AJ Lee is the latest wrestler turned-actress to join the cast of Heels in the show’s second season.
Heels co-stars Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig did a roundtable interview to discuss the upcoming second season of Heels. WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard asked about the addition of AJ Lee (AJ Mendez) to the show. AJ plays a wrestler named Elle Dorado and she appears in several episodes this season.
Amell joked it was nice to have AJ around to mellow out CM Punk on set, then said Heels has had success with the wrestlers they’ve used in larger roles so far.
“Well, it was nice having her around because Phil is so grouchy all of the time. [laughs] No, it was wonderful having AJ around,” Stephen Amell said. “We’ve done a nice job of dipping into the wrestling pool a little bit with AJ, with Phil, Mick [Foley]. It’s fun.
“Look, wrestlers want to be actors, and actors want to be wrestlers; it’s a tale as old as time. It’s nice when we get them to come on, and it’s nice that they acquitted themselves so well. All three people that I’ve mentioned, they’ve thrown together some really great performances.”
More Than Just Wrestling
Ludwig chimed in and said show creator Michael Waldron has always been to do right by the wrestling community.
“Michael Waldron is obsessed with wrestling. Obsessed. For him, it’s always been the goal — and Mike O’Malley shares that passion too, and Stephen does, and I do as well — we want to do right by this community,” Alexander Ludwig said. “This is more than just wrestling. It’s about people, it’s an incredible world, and we want to do justice to it.
“[It’s gratifying] whenever you have a professional wrestler want to be a part of this show. We have so many calling us, it’s unbelievable and it’s so humbling. It’s truly like a stamp of approval that we’re telling their story the way they hoped somebody would in our way. It’s always an honor when you get somebody from the real thing coming in to do something. Honestly, I think everybody that came in from the wrestling community so far has done such an excellent job. They’re just natural actors.”
Amell then joked that if Sting ever appears on an episode of the show, it means the series is ending and they pulled out all of the stops.
“If you ever see Sting appear on the show, it means it’s the last season,” Amell said with a laugh. “That means Michael Waldron is not saving it anymore. If Sting appears, it’s our last episode.”
READ MORE: AJ Lee Joins Cast Of Road-Trip Comedy ‘Sacramento’
What do you make of Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig’s comments? Are you excited about seeing AJ Lee on season 2 of Heels? Let us know your thoughts by sounding off in the comments section below.
Stephen Amell and Alexander Ludwig spoke about HEELS returning to STARZ and what to expect from the second season. The pair also talked about the camaraderie on the set, Sting, adding depth to their characters and more.
This HEELS Roundtable featured a panel of: Bill Pritchard of WrestleZone.com, Jeremy Lambert of Fightful.com, Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com and Brian Jones of PopCulture.com.
If you use this transcription, credit WrestleZone and link back to this article.
