This superstar grew up poor and took to stealing cars at the age of 13, was arrested and left broke, before finally getting his break at 45
Unlike his fellow wrestler-turned-actors Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and John Cena, Dave Bautista has not had a typical career, both in wrestling and the film industry. He was a late bloomer, entering the wrestling ring in his 30s, and becoming a movie star only in his mid-40s. But that was largely due to Bautista’s difficult life growing up.
Dave Bautista’s difficult childhood, which turned him into a thief at 13
Bautista was born in 1969 in Washington DC to a hairdresser. His mother is of Greek descent and father comes from Filippino immigrants. Bautista said that he grew up in poverty, which turned him towards violent crime. At 13, he began stealing cars, and said that he often observed murders and discovered dead bodies around his house. Bautista left his family at age 17 and began to fend for himself. After his teens, he worked as a nightclub bouncer but had to leave that when a fight left one person unconscious and he was arrested.
Bautista’s wrestling career and start in Hollywood
In the late-90s, Bautista began a career in bodybuilding but did not make money. At the age of 30, he said he had a breakdown because he had to borrow money from friends to buy Christmas presents for his children. He then began working as professional wrestler, making his debut in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2002. Over the next eight years, Bautista (who wrestled under the ring name Batista) became a six-time world champion and one of the biggest stars in wrestling, alongside rivals John Cena and Randy Orton. During this time, he made his first appearances in films and TV with shows like Smallville (2009) and films such as Wrong Side of Town (2010).
Bautista’s big break at the age of 45
But it wasn’t until he was 45 that Dave Bautista was able to be a movie star. In 2014, he starred as Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Guardians of the Galaxy, reprising his role in two sequels as well as two Avengers films. He also played the villain Mr Hinx in the James Bond film Spectre (2015). Bautista was praised for his supporting role in Blade Runner 2049. In 2021, he played his first lead role in a big film – Zak Snyder’s Army of the Dead, which was followed by important roles in Glass Onion, Dune, and Knock at the Cabin. As per reports, Bautista is currently worth $16 million (Rs 130 crore).
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