Samoa Joe will be featured in an exciting new project, thanks to the aid of a friend he met 15 years ago.
ROH World Television Champion Samoa Joe recently confirmed with WrestleZone that the upcoming Twisted Metal series will premiere “closer than a lot of people would expect.” Joe plays the dual role of Sweet Tooth on the Peacock show, as Will Arnett will voice the character as well. When asked how the opportunity appeared in front of him, Joe explained that he had some help.
“A guy that I had met 15 years prior and was a good [friend] — we had a mutual friend and we hung out, watched pay-per-views together a few times and stuff like that. He was kind of just getting started out at New Line Cinema at the time and doing this thing. Then, he gives me a call and he’s a major producer at Sony Pictures. He’s just like, ‘Hey, man, I got an opportunity for you. It’s pretty crazy.’ And he goes, ‘Obviously, are you available?'” Joe told The Sessions with Renee Paquette.
“[I tell him] I’m available. I’ve just been made available. He goes, Have you heard of Twisted Metal?’ I said, ‘Yeah, the video game PlayStation. It’s great.’ He’s like, ‘Sweet Tooth. And I was like, ‘Oh, I’m in, I’m in. Let’s do it.’ So, he had me read for the part and they loved it and the rest is history.”
Samoa Joe continued, describing his experience on set. “We did a lot of location shoots. So, we filmed up in New Orleans and yeah, a lot of crazy hot, sweltering days out in the sun, various locales and driving crazy [like] Mad Max. Rigged up with no AC cars, you know, and chase each other in the desert. Really, really cool from the Mad Max standpoint because know it’s just awesome jumping and driving cars but pretty crazy as far as some of the some of the crazy weather we dealt with down in Louisiana.”
Twisted Metal marked Joe’s first time acting in a television production, which contributed to some nerves. However, Joe put forth his best effort.
“I have a pretty good idea of what to do out there and with people. Then, the first day you’re kind of sitting across from Anthony Mackie and the firing lines back and forth and these big long dialogues. I mean, I’m being dubbed over. but at the same time, you have to have the performance for the actors over there. For me, I just looked at it as like, well, this is just free practice cause worse comes worse, they’ll fix it in post. I’m gonna give my all.”
“It was cool because as we got into the production work, these guys learn so much. You’re nervous every day because obviously, you don’t let anybody down … and so that was my thing. I went in there and it was a no-lose situation for me and a well-paid no lose situation. So, I kind of took it for everything it was and just had a lot of fun with it.”
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