When recalling his past poverty, the former wrestler-turned-actor reveals that he often borrowed money to 'pay for food, pay for rent' and 'buy [his] kids Christmas presents.'
- Aug 2, 2021
AceShowbiz - Dave Bautista divulged that he was "broke" before joining "Guardians of the Galaxy". When opening up about his past financial struggles in a new interview, the former wrestler-turned-actor claimed he "had nothing" back then.
The 52-year-old shared his story when sitting down with IGN. "For people to really understand how much my life has changed, they would have to understand where I came from, what I went through when I was in wrestling, what I left behind to take a chance on going into acting, and when I got the role of Drax in 'Guardians', I barely worked in three years," he first recalled.
"So I'd really left wrestling behind and I could have gone back with my tail between my legs, but I still [would] have been just stuck in a place that I never would have gone any further, but I just took a chance. And then when I got [cast], not only because I was broke, [everything changed]. When I say broke, my house was foreclosed, I had nothing, man. I sold all my stuff. I sold everything that I made from [when] I was wrestling," he further spilled. "I had issues with the IRS. I was just lost in everything."
"When 'Guardians' came out and people saw me as Drax, it just started opening doors," the father of three went on. "So Drax didn't just change my career. It literally changed the trajectory of my life. My life just got better and I just became more successful. And that's when things really just started to seem like surreal."
The "Thor: Love and Thunder" star additionally revealed that he used to borrow money "to pay for food, pay for rent" and "buy [his] kids Christmas presents." He added, "It wasn't long before all that stuff [had happened]. So it happened for me fast, which made it seem even that much more surreal. But it did, it changed my life. It gave me a life."
The first two "Guardians of the Galaxy" movies are now streaming on Disney+. "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3", meanwhile, is slated to be released on May 5, 2023.
