Chris Jericho Talks About Hosting ABC's "Downfall", Which Premieres Tonight
Chris Jericho sets aside his day job to host ABC's new game show Downfall, which premieres tonight at 9 PM ET on ABC. Jim Halterman of The Futon Critic caught up with Y2J to talk about his new gig. Excerpts of the interview are below:
On how Jericho got the hosting gig: "I heard about it through my agent in LA and it was quite an extensive process for the audition. They had about 150 people and they tested about 20 people on camera. It was a pretty coveted position and I guess I had what they were looking for and it worked out. They spent a lot of time and budget. It's a big show and it's a big deal for me, as well."
How wrestling prepared him for the show: "Working in the WWE is show business boot camp! You learn a little about everything! Behind the scenes, in front of a crowd, live, taped, improv, action, drama, dramedy and everything in between. In that way, it prepared me for everything including being a lead singer for a rock band, being a New York Times best selling author, having my own radio show for two years on XM radio and I worked at The Groundlings improv comedy troupe in LA. There are a lot of things you can do because of the foundation of the WWE. To host Downfall it is really a natural progression because you have to be quick on your feet, run the show, you have to dictate the pace of what's going on. That's kind of what I do in the ring or on the stage. You're the one in charge and you're the one bringing things to the people. It took a lot of work to get this gig but once I got it I really wanted to make sure I nailed it. I'm excited to see how people take to it. It really is something that I enjoy doing and I hope to do more of it."
If there is a master plan to his career: "The master plan for me from the time I was 18 was to entertain and just do the best I could. When I started wrestling I was small at the time. In the 1990s, it was all about the Hulk Hogans of the world but I could never be 6 feet, 8 inches and 200 lbs so what could I do? I could have the biggest personality, biggest charisma and just showcase it on the show, which is what I did throughout my career. I never put myself in a box or put any chains on myself creatively. People would say 'You're too small to wrestle' and you can never do this or that but I'd say 'Why can't I do it?' One thing leads to another and it all comes to same thing and it's all about entertaining people and being a showman."
To check out the full interview, click here. Downfall premieres tonight at 9 PM ET on ABC. You can watch a trailer for the show below:
Source: The Futon Critic