In the world of Starz' Heels, wrestling is more than just a fun way to spend a weekend night with friends. Wrestling is a way of life. The Duffy Wrestling League is at the heart of the show, with much of the conflict and drama centered around the two stars of the DWL -- Jack Space (Stephen Amell) and his brother, Ace (Alexander Ludwig). But they're not the only wrestlers bringing their passion into the ring. Their fellow wrestling competitors each get their time to shine in the new Starz drama series. This notably includes the confident Rooster Robins (Allen Maldonado) and the more restrained but experienced Apocayplse (James Harrison).
During an exclusive interview with CBR, Harrison and Maldonado discussed their characters in Heels, reflected on their own bond as actors, how they both grew up as fans of wrestling, and how that passion is at the heart of everything they bring to the Starz series.
Harrison shared his early wrestling memories, stating, "I was a fan growing up, going all the way back to Hulk Hogan and all of that. So I had experience. I'm the youngest of fourteen. So I used to get to jump off the couch onto my sisters and brothers and all that other stuff. I wouldn't consider it actual skilled wrestling. But I had a little experience going into it." Maldonado agreed, saying, "I was always a fan growing up as a child. As a kid, looking up to Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, and all those different types... To be able to play a role where you can actually jump off the top ropes and do some of the moves that you would watch as a kid, man, it was great. It was fun to just kind of get thrown in there and learn it as we go."
While Apocalypse and Rooster might not be the central characters of Heels, their interplay is quickly established as one of the more enjoyable relationships on the show. Quick to mock one another but with a clear sense of understanding of each other's role in the ring, the pair offer an engaging contrast to the Spade brothers. Maldonado revealed that this was in part impacted by their performances, sharing, "They saw me and James' natural chemistry and started to really kind of write towards that and how we could still be serious and still be in a position of trying to help or inform the other, but also do it in a way that brothers or great friends would do -- in either talking trash or giving a little nudge here and there. I think they really were able to capture that and really give us some great dialogue to run with."
While most actors can bring any role to life, Harrison had an additional advantage over his co-stars in terms of experience with physical training. Harrison was formerly an NFL player, earning two Super Bowl rings during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Commenting on the overlap, Harrison reflected, "I think that goes to my career in an actual a professional sport and bringing that sort of NFL locker room, wrestling locker room atmosphere to [Heels]. The similarities of being in a locker room, building a brotherhood, it's the same thing that I have with my guys, that I still keep in contact after we won Super Bowls together... You get that same camaraderie with the DWL. That's what you're seeing with Apocalypse and Rooster and how they grow and build through their characters and that bond."
Maldonado reflected on his own passion for acting, which came about from his youth, and how he drew upon that for Rooster, sharing, "In high school, I remember almost getting in fights in back of stage plays because people that were weren't supposed to be back there, we're back there. I wasn't a theater cat growing up, I was the cat from around the neighborhood that just end up taking an elective my senior year. And next thing you know, I'm banging in the background and kicking people out of the theater because I was so passionate about acting. It just kind of transfers. So that's where I could feel and understand where Rooster comes from. When it comes to wrestling, that's his life. Everything else doesn't matter in comparison. I can definitely relate... When you're passionate about something, man, tread lightly."
Looking at the love the fans of Duffy have for the DWL within the world of Heels and the passion of wrestling fans in general, Harrison stated, "[I compare it to] how I go back and relate it to being in the NFL and playing in a stadium in front of 60,000-70,000 people. Playing in a Super Bowl that's televised in front of 90 million people. And the live audience that's there and getting that immediate response to a tackle, to a hit, to an interception, to a touchdown. That's the same thing I get with the Steelers fan base, and that passionate fan base. And it's the same thing in wrestling. When you have someone, who you have a fan base that is that committed and loves that sport that much, you're going to get that response."
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