Hulk Hogan is never one to shy away from making wild claims, and he did just that again by saying that Paramount Pictures head Bob Evans once told him he’d become the next John Wayne.
Speaking in a recent interview with Praise, the WWE Hall of Famer commented on his move into Hollywood in the late 1980s.
You can check out some highlights from the interview below:
On his move into Hollywood: “It was a logical extension of where I should go in my career. Once the wrestling took off and the character Hulk Hogan became as big as the wrestling business at the time, people were reaching out to me to do other projects. Commercials, Super Bowl commercials, Right Guard commercials, all kind of stuff. The movies were a logical extension.”
On No Holds Barred: “Vince McMahon and I sat down and basically spent three days on Laguna Beach writing No Holds Barred and then we brought a writer in to clean it up who got all the credit for it because we didn’t know anything about writing or the Screen Actors Guild or the Writers Guild.”
On getting more opportunities after that: “Once I made that film and it was successful, New Line Cinema wanted me to make more films. The problem I had with it was, I loved wrestling so much, and I was in the prime of my career. It wasn’t like I was on the downside and I was picking up extra work or try to get out of the business. I was the World Heavyweight Champion, Hulkamania was running wild. I was in front of 20-30,000 people every night.
“Now, you want me to go sit in a Winnebago on the side of the Sony soundstage for fourteen hours, and you might call me at five o’clock to get in front of the camera for five minutes. The process was hard, so I always wanted to go back to wrestling. I did. I kept bouncing back and forth, making small low budget movies for kids and having fun with that, and shooting them for 25-30 days and then running right back to the wrestling business.”
On his meeting with Paramount’s Bob Evans: “I had the chance to become like the next John Wayne. There was a guy named Bob Evans who ran Paramount. He took me into his office and there was a big picture on the wall with Clint Eastwood and John Wayne and all the big stars, Dustin Hoffman. Everybody that was part of the contract players for Paramount.
“He said, ‘You’re going to be my next John Wayne.’ Then he laid out the schedule and what was expected of me, on and off camera. I went, ‘Eh, I’m the wrong guy for that stuff.’ I just decided to go back to wrestling.”
Hulk Hogan Reveals Paramount Pictures Head Bob Evans Once Told Him He’d Become the Next John Wayne
Hulk Hogan, the legendary professional wrestler, is known for his larger-than-life personality and his ability to captivate audiences in the wrestling ring. However, Hogan also had aspirations of becoming a Hollywood star. In a recent interview with Praise, Hogan shared some insights into his foray into the world of movies and the interesting encounter he had with Paramount Pictures head Bob Evans.
Hogan’s move into Hollywood was a natural progression for him. As his wrestling career skyrocketed and the character of Hulk Hogan became as big as the wrestling business itself, opportunities started pouring in. From commercials to Super Bowl commercials, Hogan was being approached to do various projects. It was only logical for him to explore the world of movies.
One of Hogan’s notable ventures into Hollywood was the film “No Holds Barred.” Hogan revealed that he and Vince McMahon, the chairman and CEO of WWE, spent three days writing the script for the movie on Laguna Beach. They then brought in a writer to polish it up. Despite not having much knowledge about writing or the industry guilds, they managed to create a successful film.
After the success of “No Holds Barred,” New Line Cinema wanted Hogan to make more films. However, Hogan faced a dilemma. He was at the peak of his wrestling career, enjoying immense popularity as the World Heavyweight Champion. Balancing the demands of filming with his love for wrestling proved to be challenging. Hogan expressed his reluctance to leave the wrestling business, where he performed in front of thousands of fans every night, to spend long hours on movie sets.
During this time, Hogan had a meeting with Bob Evans, who was running Paramount Pictures. Evans saw potential in Hogan and envisioned him as the next John Wayne, one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. In his office, Evans showed Hogan a picture on the wall featuring Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, Dustin Hoffman, and other renowned actors who were part of Paramount’s contract players.
Evans laid out a schedule and expectations for Hogan, both on and off-camera. However, Hogan ultimately decided that he was not the right fit for the Hollywood lifestyle. Despite the opportunity to become a major movie star, Hogan chose to return to wrestling, where he felt most at home.
The interview with Hogan provides a glimpse into the challenges and decisions he faced during his transition from wrestling to Hollywood. It highlights the passion Hogan had for wrestling and the difficulties he encountered in balancing his two careers. Ultimately, Hogan’s love for the wrestling business prevailed, and he continued to entertain fans in the ring.
Hogan’s story serves as a reminder that success in one field does not necessarily guarantee success in another. It also sheds light on the sacrifices and choices individuals have to make when pursuing their dreams. While Hogan may not have become the next John Wayne, he remains an iconic figure in both wrestling and popular culture.