– The Rock was interviewed by Entertainment Weekly today to promote WWE’s WrestleMania 27. Here are some highlights:
After seven years away and becoming increasingly successful as an actor, why did you decide to come back the WWE?
I’ve always had a love for live performance. And growing up in the wrestling business, I have a love for entertaining the fans in that way. It’s a very visceral, intense, emotional, entertaining outlet for me. To be able to perform in front of 75,000 people… It’s always inspired me.
What can we expect for you as Wrestlemania’s host? I know you’ll be holding the mic. But as a fan, we all expect for you to lend a hand or a boot in the beat down party.
What you can expect is getting me at my best — microphone in hand, entertaining the audience, taking the 75,000 people on a great ride for four hours, interacting backstage and in the crowd. And on top of all that is the fact that I can take my boot and stick it straight up someone’s ass. And when I’m done with that, I will slap the lips clean off their face. [Laughs]
Are you going to take a break from movies for more wrestling?
No, I’m going to do both. I’m coming out with Fast Five. I think audiences are really going to like that. I’m a new character [in the Fast and the Furious series]. I hunt down Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. That comes out at the end of April. You know, I do pretty good at hunting guys down.
I believe you. When you made your return you said you were never going anywhere again. Will we see you often as a recurring act in the WWE after Wrestlemania?
It’s all up in the air. It depends on what makes sense to the audience. You always think audience first. Much like this return to wrestling, I’m always looking forward to do big and better. [Laughs]
