WWE’s Terri Runnels, known initially as Marlena, recently joined the “Stories With Brisco & Bradshaw” podcast to talk about the inception of her character. Here are some standout moments from the discussion:
Discussing her motivation behind the character, she said: “[I kept wondering], what exactly is WWE missing? We have Scary Sherri [Martel] and Sunny as a cheerleader pom-pom girl, plus Dustin’s character; what else could they potentially need? It occurred to me that what was absent was this sensational character reminiscent of classic Hollywood.”
Talking about her experience of proposing the character to Vince McMahon, she said: “I reached out to the office and ended up receiving a callback from Pat [Patterson] in December of ’95. I shared my idea, and all I really received was the typical ‘that’s a good concept, but we don’t need it now, thanks anyway.'”
Recounting the moment she realized her character had been approved, she shared, “‘What are you up to?’ Dustin asked. I was puzzled, ‘What’s the significance of your question?’ He then said, ‘Get your stuff, they want to explore your idea.’ That’s how Marlena was born.”
Remembering her inaugural meeting with Vince McMahon regarding the character, she disclosed, “It didn’t bother me. I was comfortable with everybody–be it presidents, princes, poor people, even porn stars. So, it didn’t matter to me, no big deal. I communicated my idea and added that I would either carry a wine glass or a cigar when I took to the ring.”
For a more in-depth understanding of her journey, you may watch the complete episode here:
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