Dave Bautista rejected action hero roles because he wanted to develop as an actor.
Dave Bautista
The 48-year-old star quit wrestling to pursue a career in acting and has appeared in a number of Hollywood blockbusters, including the 'Guardians of the Galaxy' franchise, but has now revealed he also turned down jobs typical for an ex-wrestler.
Speaking to comicbuzz.com, Bautista said: "When I left wrestling to pursue a career as an actor, I knew it was going to be a long route because I passed on roles, like action roles, which are very typically ex-wrestler roles.
"I wanted to move myself as an actor. I knew I wanted to be an actor."
Despite starring in the two 'Guardians of the Galaxy' movies and the Bond film 'Spectre', Bautista said it is only now that people are "accepting" him as an actor.
The muscular Hollywood star explained: "Over the last couple of years, it has just started to pay off and people are accepted me as an actor.
"I am getting recognised more and more as an actor. I want to get people to see pass the persona I put on when I was wrestling.
"I wasn't going to come into a room and intimate everybody or throw chairs around. I wanted to get passed that stereotype.
"I had a hard time getting auditions, and still something I face from job to job."
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