Ted DiBiase Interview
By Eric Cohen, About.com Guide
In December of 2009, I had the opportunity to talk to Ted DiBiase. During this interview, we discussed The Marine 2, being a part of a wrestling family, and his future plans. In addition, Ted gives aspiring wrestlers some advice to make it in the business.
Eric: Congratulations on the upcoming release of your movie The Marine 2. Can you tell me a little about the film?
Ted DiBiase: It’s a lot like the first one, except that it is in a secluded resort. We filmed it in Thailand. What happens is I’m with my wife. She does PR for this company. She is helping to open this resort for this billionaire in the fictional island of Kassain. It is her business trip but we use it as a vacation at the same time too. At a dinner part one night, some terrorists storm the island and take over the resort. In the process they take hostages including the billionaire owner and my wife along with several other people.
(John) Cena saved his wife in the first movie, and I actually saved an entire resort. So I’ve got one up on Cena. After they take over, I go in and take matters into my own hands. I’m a sniper in the movie so I go in and save the day.
Eric: How did you get the role in the movie?
Ted DiBiase: It was thrown in my lap almost. I was at a RAW and one of the guys came up to me and said “Hey, we want you to come and read for a movie. Come out a day early next week and read for the movie.” I didn’t think much about it but I went the next week. Right before I went in there, I was sitting and thinking that it would be really cool to be in a movie. I was just there thinking that they wanted to just take a look at me and that I had no chance at all. I was only six months into my career. I went in there and gave it my best shot. After I was done, they said “Wow. How long have you been acting?” I looked down at my watch and then said “About 15 minutes.” And that was it. They called me about a week later and told me I had the part. It was off to Thailand after that.
Eric: After you got the role, how did you prepare for the movie?
Ted DiBiase: Two hours north of LA there was this guy. We went to his house, me and one of the producers. This guy was a real-life mercenary. He didn’t even give us his real name. He’s trained Navy SEALS and put together these forced recon missions. So he took me out to this desert and he taught me how to hold a rifle, how to carry a rifle, the way that Marines do. I’ve handled guns since I was eight years old so it was very natural for me to hold a gun. We wanted the movie to be as realistic as possible and an accurate depiction as a real-life Marine. The training they go through was some of the stuff I did. Hand-to-hand combat stuff, how to disarm a guy holding you up with a pistol or knife. It was really cool stuff that I got to learn.
Then I went a week early to Thailand to train with the stunt coordinator and the Muay Thai fighters. They were stunt guys and they were the bad guys in the movie, the terrorists. They were the guys I ended up killing. They were some tough dudes and I learned some Muay Thai stuff. It was a great experience and I learned a lot.
Eric: As everyone knows, you are the son of “The Million Dollar Man”. Can you tell me a cool story about growing up as the son of a famous pro wrestler?
Ted DiBiase: One time in fourth grade we had show and tell. I stole my dad’s briefcase and I took it to show and tell. Everybody else is walking in with their backpacks and sack lunches pulling out these dolls and stuff. I’ve got this briefcase and everybody was like what is that. I was just saying it was a briefcase. When it came my turn, I put the briefcase up on the table, punched in the code, opened the briefcase, and there it is in all of its glory, the Million Dollar Belt. So I stole the Million Dollar Belt and took it to show and tell. So yeah, I was the most popular kid in class for a time after that.
Eric: I’m afraid to ask, what happened to you when your dad found out that you stole the belt?
Ted DiBiase: He never found out.
Eric: Uh-oh, I hope I’m not going to get you in trouble when he reads this.
Ted DiBiase: Yeah. Don’t let him read this.
Eric: You also have two brothers in the business. Will we be seeing either of them in the WWE soon?
Ted DiBiase: My older brother (Mike), I know he’s done some stuff with the NWA. I’m not sure of everything that he’s done lately but I know he has aspirations and dreams to do it.
My little brother, Brett, is down in Tampa. I can’t say little anymore because he is getting bigger than me. He’s down in Tampa with FCW, WWE developmental. He is going to be good. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him soon. Within the next year or two he will definitely be getting his shot. That will be exciting. It has always been a dream of mine to travel and see the world with my brothers.
Eric: Your group of Legacy consists of other wrestlers whose father’s were in the business. What type of insight does that give you that first-generation stars don’t have?
Ted DiBiase: All three of us have a common bond, Randy (Orton), myself,and Cody (Rhodes). Two of us, me and Randy, are third-generation and Cody is second generation. We have all shared similar childhoods although we did not know each other growing up, which a lot of people like to think. We have the same life experiences.
Being with Randy, he has been there for several years before me and Cody. He’s got a lot more experience than we do and we’ve learned a lot working alongside Randy. That has been very helpful, just the insight from him.
But then, there is always the advantage of picking up the phone and calling up dad and saying “Hey, what would you have done?” and get that advice. That’s to our advantage.
Eric: In your very first match for the WWE, you won the tag team titles. Since then, you have wrestled almost exclusively in tag team action. Do you plan to make the move to singles competition anytime soon?
Ted DiBiase: I don’t know when. But yes, I definitely want to do singles. I have dreams of becoming a WWE Champion, a World Heavyweight Champion and I can’t do that being in a tag team. Eventually, that day will come I’d like to think. But right now, this is working for us. Things are good and I’m in no hurry. I plan on being here awhile.
Eric: Recently, Cody challenged Mark Cuban to a match and he responded by wanting to wait until June. Why did he want to wait until June? Will there be an event in Dallas in June? I was just wondering why he said June?
Ted DiBiase: I was wondering that too. I think he was just referring to his Mavericks winning the NBA Championship. Which, I don’t know, I think it is just wishful thinking. So I imagine he was throwing that challenge out as some motivation to his players. It would be pretty entertaining to see them win the championship and then seeing him go toe-to-toe with Cody Rhodes. I’d feel bad for Mark.
Eric: WrestleMania XXVI will be coming up soon. You have yet to wrestle in one and I was wondering what it will mean to you if you get to participate in it this year?
Ted DiBiase: Oh man, that is a wrestler’s dream come true right there. Being a part of WrestleMania and actually competing, that is kind of hard to put into words. That event kind of defines your career. You make it to WrestleMania and that is as far as you can go. It’s the Super Bowl. There is nothing after that. That is your biggest accomplishment, especially if you are victorious at a WrestleMania. That is the real golden egg. It would mean the world to me. And for my father to be there, that would be even better.
Eric: If you could be in the ring with any wrestler past or present for a dream match, who would it be and why?
Ted DiBiase: I’ve actually been in the ring with this guy and it is Shawn Michaels. He is the most entertaining, he is the show stopper. Mr. WrestleMania. He always brings it. You look at him now and see the shape he is in and every time the bell ring he continues to amaze me. He always shows up. The Shawn Michaels you’ve seen for years and years, he is there. He is full of fire and pure competition. He is going to just bring the best out of you. That’s what I like the most about wrestling Shawn. I would love to wrestle him in a WrestleMania. That would be it.
Eric: The question I am asked the most by my readers is about becoming a pro wrestler. What advice do you have for anyone that is thinking of becoming a wrestler?
Ted DiBiase: Don’t do it. No, I’m kidding. If you’re really serious about it, first of all get an education so you have something to fall back on. That is one thing that I am very glad that I did. I have a college education. If I got hurt and was not able to do this and if Hollywood did not want to accept me as an actor then I have got somewhere to go.
Second of all, I’d say go to Harley Race out in Missouri. I don’t think you’ll find a better place to learn the basics, to just really be taught the right way. And then there is FCW down in Florida. If you can get there down in Tampa, Florida, that is where you want to be. That is where you will learn to become a WWE Superstar.
It takes a lot of sacrifice. A lot of discipline, dieting, working out. It’s not just about moves. You’ve got to have the look, the appearance, and charisma. So those are all things to work on.
