In the latest episode of the “83 Weeks” podcast, hosts Eric Bischoff and Conrad Thompson delved into the intriguing behind-the-scenes details of the build-up to WWE SummerSlam 2003. The discussion illuminated the various captivating elements that contributed to the event’s anticipation, including Bischoff’s unconventional on-screen actions and interactions.
One particularly attention-grabbing aspect involved Eric Bischoff’s role in a scene where he had to kiss Linda McMahon, a moment that would send shockwaves through the wrestling world. As Bischoff recounted, he was informed by Bruce Prichard, a prominent figure in WWE, that he needed to travel to Connecticut to participate in this unconventional scene. The scene took place at Vince and Linda McMahon’s actual home, inside Linda’s office, lending an unexpected level of authenticity to the unfolding drama.
Bischoff’s recollections of the experience provided a glimpse into the awkwardness and surreal nature of the situation. Vince McMahon’s presence and the setting of the scene added to the unique atmosphere, with the backdrop being Vince’s home kitchen where he was cooking eggs. As Bischoff shared, the scenario was initially shrouded in mystery, and he only learned of the specifics upon arriving at the location.
Bischoff described the meticulous preparation that went into the scene, from blocking out movements to ensuring precise timing and dialogue. Notably, he emphasized the sheer awkwardness and sensitivity of the act itself, given the context of the scene and the characters involved.
The former wrestling executive shared that the scene was executed in a single take, a testament to the professionalism of those involved. Despite the initial unease and discomfort, Bischoff indicated that Vince McMahon’s satisfaction with the result alleviated any lingering concerns.
The conversation also ventured into the motivations behind the scene. Bischoff clarified that the intention was not to portray a romantic encounter but rather to amplify the storyline’s tensions and dynamics. Vince McMahon desired a forceful and provocative portrayal to intensify the animosity between characters and elevate the stakes of the narrative.
Bischoff addressed the question of interaction with Linda McMahon before shooting the scene, explaining that they meticulously walked through the movements and actions to ensure authenticity and adhere to the storyline’s requirements.
Adding a lighthearted note, Bischoff playfully remarked that his tongue-in-cheek comments about Linda McMahon being a “good kisser” should not be taken seriously. He humorously juxtaposed this with his previous on-screen interactions, including a memorable moment with Stephanie McMahon, noting the distinct dynamics and sensations between the two experiences.
“I’m pretty sure it was Bruce (Prichard) is the one that, and I think he told me over the phone because I had to fly to Connecticut to do it. Obviously, it was in Vince and Linda’s home. It wasn’t a fake office. It was Linda’s office in their home. I remember when Bruce told me, he didn’t give me the details, but he said, ‘We need you to come to Stamford. We’re going to shoot a scene with you. It’s going to be at Vince’s house.’ That’s all I knew going into the scene. Vince is running around. He had these two big dogs, I think two of them, maybe one, but it was huge dogs, and Vince was cooking eggs in his kitchen and I showed up and it was surreal. It wasn’t until I got there that I found out exactly what I was going to be doing, and I thought, ‘Oh, well, this is different, but let’s give it a shot.’ It was awkward, for sure.”
“It was really no different than any other shoot. Once Vince got done eating, cooking his brunch, we were ready to go. We just blocked the shot out, you know, walk through it. I made sure I knew where my marks were and what the timing of everything was, obviously the dialogue that goes with it. That was the easy part. It was just blocking it and just the sheer awkwardness of, you know, grabbing any woman, you know, especially Vince’s wife and going through there. It was probably the same thing with Stephanie. When I ended up making out with Stephanie, you know, it’s just very, very freaking awkward.”
“Vince wasn’t in the room. I think he was watching on a monitor in another room outside the office. I think it was one take. We didn’t have to do it over and over and over again. Fortunately, we nailed it in one take and that was the end of it. Vince thanked me. He was excited about it. He had a big grin on his face. He was happy with the scene and as long as Vince was happy with it, I was happy with it. Once the awkwardness of thinking about doing it was over with, it was just like any other scene really.
“We walked through, you know me grabbing her and holding her. Vince wanted it to look very forceful. He didn’t want it to appear like it was a purely romantic scene. He wanted me to force myself on Linda because the reason for the scene was to piss off Shane and to take Shane’s hatred of me to another level. What better way than to sexually accost his mother? That would get anybody hot. People can relate to that, I guess. But, again, once we blocked everything out and took Vince’s notes, he wanted to make sure I put her arm behind your back and forced her, that was it. We blocked it. We shot it. I went home.
It was unique, but the takeaway is she was such a good kisser. I was impressed. I was really impressed. I got a little excited when I left. It was a little bit open (the kiss). We had to make it look real. I didn’t want it to look phony, so we really had to get into it. She was awesome by the way. I think she was a better kisser than Stephanie to be honest. Look, Stephanie, you know, younger, obviously, you know, physically, because she’s younger, much more attractive, you know, at the time that I made out with Stephanie with a little witch hat on, boobs hanging out. You know, that was pretty fun. But there’s something about, you know, it’s that MILF thing. It’s just awesome. You could tell she hadn’t had a lot of attention in a bit because she, at first, you know, she probably felt like I did. Oh, this is so awkward and this is the guy that tried to put us out of business and all the things that I did, and now here I am in her office, in her home, physically accosting her. But there was that moment when I could feel her resisting. She was stiff as a board and then she just kind of melted into my arms. It was quite the experience. Yeah, it’s fu**ing strange. I can’t believe I’m even saying any of this stuff. .”
