Exclusive: Paul Wight Talks Drama Movie Marcus, Mental Health, and Who He’d Like to Work With

A man with a checkered past receives unexpected news and an opportunity to right his wrongs in Marcus. To do so, he’s forced to face his mental health in hopes of finding true happiness.

Owen Miller stars as the titular Marcus alongside Katana Malone and Paul Wight. It’s written and directed by J.R. Poli. “He’s good. He’s really good. He’s very patient and informative, but he also is really good for letting actors make their choices. He wrote the script, and he directed it, so he has a clear vision. There’s no miscommunication on what the vision is, but he works with you and had nice inputs on what I was doing,” commented Wight, looking back on what it was like to work with Poli.

Wight is well-known as “The Big Show” in wrestling but over the years has carved a reputation for himself as an actor, including roles opposite Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in Fighting With my Family, Jingle all the Way opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger, and The Waterboy opposite Adam Sandler. Wight plays Gus Hoffman in Marcus, a pivotally supportive security guard that Marcus encounters at work.

Paul Wight as Gus Hoffman

Oftentimes when wrestlers branch into movies and television, they play in high-budget action flicks, comedies, or sports-related projects. Wight ventures off the common path in Marcus, playing a character that has nothing to do with his reputation as a wrestler. “I’ve always been prejudged my entire life based on my size… People see me in a certain light, but I look for things that are out of the norm,” explained Wight.

Though, Wight initially got involved as a producer of the film. It wasn’t until Poli introduced him to the role of Gus that he decided he’d take part on the other side of the camera. “Originally, it was about the message of the film… but then, to play a security guard, I didn’t think that was a big stretch for my capabilities (laughs). And so, I felt comfortable doing the role.”

“One of the messages that interested me about the script was mental health awareness. A lot of it is with the journey of Marcus, and what’s interesting about my character Gus is that out of all the acquaintances that Marcus has, he’s one of the few people in his life that knows there’s something wrong yet doesn’t know how to approach it. There are a lot of things done to show support for Marcus but at the same time, he doesn’t understand what he’s going through. I think that’s a bit of a heads-up message for a lot of people that are learning to understand friends or family that are having mental health issues, how to talk to them, and sometimes even just how to listen and be there. Sometimes it’s not about fixing it, it’s about believing it is a problem and being supportive, and letting someone know you’re there for them. So, I like the interaction that my character has with Owens’ character. He knew something was wrong but asked how to approach it and how to show support.”

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How Wrestling Effects Paul Wight’s Acting Career

“I think it gives me competence in front of the camera… I’ve been fortunate to be in front of a camera for so long that I’m able to forget that the camera is there and concentrate on performance. Wrestling gives instant gratification because I have that relationship with a live audience whereas acting is a little different, because you put your choices out there, and sometimes you have a couple of choices, and then it goes to the director, and then it goes to the editor… So, it’s different. You put your best foot forward… and remember the experience and enjoy the actors that you work with,” explained Wight.

In the spirit of the previously mentioned heavy hitters that Wight has worked with in the past like Sandler, Schwarzenegger, and “The Rock”, we asked who, of those he hasn’t worked with yet, he’d like to put his best foot forward with in the future. “There are a couple of guys I would really like to work with… Mark Wahlberg, because Mark is just funny and really witty. I’d love to work with Denzel Washington and Laurence Fishburne… on something that has some serious guts to it that doesn’t require me to be seven feet tall and 400lbs. Something with context to the character, where it’s more about the character and not my size. But movies are about selling tickets, so it just depends on what happens.”

Marcus comes to us from Gravitas Ventures and is a production of Chicor Cheet, GreeneScreen Productions, and Hialeah Park Studios. It’s set to release on July 15, 2022.