Black Widow
05-11-2009, 04:23 PM
After eight grueling years in the professional wrestling business, Torrie Wilson was forced to end her career after undergoing back surgery last June. It was a small, but serious, price to pay for one of the most popular World Wrestling Entertainment Divas of all time.
Wilson made a brief return to the WWE spotlight at last month's WrestleMania 25 event in Houston, but is now looking to introduce herself to a new set of viewers on NBC's 'I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!' The reality show, which features 10 celebrities living in a Costa Rican jungle, premieres on Monday, June 1. Viewers will be able to vote for their favorite celebrity, a list which includes former NBA star John Salley and actor Stephen Baldwin, until only one remains at the end of the month.
FanHouse spoke to Wilson about gearing up for the show and her memorable career as a professional wrestler. In the full interview below, find out what she had to say about the wrestling scene, backstage politics, and one "crazy awkward" kiss during her WWE debut.
Ariel Helwani: How did you get involved with 'I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!'?
Torrie Wilson: My agent gave me a call and asked if I would be interested in this show. He kind of gave me the outline of it, and to me, it just sounded like something I would be good at -- surviving in the jungle. I'm very athletic and not a lot grosses me out. Plus, the thought of going to Costa Rica, and hopefully, being there for the entire month with no cell phone, no e-mail and really nobody bugging me, I thought that I would probably never have this opportunity again, so why not?
So, the show hasn't been taped yet, right?
Yeah, it starts June 1 and it will be airing four days a week. Portions of each show will actually be live.
And you will have to rough it in the woods like on 'Survivor'?
Yeah, definitely. I have had a lot of people ask me, 'Well, if there's supposed to be ten celebrities (on the show), are you guys really going to be staying in a hotel?' The answer is no. We really are roughing it. We're going to be doing challenges for extra food, and the viewers are the ones that are going to be voting us off or keeping us on and actually will be voting for us to do certain challenges, as well.
I'm sure you are heavily counting on your devoted wrestling fans to vote for
you often.
I have faith in wrestling fans and my fans. People underestimate how huge of a fan base wrestling has, and I have no doubt in my mind that my fans will keep me on, hopefully until the very end. You know, I'm really just going in there with the mindset that I'm going to be myself. I think, for my fans, it's a great way to get to know me better and see a much truer side of me.
What do you think of sharing the spotlight with the infamous Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt from MTV's 'The Hills'?
I really don't know much about them. I know that they are in the tabloids all the time, but that's about all I know. I've had a lot of people tell me that they feel like they won't last very long, and all I gotta say to that is that you can't judge a book by its cover. They could really be down and dirty there in the jungle. So, I'll wait and see myself.
Have you officially retired from professional wrestling despite your brief appearance at last month's WrestleMania 25?
That was just a one-shot deal. I actually had back surgery last summer, and the thought of wrestling again on a full-time schedule is not appealing.
Were you ready to end your wrestling career before having back surgery, or did that force the issue?
I was getting to the point where I was ready. I did it for eight years, and that's a lot of travel. We travel for close to 300 days a year, and I was getting to the point where I was really tired of being on the road. So, it kind of just gave me the nudge that I needed.
How did it feel to work at a WWE event after being gone for almost a year?
It was an awesome experience. It's like going back to a family reunion; it was so great to see everybody. But there are so many new faces that I did feel a little out of place. It wasn't really my home anymore, but all in all, it was a great experience and a great way for me to have a little bit of closure.
We often hear about the backstage politics with the male wrestlers. How much politics exists between the WWE Divas?
It's hard to say. I know that there are girls that did, you know, live or die by what TV exposure they got that night. I just never really fell for any of that, and kind of did my own thing. I just always had that mindset that if I was going to be used it's great, and if I wasn't, it's not going to affect the way I feel about myself when I look in the mirror.
You were first introduced to professional wrestling when you attended a World Championship Wrestling event with your boyfriend in 1999 and were promptly asked to be Scott Steiner's valet that night. Did you ever think that you would actually make a name for yourself in the wrestling business?
(Laughs) Oh gosh, never in a million years. Even as far as wrestling the first few years with WCW, I watched some of the girls wrestling, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, are you kidding me? I'm never going to wrestle.' Then, the more I was into it, the more I just loved learning and actually getting out there and having matches.
The backstage scene at a wrestling event is a very bizarre one. I mean, you are surrounded by a plethora of huge guys dressed up in various costumes. How long did it take for you to get used to that?
It took me quite some time. When I was in WCW, it was definitely foreign. I mean, I have three brothers, but that's as close as I got to being in this locker room atmosphere. It was just crazy with guys walking around, yelling at each other backstage. It was like being smack-dab in the middle of a men's locker room. When I went to WWF, at the time, it still took me a good two years to actually start feeling comfortable there, just because I was kind of the new kid on the block for a while.
Did you find yourself getting hit on a lot backstage by the other male wrestlers?
I guess I could say that I've always been well respected by the wrestlers. I've always had a boyfriend or something going on. I just never really felt like anybody was hitting on me all the time or felt uncomfortable by any means. I probably felt more like they were a bunch of big brothers.
Your WWE debut was a very memorable one because you had to make out with your boss, WWE chairman, Vince McMahon, on camera in front of his wife. That must have been terribly awkward.
(Laughs) To say the least. It was crazy, crazy awkward. I was so intimidated by Vince. Having that being my first experience really around him, it was just really, really nerve-wracking. But after that, everything kind of went downhill, so it felt easy.
Downhill in a good or bad way?
(Laughs) As far as being nervous.
Naturally, I feel compelled to ask whether Vince McMahon was a good kisser?
(Laughs) No, I don't think so. Sorry, Vince.
At some point, did you wonder whether having to kiss him was really necessary?
Well, I have to say that there were times where I was like, 'Okay c'mon, this is ridiculous and this is stupid.' But that was basically what they asked for at the time. There were lots of bikini contests that I was in and bra and panties matches that I just rolled my eyes and thought, 'I wish I could just prove that I'm a good athlete.' But as far as Vince, I really didn't feel like it was out of hand in any way, mostly because his wife was there the entire day directing the whole thing.
She was a big part of it? That seems weird.
She was. Actually, when I finally kissed Vince, she was the one that pulled me aside and said, 'Kiss him like you mean it and rip his clothes off.' I was like, 'Whoa.'
Wow. That's very strange. Did you ever turn down an angle?
Not that I can think of. I mean, there's always going to be those times, like I said, where you're in a bikini in front of thousands of people, and you're not feeling bikini-worthy, but other than that, nothing too bad. I just took it for what it was: good entertainment.
What about when they killed your father off the show?
Well, I do have to say that my dad getting married in his underwear was a little embarrassing, especially when all my brothers were calling me up saying, 'What are you doing to dad?' But you know, it was kind of out of my hands as soon as I said, 'Sure, use my real father in this storyline.' I kind of knew what I was getting myself into.
How did your real father even end up in a storyline?
Well, (former WWE writer) Paul Heyman actually pitched the storyline to me, and I thought it sounded like a fun storyline. He said, 'Well, we can hire an actor or we can use your real dad.' And I was like, 'Oh, totally use my real dad. This is going to be a life experience for him.' I have to say that there were multiple times where I thought to myself that maybe that wasn't the smartest decision, just because family at work sometimes gets to be a little too much, but all in all, I thought it was a great experience.
What's it like working for Vince McMahon? Is he the same person behind the scenes as the one the public knows about?
Well, how do you think of him?
From what I have heard and read, he sounds like a very demanding guy to work for, and to be honest, pretty cold-hearted.
Well, I can only speak from my own personal experiences with him, and I definitely think that he is compassionate. He was always compassionate with me, whether it was an injury or personal problems that I had at home. You know, of course, he is a workaholic, and I think it's very hard for any workaholic to look at other people and not expect the same from them, and that's the way he runs his company. So, he just expects that from everybody else. But I really do think that he's a personable guy. He's definitely intimidating at times, but he's not nearly as horrible as everyone thinks.
How prevalent is the use of performance-enhancement drugs with the WWE Divas? Is that a big problem?
No, not at all. I never once in my eight years in wrestling felt any pressure to use drugs at all.
I have read that it was an issue only because you are expected to look just as good as the men, yet you are always wearing very little and being judged mainly on your looks.
I honestly don't know. I wouldn't know, personally, if any of the other women used drugs. I can only speak for myself in saying that I am a very anti-steroids and anti whatever agents that you need to look the way you want to look. I believe in the old adage of eating well and working out. I'm a big runner, so as long as you're running, you can get in your bikini.
Do you think WWE is doing a good enough of job of trying to clean up the drug problem in wrestling?
I think that they are doing what they can do. As far as the wrestlers using drugs or abusing drugs, just like any athlete in the world, you have to look at the person. The only person that can be blamed is the person that is actually taking the pill.
Do you hope that your involvement on this reality show will lead to other opportunities in Hollywood?
It would be great, but to me, it's not do or die. I have a lot of happiness with everything that I've done so far. I have a great clothing store in Houston, and I'm planning to start franchising soon. I love the entertainment history, so we'll see how it goes.
How do you predict you will fare on the show?
My prediction is that it it's going to come down to myself and Stephen Baldwin.
Why him?
I just really feel like he is going to do good on this show. I think he is going to surprise a lot of people, and I just feel like he has probably got a very good plan outlined.
backporch.fanhouse.com
Wilson made a brief return to the WWE spotlight at last month's WrestleMania 25 event in Houston, but is now looking to introduce herself to a new set of viewers on NBC's 'I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!' The reality show, which features 10 celebrities living in a Costa Rican jungle, premieres on Monday, June 1. Viewers will be able to vote for their favorite celebrity, a list which includes former NBA star John Salley and actor Stephen Baldwin, until only one remains at the end of the month.
FanHouse spoke to Wilson about gearing up for the show and her memorable career as a professional wrestler. In the full interview below, find out what she had to say about the wrestling scene, backstage politics, and one "crazy awkward" kiss during her WWE debut.
Ariel Helwani: How did you get involved with 'I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!'?
Torrie Wilson: My agent gave me a call and asked if I would be interested in this show. He kind of gave me the outline of it, and to me, it just sounded like something I would be good at -- surviving in the jungle. I'm very athletic and not a lot grosses me out. Plus, the thought of going to Costa Rica, and hopefully, being there for the entire month with no cell phone, no e-mail and really nobody bugging me, I thought that I would probably never have this opportunity again, so why not?
So, the show hasn't been taped yet, right?
Yeah, it starts June 1 and it will be airing four days a week. Portions of each show will actually be live.
And you will have to rough it in the woods like on 'Survivor'?
Yeah, definitely. I have had a lot of people ask me, 'Well, if there's supposed to be ten celebrities (on the show), are you guys really going to be staying in a hotel?' The answer is no. We really are roughing it. We're going to be doing challenges for extra food, and the viewers are the ones that are going to be voting us off or keeping us on and actually will be voting for us to do certain challenges, as well.
I'm sure you are heavily counting on your devoted wrestling fans to vote for
you often.
I have faith in wrestling fans and my fans. People underestimate how huge of a fan base wrestling has, and I have no doubt in my mind that my fans will keep me on, hopefully until the very end. You know, I'm really just going in there with the mindset that I'm going to be myself. I think, for my fans, it's a great way to get to know me better and see a much truer side of me.
What do you think of sharing the spotlight with the infamous Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt from MTV's 'The Hills'?
I really don't know much about them. I know that they are in the tabloids all the time, but that's about all I know. I've had a lot of people tell me that they feel like they won't last very long, and all I gotta say to that is that you can't judge a book by its cover. They could really be down and dirty there in the jungle. So, I'll wait and see myself.
Have you officially retired from professional wrestling despite your brief appearance at last month's WrestleMania 25?
That was just a one-shot deal. I actually had back surgery last summer, and the thought of wrestling again on a full-time schedule is not appealing.
Were you ready to end your wrestling career before having back surgery, or did that force the issue?
I was getting to the point where I was ready. I did it for eight years, and that's a lot of travel. We travel for close to 300 days a year, and I was getting to the point where I was really tired of being on the road. So, it kind of just gave me the nudge that I needed.
How did it feel to work at a WWE event after being gone for almost a year?
It was an awesome experience. It's like going back to a family reunion; it was so great to see everybody. But there are so many new faces that I did feel a little out of place. It wasn't really my home anymore, but all in all, it was a great experience and a great way for me to have a little bit of closure.
We often hear about the backstage politics with the male wrestlers. How much politics exists between the WWE Divas?
It's hard to say. I know that there are girls that did, you know, live or die by what TV exposure they got that night. I just never really fell for any of that, and kind of did my own thing. I just always had that mindset that if I was going to be used it's great, and if I wasn't, it's not going to affect the way I feel about myself when I look in the mirror.
You were first introduced to professional wrestling when you attended a World Championship Wrestling event with your boyfriend in 1999 and were promptly asked to be Scott Steiner's valet that night. Did you ever think that you would actually make a name for yourself in the wrestling business?
(Laughs) Oh gosh, never in a million years. Even as far as wrestling the first few years with WCW, I watched some of the girls wrestling, and I was like, 'Oh my gosh, are you kidding me? I'm never going to wrestle.' Then, the more I was into it, the more I just loved learning and actually getting out there and having matches.
The backstage scene at a wrestling event is a very bizarre one. I mean, you are surrounded by a plethora of huge guys dressed up in various costumes. How long did it take for you to get used to that?
It took me quite some time. When I was in WCW, it was definitely foreign. I mean, I have three brothers, but that's as close as I got to being in this locker room atmosphere. It was just crazy with guys walking around, yelling at each other backstage. It was like being smack-dab in the middle of a men's locker room. When I went to WWF, at the time, it still took me a good two years to actually start feeling comfortable there, just because I was kind of the new kid on the block for a while.
Did you find yourself getting hit on a lot backstage by the other male wrestlers?
I guess I could say that I've always been well respected by the wrestlers. I've always had a boyfriend or something going on. I just never really felt like anybody was hitting on me all the time or felt uncomfortable by any means. I probably felt more like they were a bunch of big brothers.
Your WWE debut was a very memorable one because you had to make out with your boss, WWE chairman, Vince McMahon, on camera in front of his wife. That must have been terribly awkward.
(Laughs) To say the least. It was crazy, crazy awkward. I was so intimidated by Vince. Having that being my first experience really around him, it was just really, really nerve-wracking. But after that, everything kind of went downhill, so it felt easy.
Downhill in a good or bad way?
(Laughs) As far as being nervous.
Naturally, I feel compelled to ask whether Vince McMahon was a good kisser?
(Laughs) No, I don't think so. Sorry, Vince.
At some point, did you wonder whether having to kiss him was really necessary?
Well, I have to say that there were times where I was like, 'Okay c'mon, this is ridiculous and this is stupid.' But that was basically what they asked for at the time. There were lots of bikini contests that I was in and bra and panties matches that I just rolled my eyes and thought, 'I wish I could just prove that I'm a good athlete.' But as far as Vince, I really didn't feel like it was out of hand in any way, mostly because his wife was there the entire day directing the whole thing.
She was a big part of it? That seems weird.
She was. Actually, when I finally kissed Vince, she was the one that pulled me aside and said, 'Kiss him like you mean it and rip his clothes off.' I was like, 'Whoa.'
Wow. That's very strange. Did you ever turn down an angle?
Not that I can think of. I mean, there's always going to be those times, like I said, where you're in a bikini in front of thousands of people, and you're not feeling bikini-worthy, but other than that, nothing too bad. I just took it for what it was: good entertainment.
What about when they killed your father off the show?
Well, I do have to say that my dad getting married in his underwear was a little embarrassing, especially when all my brothers were calling me up saying, 'What are you doing to dad?' But you know, it was kind of out of my hands as soon as I said, 'Sure, use my real father in this storyline.' I kind of knew what I was getting myself into.
How did your real father even end up in a storyline?
Well, (former WWE writer) Paul Heyman actually pitched the storyline to me, and I thought it sounded like a fun storyline. He said, 'Well, we can hire an actor or we can use your real dad.' And I was like, 'Oh, totally use my real dad. This is going to be a life experience for him.' I have to say that there were multiple times where I thought to myself that maybe that wasn't the smartest decision, just because family at work sometimes gets to be a little too much, but all in all, I thought it was a great experience.
What's it like working for Vince McMahon? Is he the same person behind the scenes as the one the public knows about?
Well, how do you think of him?
From what I have heard and read, he sounds like a very demanding guy to work for, and to be honest, pretty cold-hearted.
Well, I can only speak from my own personal experiences with him, and I definitely think that he is compassionate. He was always compassionate with me, whether it was an injury or personal problems that I had at home. You know, of course, he is a workaholic, and I think it's very hard for any workaholic to look at other people and not expect the same from them, and that's the way he runs his company. So, he just expects that from everybody else. But I really do think that he's a personable guy. He's definitely intimidating at times, but he's not nearly as horrible as everyone thinks.
How prevalent is the use of performance-enhancement drugs with the WWE Divas? Is that a big problem?
No, not at all. I never once in my eight years in wrestling felt any pressure to use drugs at all.
I have read that it was an issue only because you are expected to look just as good as the men, yet you are always wearing very little and being judged mainly on your looks.
I honestly don't know. I wouldn't know, personally, if any of the other women used drugs. I can only speak for myself in saying that I am a very anti-steroids and anti whatever agents that you need to look the way you want to look. I believe in the old adage of eating well and working out. I'm a big runner, so as long as you're running, you can get in your bikini.
Do you think WWE is doing a good enough of job of trying to clean up the drug problem in wrestling?
I think that they are doing what they can do. As far as the wrestlers using drugs or abusing drugs, just like any athlete in the world, you have to look at the person. The only person that can be blamed is the person that is actually taking the pill.
Do you hope that your involvement on this reality show will lead to other opportunities in Hollywood?
It would be great, but to me, it's not do or die. I have a lot of happiness with everything that I've done so far. I have a great clothing store in Houston, and I'm planning to start franchising soon. I love the entertainment history, so we'll see how it goes.
How do you predict you will fare on the show?
My prediction is that it it's going to come down to myself and Stephen Baldwin.
Why him?
I just really feel like he is going to do good on this show. I think he is going to surprise a lot of people, and I just feel like he has probably got a very good plan outlined.
backporch.fanhouse.com