Mandy Rose Talks Character Development, Otis Storyline, COVID-19, Total Divas
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WWE’s Mandy Rose recently sat down with TV Series Hub to discuss a wide variety of topics and you can check out the highlights of the interview below.
On trying out for WWE and creating the Mandy Rose character:
I was always athletic growing up with three older brothers, and it just started from there. When I was in bikini fitness, I got a call to audition for a reality show called Tough Enough. I didn’t win, but I was the runner up. I was signed from there to NXT, and then Total Divas. Mandy Rose is basically an exaggerated version of myself. It’s all about confidence. She’s a bit of a mean girl and I’m prettier than you and better than you. I’m not quite like that in real life.
On the Otis storyline and how her real life boyfriend handles it:
Otis always was around in NXT and posting pics of me and talking about how much he liked me. In a cute way, not a creepy way. This continued on and I thought it would be great if this became a storyline, especially once Otis entered WrestleMania. I actually went to Vince McMahon myself and pitched the idea and he loved it. My boyfriend doesn’t have an issue with it. It’s all a storyline and entertainment. If he got jealous of this, or if any guy did, it wouldn’t work out, honestly.
On working through a demanding schedule during the COVID-19 pandemic:
At first, it’s hard. It’s very demanding, but staying healthy and staying fit is a big part of it. After a while, you get used to it. When you’re younger, it’s easier to maintain a schedule like this. We’re here for the fans. At the end of the day, that’s what WWE is all about. If we can put a smile on their faces, we’ve done our job. WWE is very careful and is being as safe as possible under the circumstances.
On being on Total Divas and the relationship they have off camera:
Total Divas was a great opportunity. I was brand new to the company and had basically been thrown into the deep end. I hadn’t wrestled much yet and was going up against girls that had been with the company for years. It was a great learning experience and a way to connect with all kinds of fans that don’t even watch wrestling. That’s the great thing about Total Divas, is that it brings fans in that weren’t already watching or wouldn’t normally watch. For the most part, we’re very close. It is real life, even though it’s a reality show, and things do carry over. For the most part, we’re all good friends and it’s a great group of people to work with.
You can read the entire interview here. Let us know what you think of Mandy’s remarks in the comments section below.