I have to prove myself every day. I don’t think there is any letting up of that, you are only as good as your last day of acting. You got to keep it up, there is no relaxing and you have to give it 100% every day. I don’t think there is any point where I am like ‘I don’t need to try anymore, I got this.’

Henry Cavill what is the best piece of advice that you have been given in your career?

“That’s a good question. I’m not too sure that I have the answer on the tip of my tongue. One of my best friends says love living, and that life is for living. I take that with me, work is enjoyable, but it can be tough and very consuming. For me it is important to have that balance. If you don’t have that balance and you can’t enjoy things, then you are doing it wrong. If after 22 years I am not enjoying it, then something is going wrong.”

Featured image: People

Marcus Bagwell (@marcusbuffbagwell) is a professional wrestler better known as Buff Bagwell from his time in WCW and WWE. He joins Chris Van Vliet from Diamond Dallas Page’s house in Atlanta, GA to talk about his recovery from an addiction to alcohol and prescription pills and the gratitude he has to DDP and Steve Yu for helping him get sober. He also discusses the docuseries he is part of with Butterbean called “Change Or Die”, his career in WCW, why he only had one match in WWE, what he thinks lead to him being fired by WWE, the infamous Cameo that he sent to a fan, the recent passing of his mother Judy Bagwell and much more!

On DDP helping Buff Bagwell:

“Dallas is so great. He’s got such a great team man. With Steve Yu and all of his family, it’s family. From the camera guys to everyone, it’s a team, it’s a family. Steve is Yoda man, it just happened that he picked out [me] in the Change or Die docuseries. So it was what can we do that is the complete opposite of Buff Bagwell? Steve came up with Mr. Rogers, how much different is that? The gigolo Mr. Rogers so to speak. So we didn’t really know, we put the outfit on and I felt like Mr. Rogers. Everyone just started laughing, puppets came in the scene and all the Mr. Rogers stuff, and it all just happened, it was magical.” 

On transitioning from Buff to Marcus Bagwell:

“So Buff has got me a long way in life. But Buff is also what has got me into a lot of trouble. I think everybody was just thinking that it was time for a change. Then the show came out with Dallas, the docuseries, The Change or Die thing. Dallas from the get go, was not wanting to call me Buff anymore. It was all about me, and it got me a long way. But I think that Dallas and Steve saw it before anybody, Buff had maybe had his run. Dallas was not wanting me to bring the hat out, and I said ‘But Dallas, people want to wear that hat all the time.’ He goes ‘I know, but just leave it on the table. Let them see it but don’t wear it.’ He also said that he feels sorry for the older guys that are holding onto things. He said to me ‘I kind of feel sorry for you when you walk in here with your top hat on.’ I said that I feel sorry for me too, but the fans love it. Dallas then said ‘Yeah, but I think we need to recreate you, man.’ I’m thinking to what? Then all of a sudden the Mr. Rogers thing came to life. Then we did the debut in Baltimore with Mr. Bagwell’s Neighborhood. Buff was something that was great, to be Buff in the 90’s with that frame, it was so much luck, but so much work.”

On multiple trips to rehab:

“I have been 4 or 5 [times]. Out of those 4 or 5, I didn’t know what was wrong with me for 3 of them. I didn’t know about my sleep apnoea, and I had severe sleep apnoea. So the 4th one, I took my CPAP with me, and if I had listened and would have been ready, I probably could have gotten clean there. But I didn’t, I didn’t and came home 20 something days clean. My sobriety date was August 27th of this year. I am clean 40 something days, I am not a big counter, but I know my sobriety date. Everyone decided for me to go, and it was time. So I went.”

On being ready to go to rehab:

“You have to be ready and that was what happened before, I wasn’t ready. Everybody wants to know why this time was different. This time, I had a lot on the line. Along with my age and my maturity, I was ready, and I was tired. I would have asked for help if I had known all about it, but so much was going on. I was making a lot of money and trying to manage my life and do all these things, but my life became unmanageable. I saw videos of myself that my friends were taking, and I was just in this position going [slurring] ‘I’ve got to straighten my life out. I’ve got to go [to rehab].’ Even though I was blacked out there, I was still thinking that I have got to kick out. When they said that it’s time to go, intervention style, Dallas led it and they ran the intervention and had every answer. My life had become unmanageable, my niece took over and it went from there.”

On drinking:

“To escape, I was so depressed. I was depressed about my life. I think this was the min key, I was lonely. Do you know how many times Marcus or Buff Bagwell has been lonely in his life? Never. A woman, from the time when I was a kid, whether it was my mom or my wife, a woman took care of me. I’m so thankful for that it is not even funny, but all of a sudden there was no one there. I had run off everybody except for Dallas Page and Steve Yu. they stood by my side through the whole thing. I started isolating and got so lonely, I just stayed by myself and drank. But I was still saying professional, I was calling Steve to do some work, and he wasn’t returning my calls, he didn’t know what to say to me. He knew I was drinking or drunk, so he didn’t answer. So they came down and I am so grateful for my niece, their family is phenomenal.”

On the infamous Cameo video:

“Oh yeah that was really bad. I saw that back the day I got out of Black Bear [rehab]. I either turned away or didn’t watch the whole thing, but man I watched that thing back. When that was playing, I almost said cut it off, it was that bad. So much was going on when you are doing what I was doing with drinking and taking pills. You think you are thinking clearly but you are not, it’s just this fog. It’s just a crazy place to be, but you make it make sense, and addicts are the best at that. But this young boy needed a Cameo, it’s not about the money, this kid needs this and I am doing the right thing. No bro, you are not doing the right thing. Dallas called me the next day and says ‘What are you doing? Bro, don’t get on the camera.’ he was brutal when he saw me, I don’t know what I was thinking, I was screwed up.”

On what’s next:

“It’s really hard for me, but it really is one day at a time. But I am really excited about being sober for the first time in my life. I think this is the first time I have been totally sober since 16. That is totally sad and pathetic but those are the facts. I got arrested at 16 for blowing a 0.01. I had a sip because I was trying to be cool, I get in my Jeep and I got arrested at The Big Chicken. I have been at the wrong place at the wrong time so many times. But where do I go now, the sky is the limit. That is great and dangerous. I have Dallas and Steve with me, the sky really is the limit.”

On having one match in WWE:

“Absolutely I am [upset], that’s where part of the depression part of drinking was. You throw it into a pile and set fire to it, that is in there. It was so depressing to me, the only thing that didn’t make it worse was that the fans knew that I got screwed. The fans know, and still know, that Buff Bagwell got jibbed man. Without that I would be completely depressed. But they know that, I did get jibbed. I was Buff Bagwell bro, and I got fired in Atlanta, Georgia. A lot of guys may have the same story, but they don’t have this one. I’m the only guy, to my knowledge, I’m the only wrestler in history to be the main event one week and then fired the next. Where do you sign up for that? Buff Bagwell was main eventing against Booker T, and then they fire me in Atlanta, Georgia the next week.” 

On the backlash from the Tacoma match:

“We were in Tacoma, Washington and the next week is Atlanta. Now you are Vince McMahon, are you going to put us in Tacoma, or are you going to wait 7 days and put us in Atlanta? They call it the invasion, what are we invading, Alaska? Little things I never told anybody, they were about to play my music and Booker went out first. Think about it, he had 2 belts, and I went out second, I never saw that before. He may have not got music, I will have to check that. But my pyro was off the charts, here was what I was told 10 seconds before I came through the curtain, out of nowhere like a ghost, Shane McMahon appears. He says ‘Mark, you can’t look in the cameras?’ I go what? He goes ‘You can’t look in the cameras.’ I go ‘Shane, that’s all I do. I look in the cameras, I pose and wear the top hat, that is my whole gig bro.’ He says ‘You can’t do it or your fired.’ I want you to watch a Buff Bagwell match anytime the year before, and then watch that match. I don’t look anywhere near that camera the whole time in 3 years. That takes me completely out of my world. I come out, do the pyro, do the posing, but then it is like where is the camera? I see it and I start talking to someone over here, I was out of my game right there. They took my leg off right there. I was told not to look in the camera or I was fired. Jim Ross called me that Wednesday before Atalanta saying that they have big plans for me in Atlanta, so they took me off of the house shows. That got to be that my mother took me out of them, it stuck bro, he started a rumour that stuck so much. So I started a rumour, so let’s say that she did do it and she was lying to me, do you fire Buff Bagwell over that? Let’s say it was the bad match, how about 5 years of never tripping and stumbling previous? You don’t fire a Buff Bagwell over one match. So the match and the mother stuck bro, to the point where I was like if she did, you don’t fire Buff Bagwell over it. You say to Buff to tell your mother to leave us the hell alone, you don’t fire me over that.” 

On an in-ring comeback:

“I would love to wrestle again, I think I have got one more run left in me. I know I do. I know I have got a little bit of a career left, I took a bump with crutches at the GCW pay-per-view a year ago. I took a superkick from Joey [Janela] and I took a good clean bump.”

On what Buff Bagwell is grateful for:

“Sobriety, Steve Yu and Dallas Page, and God.”

Featured image: Bleacher Report