Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson may be one of the biggest box office draws on the planet — but after this month, he’s going to have some stiff competition for roles that call for “a former pro wrestler turned actor with a heart of gold.”
Dave Bautista, a 45-year-old WWE star, has already lit up the screen with turns in “Riddick” and “The Man With the Iron Fists,” but his big break comes as Drax the Destroyer in Friday’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
The Post caught up with the 6-foot-6, 270-pound sweetheart of a beast, who filled us in on his big career change.
We hear you literally cried when you got the part.
I was sobbing.
Because this was going to be huge for your career?
Yeah. I left wrestling, and I really pounded the pavement trying to get people to take me seriously as an actor for about three and a half years . . . finally there was some kind of justification that it was the right choice.
What else makes you cry?
[Laughs] I’m one of those guys, man. I’m an emotional guy, so it really doesn’t take a lot.
Are you hoping kids will start dressing up as you for Halloween this year, like they do for the Avengers?
I think I’m going to be probably the last character they’re going to dress as. There’s going to be a lot more Rockets and Star-Lords, and all the girls are going to be Gamora. But yeah, I’m hoping I see that one big mutant kid that’s dressed up as Drax.
You’re very, very ripped — did you do anything extra for this movie, or was it already there?
I actually started lifting weights to put some weight back on for the role. [Before,] I avoided the weights and really tried to trim down because I was trying to get more roles, which is really hard to do when you look like a shaved gorilla.
How many abs do you have? That’s, what, a 12-pack?
[Laughs] I’ve never actually counted. Six to eight, I guess.
When we see you on-screen or in the ring, your chest is usually bare. In real life, do you ever wear shirts?
Constantly! I don’t go to the gym in tank tops. I usually go in sweatshirts, long-sleeve hooded shirts.
On-set, did you ever wrestle Chris Pratt?
He did call me out — he was a successful high school wrestler. I haven’t taken him up on the challenge.
But you would take him down.
[Laughs] I don’t know, man. I just love him too much. I don’t think I could be that competitive with him.
If the Guardians were to battle it out with the Avengers, who would win?
The Guardians. In real life, we’re a [physically] huge cast. I mean, I don’t see Mark Ruffalo whooping my ass on any day.