In his recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Paul Heyman shed light on his conceptual plan for the Tribal Chief persona of Roman Reigns along with disclosing additional details.
Here are some crucial extracts from the interview:
His role on WWE television: “My role is to take the narrative further, even if it’s a one-man scene. The aim is to deliver sound bites that are potent enough to go viral, thus reaching more people.”
Roman Reigns’ triumphant run during the pandemic: “Roman and I developed his character together, taking inspiration from Apocalypse Now, likening the inception of the tribal chief character to Colonel Kurtz’s character, played by Marlon Brando. In Reigns’ world of relevance, everything flows through him – he is the source of answers, the one we all lean on. The movie ends with Martin Sheen executing the order given by the US military to terminate Kurtz’s command with extreme prejudice. Post the deed, he discovers Kurtz’s writings that imply the weight of worship and leadership is resented by Kurtz. The weight of these responsibilities is anticipated to closely mirror the projected narrative for the Roman Reigns character.”
The significance of social media and embedded Easter Eggs: “We intentionally incorporate easter eggs and promote conspiracy theories to incite speculations and intrigue among the viewers about future development of the narrative. Despite seeming differences, Travis Scott and Frank Sinatra concerts share certain unchanged elements – the performers put up a show to an enthusiastic audience who have paid to witness their proficiency at their respective craft. These aspects remain constant. We must, however, extend the narratives beyond couch sessions and create a soap opera style drama – sometimes verbal, other times physical, much like a Shakespearean play.”
During his visit to the “Gabby AF” podcast, Shawn Spears expressed his enthusiasm about Ricky Saints entering the WWE NXT roster, saying,
“Being familiar with Ricky from our AEW interactions, I am ecstatic about his WWE break. The professional and personal transformations we seek as performers align with what Ricky is looking for. For instance, at times, one may feel out of place as I did. Hence, we let go of prioritizing money and begin to value time more and opt for changes – like being part of a space where we feel needed and desired. Using this philosophy in my career has always served me well. It’s a gamble that could go either way, but you feel accomplished because you made the call. I believe Ricky Saints has probably experienced something similar, leading him to a new challenge and a fresh start. Every performer usually faces such a crossroad in their career and deals with it in their own way. But if you have a strong instinct about needing a change, act on it. Don’t let time pass you by.”
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