CM Punk teases his appearance on the upcoming Starz series Heels, noting that it’s “pretty out there.” Led by Stephen Amell (Arrow) and Alexander Ludwig, who starred in Vikings as Bjorn Lothbrok, Heels sheds light on a close-knit Georgia community by focusing on a family-owned wrestling promotion. The series, which recently wrapped filming on Heels season 1, promises to center the men and women who strive to succeed in the uncertain world of independent wrestling.
Punk was one of the most standout independent wrestlers of all time, lauded in particular for his skills on the microphone and his authenticity as a character. He would continue to receive the same praise during his groundbreaking run with WWE, as his Pipebomb promo helped to usher in a new era for the company. Although he’s been away from the squared circle since 2014, Punk continues to be a familiar on-screen presence through his roles in horror movies. He was lauded for leading Girl on the Third Floor, which was directed by Travis Stevens. But, for his return to the small screen, the former WWE champion is choosing a portrayal that is both familiar and different.
During an interview with Digital Spy to promote his new movie Jakob’s Wife, Punk elaborated on his upcoming appearance on Heels. The guest role, which was first revealed back in January, sounds both close to home and perhaps a little unusual. While he’s careful not to reveal too much, Punk sounds confident that audiences will be surprised by which character he’s playing. You can read his quote below.
“I play a character that is, technically it’s me in another life. A very popular independent wrestler who, if you want people to show up to your show, you book him on this show. He’s kind of been everywhere, done everything, he’s a little bit older now and he’s a character that everybody likes.I almost want people to see it without me explaining really anything else. It’s pretty out there, at least when you think in terms of Phil Brooks or CM Punk, this is not who you think of.”
In one sense, the character is reminiscent of Punk. His sterling reputation as a performer on the independent scene led him to a WWE contract, and he’s unquestionably one of the talents that helped to drive interest in weekly episodes of Raw and Smackdown with his seminal run in mid-2011. Still, outside of that similarity, it sounds like whichever character Punk ends up playing will have a different personality despite similar accolades. Whenever Heels debuts, it will be fun to see Punk so clearly playing against type.
It’s smart of Heels as well. To use GLOW as an example, given that it was another wrestling-heavy series, the show charged out of the gate with plenty of cameos that would delight wrestling fans. As it settled into its third season, however, only former WWE star Carlito (as Carmen’s big brother Kurt) looked to be set up as a recurring character. It could be the case that Heels goes in a similar direction, starting off with plenty of familiar faces as guests before settling on its core cast. Hopefully, fans won’t have to wait much longer to find out how it all unfolds and how Punk factors into it.
Source: Digital Spy
