Interview: From nWo to Magic Mike: An Interview with Kevin Nash

A major part of pro wrestling is your persona and the ability to possess that role can break a wrestler into promotional circuits, or for some, can garner a role in a Hollywood movie. Nash broke into show business in 1991 playing the role of Super Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. “Within a year I did like five projects so I thought ‘wow, this going to take off.’”

As he’s gotten older, Nash has transitioned himself towards an acting career, appearing in more and more feature films over the last ten years. He’s popped up in such notable films as The Punisher, The Longest Yard, Rock of Ages and of course the Steven Soderbergh hit, Magic Mike. Nash remembers getting the offer, “They sent me the paper work, and the second form was I was consenting to frontal nudity,” he shrugs, “‘that won’t happen.’ Yeah, I’m like that won’t happen but I’m signing consent. Just in case something happens, like wardrobe error.”

“I would have done anything that Soderbergh was doing. He’s a genius.” Nash then describes the privilege of co-starring with Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello and Adam Rodriguez. “It was the best working experience I’ve ever had in my life. Just a bunch of really down to earth, nobody had an attitude, nobody had an ego. It just went like clockwork. It has a feel when you watch that film of reality, that the guys are actually buddies. That’s because everybody did bond.”

Nash explains the downside to all the bromance was that they couldn’t let loose. “It sucked because it wasn’t like we could go out and have beers. Everybody was on a diet because you’re going to be in your underwear.” But on the last day of shooting Nash finished early. “Me and McConaughey, we didn’t move. The whole day we sat right where we are. Soderbergh was walking around this little island deciding where he was going to shoot. He walked by and looked at us and he goes ‘Are you guys moving?’” Nash then impersonated McConaughey’s smug headshake. “He says, ‘well then I guess we shoot this scene around you two.’ We were the focal point, because we found the best spot.”

“I would have done anything that Soderbergh was doing. He’s a genius.”

Nash says he’s got his fingers crossed for an offer to come in shortly for Magic Mike 2. “It’s a no brainer. Steven won’t direct it, but those guys are buddies, we all stay in touch, so it’s a chance to work with my friends again.”

For some, playing a Marvel hero or villain would be a dream role, but Nash actually turned down the role of Sabretooth in the original X-Men movie back in 2000. “They offered me $100,000 for a nine week gig. I said, ‘I’m making that a night. Like no, no I can’t take that pay cut. I can’t take nine weeks.’ Nine weeks at that point was $700,000.”

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