acting

‘Mr. Outrageous’ Al Burke’s transition into Hollywood

Posted by Sanjeevan Kandasamy | Aug 28, 2023 | CAC, Hollywood Headlock, Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

The one they call “Mr. Outrageous” Al Burke was a successful wrestler for over three decades. For...

Film work comes first for Luke & PJ Hawx

Posted by Greg Oliver | Mar 1, 2022 | Hollywood Headlock, Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

Over the years, Luke Hawx built a good reputation as a pro wrestler, but it’s nothing...

Wrestler turned actor Brick Bronsky dies

Posted by Greg Oliver | Aug 23, 2021 | Hollywood Headlock, News, Obituaries

Wrestler turned actor Brick Bronsky — real name Jeff Beltzner — has died. His former...

Remembering actor/wrestler Chief Suni War Cloud

Posted by Steven Johnson | Jun 21, 2021 | Classics, Hollywood Headlock, Interviews

The list of wrestling stars-turned-movie stars is almost too long to enumerate anymore. The Rock....

Los Angeles veteran ‘Pistol’ Pete Marquez dead at 65

Posted by Greg Oliver | Apr 14, 2021 | Hollywood Headlock, News, Obituaries

“Pistol” Pete Marquez, one of the hard-working grapplers from the Los Angeles...

A-Ten-Hut! ‘Young Rock’ drafts Australian wrestler & actor Wayne Mattei as its Sgt. Slaughter

Posted by Dave Hillhouse | Mar 23, 2021 | Hollywood Headlock, Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

In previous interviews for our Young Rock series, Slam Wrestling has heard from actors who...

Squared Circle Cinema and Shots: The Evolution of the (Acting) Animal, Dave Bautista

Posted by Tommy "Milagro" Martinez | Mar 12, 2021 | Hollywood Headlock, Movie Reviews

Welcome back to Slam Wrestling’s Squared Circle Cinema and Shots! This ongoing column about...

Azar ‘made humble’ (but not too much) by ‘Young Rock’ role

Posted by Dave Hillhouse | Feb 23, 2021 | Hollywood Headlock, Hollywood Headlock Interviews

Young Rock, showing on NBC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST, takes viewers back to Dwayne Johnson’s...

Actor Matthew Willig has ‘Giant’ shoes to fill in ‘Young Rock’ role

Posted by Dave Hillhouse | Feb 16, 2021 | Hollywood Headlock, Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews, The Sporting Connection

Dwayne Johnson has claimed the mantle of Hollywood movie star number one, and he was no slouch in...

For Angel Orsini, the devil of the wrestling business is in the details

Posted by Dave Hillhouse | Jan 8, 2021 | Hollywood Headlock, Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

The original ECW alum has a vision for the future of pro wrestling: safer for the wrestlers, and...

Mat Matters: With his death, Tiny Lister finally gets the spotlight

Posted by Dave Hillhouse | Dec 12, 2020 | Hollywood Headlock, Obituaries, Opinion

I didn’t know Tommy “Tiny” Lister, who passed away on Thursday, December 10, at the age of 62, and...

‘Zeus’ Tiny Lister dies

Posted by Greg Oliver | Dec 10, 2020 | Hollywood Headlock, News, Obituaries

TMZ.com is reporting that Tommy “Tiny” Lister has died. He was 62. Apparently, he was...

Filmmaker Christopher Annino focuses on both the medium and the message

Posted by Dave Hillhouse | Nov 13, 2020 | Hollywood Headlock Interviews

Perhaps it should not have been surprising, considering that New Englander Christopher Annino has...

Bret Hart to star in horror movie

Posted by John Powell | Jun 20, 2020 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Hollywood Headlock

Bret “Hitman” Hart is about to do some supernatural snooping as a detective in Tales from the Dead...

Richie Acevedo plays an Assassin (of sorts) in horror film ‘WrestleMassacre’

Posted by Dave Hillhouse | Jun 16, 2020 | Hollywood Headlock, Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

Today marks the culmination of a long journey for a horror movie project by actor Richie Acevedo,...

Wrestler, actor Giant Gustave dies at age 58

Posted by Pat Laprade | Oct 13, 2019 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Hollywood Headlock, Interviews

If you’ve followed the Quebec wrestling scene of the 1980s, Giant Gustave is a name that...

Dango Wynn, wrestler, firefighter, Walking Dead actor, dies

Posted by Greg Oliver | Aug 12, 2019 | Hollywood Headlock, Interviews, Obituaries

Dango Nguyen, who wrestled as Dango Wynn and Gemini, died on Saturday from cancer. He was 48. But...

King Kong Bundy dead at 61

Posted by Greg Oliver | Mar 5, 2019 | Interviews, Obituaries

King Kong Bundy, the monster villain that demanded a five-count from referee and who faced off...

Size meant nothing: The Life of Otto Bahn

Posted by JEFF GOODRIDGE | Jan 31, 2019 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Interviews

To Ontario’s independent wrestling fans, he was Otto Bahn, the short-statured but loud and...

The blessed life of ‘Buddha Khan’ Eddie Carter

Posted by Greg Oliver | May 18, 2018 | Hollywood Headlock, Interviews, Obituaries

In person, at Cauliflower Alley Club reunions, “Buddha Khan” Edward A. Carter III was...

‘Luscious’ Johnny Valiant killed in auto accident

Posted by Greg Oliver | Apr 4, 2018 | Interviews, Obituaries

Television station WPXI in Pittsburgh is reporting that “Luscious” Johnny Valiant has...

How the Dublin Destroyer broke into acting

Posted by Blaine Van Der Griend | Jul 16, 2016 | Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

Brian Donahue made a living for himself by taking bumps inside the wrestling ring, usually as the...

‘Church’ intends to change how wrestlers are worshipped

Posted by Kari Williams | May 9, 2016 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

In some Hollywood circles, wrestlers are seen as “circus lions,” but to Sinn Bodhi,...

Edge adapting nicely to a variety of roles

Posted by Greg Oliver | Jan 21, 2016 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Hollywood Headlock, Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

Adam Copeland is getting used to playing many different roles: retired wrestler, TV host,...

Stan Holek was as tough as they come

Posted by Greg Oliver | Dec 1, 2015 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Interviews, Obituaries

When you are a tough guy wrestler, what do you do after your wrestling career for a challenge? How...

Ultra-busy Trish Stratus still a fan

Posted by Bob Kapur | Aug 27, 2014 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Interviews

Given how many things Trish Stratus has on the go at any one time — acting, running her...

Tyler Mane’s movie career all started with wrestling

Posted by Caleb Smith | Jun 6, 2014 | Hollywood Headlock, Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

Sabretooth, Michael Myers, Ajax, El Vampiro Interespacial are all characters that wrestler turned...

Tiger Joe Marsh: From the ring to On the Waterfront

Posted by Greg Oliver | Jan 16, 2014 | Hollywood Headlock, Interviews

With the Academy Award nominations just released, it is a good opportunity to look back on a pro...

The rising excellence of Tatevik the Gamer

Posted by Blaine Van Der Griend | Jan 8, 2014 | Grappling with Gaming, Interviews

Tatevik the Gamer excels at everything she does. The name really says it all: she’s a gamer,...

Al Snow turns focus to film

Posted by Bob Kapur | Jun 12, 2013 | Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

Al Snow might not be able to list all of the wrestling holds he knows, or all of the opponents...

Midcarders make films too: The Bill Crouch story

Posted by SEAN COOPER | Jul 3, 2011 | Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

The headliners who make the transition from professional wrestling into acting make, well,...

Ken Ackles: From the Maritimes to Hollywood

Posted by Greg Oliver | Sep 2, 2010 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Hollywood Headlock, Interviews

REAL NAME: Kenneth V. Ackles BORN: July 13, 1916 in Springhill, Nova Scotia 5′ 10″,...

New flick to show Cena in dramatic light

Posted by Greg Oliver | Feb 18, 2010 | Hollywood Headlock, Interviews

John Cena, “Dramatic Actor.” It’s got a different ring than “Action...

Former WWF star Ludvig Borga dead at 47

Posted by Greg Oliver | Jan 10, 2010 | Obituaries

Finnish officials say that former politician, author, actor, boxer, mixed martial artist and pro...

Montana was wrestler before he died so well in The Godfather

Posted by Greg Oliver | Oct 29, 2009 | Hollywood Headlock, Interviews

A memorable death scene has been a staple of stage and screen through the years, from Hamlet to...

New film shows off Gail Kim’s evil side

Posted by Greg Oliver | Apr 8, 2009 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

Having been the cornerstone babyface of the TNA Knockouts division for so long, wrestling fans are...

Midcarders make films too: The Bill Crouch story

Posted by SEAN COOPER | Mar 1, 2009 | Hollywood Headlock Interviews

The headliners who make the transition from professional wrestling into acting make, well,...

Hans Steinke: Mat star turned movie star

Posted by Greg Oliver | Jan 31, 2008 | Acting Bios, Hollywood Headlock, Interviews

It is ironic that the biggest role in Hans Steinke’s film career had him under so much...

Bomber Kulkavich: From the mat to the Bottom of the Sea

Posted by Greg Oliver | Jan 21, 2008 | Hollywood Headlock, Interviews

The nom de guerre, Bomber Kulkavich, is not exactly one familiar to TV viewers of the 1950s and...

Friends remember Dave Sheldon’s life

Posted by Greg Oliver | Dec 10, 2007 | Interviews, Obituaries

Dave Sheldon was buried on Saturday in Fort Worth, Texas. His was a complicated life, and during...

Chyna’s rough road in Hollywood

Posted by Bob Kapur | Nov 20, 2007 | Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

Hollywood has been kind to some wrestlers, while others haven’t fared so well. Dwayne...

MSG headliner Sammy Stein saw light in Hollywood

Posted by Greg Oliver | Aug 6, 2007 | Hollywood Headlock, Interviews

With movie star looks, 1930s Jewish football player turned grappler Sammy Stein seemed destined...

Size never held Mando Guerrero down

Posted by Greg Oliver | Jan 11, 2007 | Interviews

At just 5-foot-9, Mando Guerrero just didn’t have the height to be a main event wrestler in...

Woody Strode: Pioneer of ring, field and screen

Posted by Greg Oliver | Aug 17, 2006 | Hollywood Headlock, Interviews, The Sporting Connection

Before becoming one of the first big, black movie stars — thanks in large part to legendary...

Scott L. Schwartz: ‘That guy’ onscreen

Posted by Dave Hillhouse | Jun 28, 2006 | Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

The name Scott L. Schwartz may not jump off the page for you. His most enduring in-ring persona of...

Jericho opens up on acting

Posted by Dave Hillhouse | May 24, 2006 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

Before asking Chris Jericho to talk about his upcoming stage performance in Opening Night, his...

Toru Tanaka: Nice guy villain

Posted by Greg Oliver | May 3, 2006 | Hollywood Headlock, Interviews

Complaints about a lack of ethics from the pro wrestling industry are legion. But according to the...

Celebrating the acting oeuvre of Jesse The Body

Posted by John M. Milner | Apr 19, 2006 | Hollywood Headlock

Jesse Ventura’s movie career would begin when he took some time off from WWE...

Reggie Love: Bizarre and so much more

Posted by Greg Oliver | Apr 12, 2006 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Hollywood Headlock Interviews, Interviews

The acting career of Reggie Love is a lot like he is — a whole lot of Bizarre, and full of...

Acting got Lou Pitoscia noticed

Posted by Greg Oliver | Apr 6, 2006 | Canadian Hall of Fame, Hollywood Headlock, Interviews

Appearing on iconic Canadian shows like Wayne and Shuster, SCTV and Seeing Things had a way of...

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