Lita and Trish Stratus have teamed up for the Team Bestie Tour, most recently appearing at Fan Expo Canada this past week to greet fans and sign autographs.
Trish spoke to SLAM Wrestling about the tour, starring in action movie Gridlocked and former foe Stephanie McMahon‘s return to the ring.
Her bond with Lita: “We have so much that we can relate to each other. It’s nice that we were able to stay friends beyond [wrestling]. It’s funny, because we’re total opposites in a lot of ways. On paper, you’d never think that we would hang out together. But we lived so much of our lives together on the same path — we were in the trenches together, from the beginning all the way through the end when we both retired — that we just stayed in touch.”
Starring in Gridlocked: “It was just an amazing opportunity. Acting wasn’t something that I was necessarily actively pursuing, but I always said that if a good project landed on my desk, I’d certainly consider it. I had taken a break [from acting] after my last movie (2012’s Bounty Hunters) to focus more on my business and my brand. Then after a few months, I was meeting with an agent, and thought, ‘Yeah, let’s see what’s out there.’ Then suddenly I got this opportunity. They were filming Toronto, it was an action movie, which is a natural fit for me. I believe it was the universe saying, ‘Yep, here’s something amazing for you.”
Gridlocked, compared to Bounty Hunters: “I’m very proud of what we did with Bounty Hunters, and it was a great vehicle for me as my first film, but I’d say that the things that were missing in that one, we got to have in this one. With a smaller independent film, you don’t necessarily have the time to shoot it, the budget for giant explosions and extravagant set pieces. If you saw Bounty Hunters, you may have noticed that even though I got beaten up a lot, I didn’t spill a single drop of blood. I remember we were doing a panel, it may even have been at Fan Expo, and someone asked why there was no blood. The producer joked that, ‘Well… blood’s expensive.’ So I got to bleed in this movie. You know you’re in the big leagues when you can bleed.”
The Brie Bella/Stephanie McMahon feud: “I texted Stephanie and told her, ‘Girl, you’re looking good — great to see you out there again.’ She was freaking out over not having worked for so long. But she looked fantastic. I love watching Stephanie, and I love how she’s come out to help build Brie Bella by putting her in this program. And I think Brie did an excellent job — she’s a great character, and a great person, and great for the product as well. It’s tons of pressure to work with the boss, and (you have) to be your best every week. If you’re given the opportunity, and you come through, that’s great. That’s the kind of challenge I love.”
You can read the full interview on SLAM Wrestling.
For more information on the Team Bestie Tour, visit TrishStratus.com.
