Former WWE and Total Divas star Eva Marie was recently interviewed by the Down & Dirty Show’s Jim Beaver where she discussed her WWE experience, taking up a business management major and her then signature red hair. Highlights of the interview, courtesy of Laquane Anderson.
On her business management major: “I think always in the back of my head I just have a business mind. That’s what I went to school for, so even starting in WWE it was always ‘OK, how are we going to leverage this and get into a business,’ because being in WWE was amazing in the sense of building a fan base and being on ‘Total Divas.’ Without that, this wouldn’t exist. But from day one I’ve always had that business mindset of wanting to grow an empire and that’s hopefully what we’re doing here.”
On signing with WWE and getting Total Divas deal: “I initially got a developmental contract – that eventually expanded into its own NXT brand which exploded and started doing amazing – to work on your character, learn the craft and then hope you get called to RAW or Smackdown, which is what everybody’s aiming for, so that’s how everything kinda happened. But within that period, after that deal, they were like ‘will you go onto this other interview because you’re in LA? we can’t tell you too much about it’ and I said yes, of course, so I go and sit down and basically get asked a million questions just about my backstory, my life, how I was raised and all these different questions. So three hours we finish and the producer Russell, who still produces for Total Divas now, he goes ‘just to let you know if you end up getting this job your life will change within 40 hours because this project is moving that fast’, so I was like ‘oh wow’ and as soon as I walk out I had this feeling, ‘holy shit, I think I got this, whatever this may be,’ because they didn’t say exactly what it was.”
On her signature red hairstyle: “When I got the job they also said if I was up to changing my hair color because there were too many dark haired girls in the roster and they didn’t want me to mix up with them but after being told I’d got it I just blacked out. […] So I did some highlights but when I met up with them, they still needed something completely different, they wanted me to go platinum blonde and I was like no way, that wouldn’t work for me. And at the time Rihanna had crazy bright awesome red hair so I was sitting in the salon and I was like go big or go home, go red. And then I was red, all the girls thought I was gonna get fired, it was a really big deal. I was obviously the new kid on the block literally, coming from a tryout and then immediately just put right on the main roster and this brand new reality show. It was craziness but red stick and it was the best business decision I’ve ever made just because I was able to stand out and that’s basically what you wanna do in WWE, have this character that’s created that doesn’t look like anybody else. […] I feel like I did that with the red hair. […] And at the time I had no idea, it was one of those gut instincts. I’m so happy I went with it. […] It was one of those things that when an opportunity comes knocking you know you better go through that door because it might not come again.”
On her experience of coming out for shows: “It’s the craziest experiences I’ve ever had in my entire life. It was insane, just to have that rush once you walk out and see thousands of people, especially when it’s on live TV. My character was a complete bad guy, a bitch, and to have all those emotions coming in and you feel like a little kid because you wanna smile and wave, especially if my parents are there, but you can’t because you’re playing a character and you want to play that persona up for the fans.”
On being about a year since she left WWE: “I wouldn’t say I left, you never know, I’ll dabble back in… Maybe a PPV or something… We decided to make the decision because I’d just booked my first film and traveling with WWE you’re on the road 290 days of the year so it’s difficult.”
On having a fanbase built in from WWE and going back and forth: “It’s one of those things where like I can’t wait to jump back over and do a little program with WWE again just because without them I wouldn’t exist at all. Because of Total Divas, WWE, Monday Night Raw and Smackdown I was able to create a character that was put in front of millions of people and get to travel around the world and then grab a fanbase that I can now bring with me on this amazing journey with whatever it is that I do, the support that I get.”
Eva Marie also discusses her NEM Fashion company, future collaborations, upcoming movie Action #1 and her new podcast.
You can listen to the full interview here.
What did you think of the interview? Do you seeing Eva Marie on Total Divas/WWE? What are your memories of her time with the company? Let us know in the comments below!
