Eric Bischoff Names Pro Wrestlers He Views As 'Method Actors'

Character work is an important part of pro wrestling, and those who have mastered it have become iconic in the industry. However, even among the greats, there are a select few who take it to another level. During an episode of his "83 Weeks" podcast, Eric Bischoff named the stars he believes lived out their characters like nobody else.

"Living the gimmick is method acting. In sports entertainment, it's living your gimmick 24/7, brother. Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Stone Cold Steve Austin," he said. "There's very little difference between their real personalities and their TV characters, except for that on TV, they turn up the volume a little bit ... Undertaker lived the gimmick. They're method actors!"

Bischoff further expanded on Flair, who has been known for his antics outside the ring, corroborating the wild stories about "The Nature Boy."

"I'm not even sure he even knew who Richard Fliehr was anymore. Not is, was — that's how deep Ric Flair is into being Ric Flair," Bischoff stated. He quickly added that this isn't something he sees as a flaw, and praised the commitment that Flair and Hogan had to their characters long after retirement. "It became who Hulk was, like it has become who Ric Flair is."

When it comes to the current era of pro wrestling, there are two names who stand out to Eric Bischoff. The first is AEW's Maxwell Jacob Friedman.

"Perfect example of a guy who lives his character, who's a method actor," Bischoff said. "We all know, there's very few — anybody out there that think this is stuff is real, you know, bless their hearts — but MJF lives it, and ironically, he's probably got more real, honest, heel heat, not Pavlov's Dog Heat," Bischoff proclaimed. He then explained that "Pavlov's Dog Heat" is when the audience boos a wrestler only because they've been designated as the bad guy. "Most of the heels that are out there [or] people that call themselves heels [fall into this category]."

The other star Bischoff is impressed with is Roman Reigns, who he opines is a "method actor," but also credits Paul Heyman for teaching "The Original Tribal Chief" how to live his gimmick.

"To 90% of the talent out there, your character is what you wear to your ring or your music, or your ring entrance in general, and once you get into the ring, there's not a lot that distinguishes you from everybody else," Bischoff said. "But when you take that to the next level and become your character, that's when s*** becomes real, ironically."

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "83 Weeks," and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.