Chance the Rapper recently asked on Twitter whether there was a specific reason whyDave Bautistais such a good actor. Filmmaker James Gunn, who directed the wrestler-turned-actor in the role of Drax in theGuardians of the Galaxymovies, posted a lengthy Twitter thread explaining what makes Bautista such an effective actor.
“Bc @DaveBautista takes the craft seriously. He’s grounded in real emotion & not showy. The difference between Dave & many wrestler-actors is when you look in his eyes on set he’s in the place he’s supposed to be, not thinking about what he’s going to do next. One of the things I deal with a lot with actors who have been a part of other performing arts (ie wrestling or comedy) is to get them to STOP JUGGLING and JUST BE. It’s not your job to entertain us - it’s simply your job to be present to the moment in front of you and to treat it honestly. I never really had to teach that to @DaveBautista. His rawness set him apart from the first moment I met him. It was merely a matter of creating a space where he could come and share himself with all of us.”
By and large, while several wrestlers have made it big in Hollywood, few of them have done so on the back of their acting skills alone. What separates the film career of someone like Dwayne Johnson from Dave Bautista is that the latter has made a conscious effort to be a part of auteur-driven cinema where the focus is on acting rather than action. According toJames Gunn, it is Bautista’s commitment to his roles and being in the moment, a quality which he shares with other character actors, that makes the former wrestler a joy to work with.
“I hate falseness in an actor’s eyes. There are many big time movie stars who hurt movies for me because I can see the lying in their eyes - replacing acting with boasting, or thinking about themselves & what they’re going to do next. I’d much rather work with @DaveBautista or Michael Rooker or @Dastmalchian or @MelchiorDaniela or @violadavis or @seangunn or @PomKlementieff or @cosio_joaquin or a many others who seem to always be present as a baseline: actors who have stopped seeking & started being.”
AsChance the Rappersurely knows now, The friendship between Gunn and Bautista is well known. After the filmmaker was fired fromGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Bautista was the first actor to publicly lambast Disney for their action and threatened to quit the franchise if Gunn was not brought back. This time also, upon learning of Gunn’s latest Twitter thread regarding his acting abilities. Bautista posted a message of gratitude in return towards the filmmaker.
“I dont usually share posts in praise of myself because I don’t like feeling like Im kissing my own ass but this is a respect factor that I’ve relentlessly worked for. And it’s from a director/friend I deeply respect and admire. I love the craft of acting. Thank you @JamesGunn”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3is gearing up for production sometime in the near future. But first, Drax will return inThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, which was first announced late last year at Disney' big blowout presentation that revealed the MCU’s upcoming slate. Drax will also return inThor: Love and Thunderso will be seeing a lot of Dave Buatista in the Marvel universe in the future.
