Advertisement

Dave Bautista talks Netflix's 'Army of the Dead,' collecting his action figures and 'awful' Drax makeup

Dave Bautista keeps an old action figure from his pro-wrestling days on his TV stand, where his likeness's head flips from having a normal face to one brandishing red-hot rage.

“I pull it out every once in a while just to make people laugh,” Bautista says. The 52-year-old “Guardians of the Galaxy” star himself is a man of many sides, a devoted actor in the body of a muscular superhero, and so is his new character in director Zack Snyder’s action thriller “Army of the Dead” (in theaters and streaming on Netflix now).

In the film, Scott Ward (Bautista) had dreams involving a loving family and a taco truck, but a zombie outbreak in Las Vegas and tragedy brought out his inner killing machine. Years later, Scott’s flipping burgers at a local diner when he’s recruited to lead a motley crew of mercenaries – including his estranged daughter (Ella Purnell) – into the quarantine zone and steal $200 million from an undead-infested casino.

Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) trudges through the remnants of a zombie outbreak for a daring Las Vegas casino heist in "Army of the Dead."
Scott Ward (Dave Bautista) trudges through the remnants of a zombie outbreak for a daring Las Vegas casino heist in "Army of the Dead."

“Scott Ward just really wanted to be a guy who was his own boss, living a simple life. He was forced into this life when the world was turned upside down,” Bautista says. Now, “all he wants is just to reconnect with his daughter, and the zombies and the heist is all a backdrop for this redemption story.”

A former WWE champ, Bautista’s star is still rising: He appears in Denis Villeneuve’s highly anticipated sci-fi adaptation “Dune” (in theaters and on HBO Max Oct. 1), just signed on to play opposite Daniel Craig in Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” sequel, and later this year films Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” bringing cosmic warrior Drax back for the finale of James Gunn’s planned trilogy.

Bautista chats with USA TODAY about his upcoming movies, his favorite action figures and the drawbacks of being Drax:

Question: In "Army," Scott ran Sin City Tacos before the zombie apocalypse. What would be on the menu of your food truck?

Dave Bautista: I would probably have a food truck for the things I want and the things I have trouble finding. I'm a gluten-free, dairy-free person and I'm also a grilled cheese lover. So a gluten-free vegan grilled cheese truck is probably what I would be after.

Dave Bautista plays the villainous Rabban Harkonnen in "Dune," Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of the sci-fi novel.
Dave Bautista plays the villainous Rabban Harkonnen in "Dune," Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of the sci-fi novel.

Q: How rad is “Dune” going to be?

Bautista: It's gonna be world-changing. (Laughs) It's going to be a juggernaut of a film. The people who are “Dune” fans, they are so passionate about it. These characters and novels, (Villeneuve) did them justice and that really comes from him being a lifelong fan.

Q: Movies like “Dune” and “Army of the Dead” are getting folks excited to go back into theaters. What does that mean to you?

Bautista: For me, it’s very important. I love cinema. It's what I've been passionate about my whole life. When I was young and we were poor, a lot of times I would sneak into movie theaters because it was just such an escape for me. It was kind of all I had. The whole experience of sitting there with a bunch of people (and) the smell of popcorn, watching a film on an enormous screen with the sound just enveloping you and taking over the room, there's something special about being in a theater.

Q: Have you managed to collect all your various wrestling and movie figures over the years?

Bautista: There's so many wrestling action figures that I gave up after a while. I definitely have more wrestling action figures than anything in my collection, but I've collected quite a few action figures. I like that all these different characters that I've played in films have their own Funko Pops.

Q: People put their Oscars in bathrooms, closets and various places. I love that you just stick your action figures out in your house.

Bautista: If I ever had one of those awards for my acting, it'd probably be in someplace random as well. More conversational pieces than pats on the back. I don't ever want my home to be a tribute to myself. When you've worked with really accomplished, successful people who are just exceptional at what they do, then you can kind of gauge how far you've come instead of just self-praise. I'm just not that type of guy.

Seen here in "Avengers: Infinity War," Dave Bautista (left, with Chris Pratt) returns as Drax Destroyer in James Gunn's upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."
Seen here in "Avengers: Infinity War," Dave Bautista (left, with Chris Pratt) returns as Drax Destroyer in James Gunn's upcoming "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."

Q: Are you excited to return for another “Guardians”?

Bautista: Well, I'm looking forward to being back with my friends. I like the camaraderie. I'm in a weird place with Drax because I've played Drax so many times, I'm on cruise control. I love the character, but getting in the makeup, it's just a nightmare. I couldn't explain how awful it is. I hate to sound like one of those high-maintenance actors, but it's just traumatizing.

Once I'm in it and I'm on set with my friends and making this character come to life and interacting with these characters that I love so much as a fan, it's all fun and joy. Throughout the years, maybe because I've gotten older and more sensitive to it, (the makeup's) become more unbearable, but the one thing I'm just looking forward to is closing out this journey of Drax.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Army of the Dead': Dave Bautista battles Netflix zombies, Drax makeup