One of wrestling’s most towering figures, both in stature and influence, has shared a fascinating story about how he was prevented from joining the cast of Ridley Scott’s iconic film Gladiator. Paul Wight, better known to fans as the seven-foot-tall Big Show during his time in WWE, revealed that he once had an opportunity to be part of the 2000 Russell Crowe film but was ultimately blocked by then-WWE boss Vince McMahon.
Speaking ahead of All Elite Wrestling’s (AEW) All In London event at Wembley Stadium in August, Paul shared the story with exclusive insight. He recalled how Nick Cage had initially secured him a role in Gladiator, only for the opportunity to be derailed due to his commitments with WWE.
‘I think Nick Cage, years ago, got me a part in Gladiator,’ he said. ‘I went to Vince and told him, “Hey, I have to be in Spain for six weeks to shoot in this movie, Gladiator.” And Vince – I just signed with WWE at the time, and no one knew that Russell Crowe was going to be an Academy Award winner, that this movie was going to be this big. I just went to Vince for the movie, and he looked me straight in the face and says, “I’m paying you to be a wrestler. Do you want to be a wrestler or an actor? Make the choice.”’
The message was clear, especially since Paul had just signed what he considered to be the biggest contract of his career after leaving WCW.
‘I called Nick Cage back, saying, “Hey, man, I really appreciate everything. But I just signed here,” which was, then, the biggest contract I’d ever done in my life. “I’m going to, I’m going to stay here and do this wrestling thing.”’
When Gladiator eventually released, Paul admitted he felt a sense of regret. ‘So then when Gladiator came out, I was like, “Oh, okay, wow! Missed the boat on that one!”’
Despite this missed opportunity, the former world champion insists he doesn’t dwell on past achievements or regrets. This mindset extends to his personal life, where he only keeps three items in his office that commemorate his wrestling career. These include:
- A WWE Championship framed by Paul Heyman
- A photo of the giant hanging out with Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, and John Cena after a WrestleMania
- An AEW folding chair
‘We can live in yesterday and kind of get stuck, and get upset or depressed or woeful,’ he explained. ‘I’m hopeful. I’m the opposite.’
Over the years, Paul has dipped his toes into acting, appearing in films such as Jingle All The Way (1996) and playing Captain Insano in The Waterboy (1998). In 2020, he starred in his own Netflix sitcom, The Big Show Show, and last year appeared as a Viking in the US version of Ghosts.
Currently, he is taking online acting classes to challenge himself and grow as an actor. ‘I know wrestling. I understand what’s expected of me,’ he said. ‘I enjoy and love that acting is a completely different skill set that I love, but I’m also having to learn, and I want to be better at it.’
Paul is not looking for easy roles or quick money. Instead, he is focused on the craft of acting. ‘A lot of the stuff that I’m studying now, I can be honest with you and tell you, there’s no way in hell anybody will ever cast me for that, unless I pay for it,’ he admitted candidly.
However, he sees this as part of the journey. ‘But part of that challenge and that drive to keep your motivation, to keep yourself hungry, is trying for things and having a dream to do more stuff like that.’
When it comes to dream roles, Paul would love to take on a project that fits his size or something that allows him to pour his heart and soul into. ‘Whether it’s making you laugh or making you cry or making you afraid, whatever the emotion is,’ he added. ‘But if you want to do something like this, then you have to put in the reps.’
He’s also eager to return to the sitcom world, particularly with another live audience comedy series after his Netflix show was canceled after one season. ‘I’d love to have another comedy like that,’ he said. ‘That would be a dream job.’
Still, Paul acknowledges that he’s just starting out in the acting world. ‘I might be somebody in the wrestling world, but I’m nobody in the acting world, so I’m starting at the bottom, and that’s okay.’
He jokes that it’s a good thing he doesn’t rely on acting to make a living. ‘Or I’d be starving today,’ he quipped. ‘It’s a great thing for me to pursue now and have fun with and try to get better at.’
Beyond acting, Paul is also focused on his role with AEW, where he continues to wrestle while working on his health. His responsibilities now involve more behind-the-scenes work and promoting events like AEW All In London this summer.
‘I definitely think that we’ve made Wembley a global home for us, which is great as a company grows,’ he smiled. ‘I definitely can see AEW in the future making more of a global impact as our brand expands. It’s going to be exciting. I’m happy to be here and be part of the ride!’
AEW All In London returns to Wembley Stadium on Sunday, August 30. Tickets are available now at livenation.co.uk.
