CM Punk: Playing a villain is something I was ‘possibly born to do’
It’s been a long time since CM Punk played a heel in pro wrestling, but he still gets to display his villainous side through his acting work.
The WWE World Heavyweight Champion recently spoke with ABC News to promote “Night Patrol,” a horror movie where he is among the bad guys. Punk said playing a villain is something that he feels like he was born to do. Everyone has encountered some kind of a villain in their life, so he likes to use that to create emotional connections.
“Time of my life. Honestly, yeah,” Punk responded when asked if it’s fun to play a bad guy. “I feel like playing a villain is something that I was possibly born to do, and you can have a lot more fun. The bad guys always have better weapons, cooler vehicles. I think you can be more grandiose. Heroes are more centered. I think villains can spread their wings a little bit more — do and say crazier, wilder things. And I do think in life, everybody has encountered some kind of villain. They remember how that made them feel. So it’s an emotional heart string I like to tug on and get people to react.”
Punk was known for being a heel earlier in his wrestling career but has exclusively been a babyface since his WWE return in 2023. He has a World Heavyweight Championship defense against Finn Balor set for WWE Raw in Belfast, Northern Ireland this coming Monday.
In addition to his role in “Night Patrol,” Punk recently had a cameo as a voice actor in Disney’s “Zootopia 2.” He and Roman Reigns play Zebros in the movie — and Punks spoke to ABC News about the chemistry they have together.
“I think the on-screen chemistry that we share in WWE obviously translated,” Punk said. “Somebody saw it, somebody thought that we would be a good fit for the Zebros. So we’re doing something right.”
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.