Drew McIntyre has revealed that Triple H made the call to extend his time away from WWE so he could appear in the Russell Crowe film The Last Druid.
Speaking on Bradley Martyn’s Raw Talk podcast, McIntyre said he was getting ready to return to WWE programming when the offer came in, and that Triple H approved keeping him off television before even hearing him out.
The decision allowed McIntyre to spend an additional 12 weeks working on The Last Druid. He said filming kept him in Barcelona for 10 weeks and in Gran Canaria for two more. The offer came after he worked with Crowe and Henry Cavill on Highlander.
McIntyre’s account also helps distinguish between the reasons for his absence. WrestleVotes Radio reported that WWE had a late-August return in place for him but dropped it after a change in creative direction. Fightful added on Oct. 8 that the creative team had begun discussing a possible move to Raw for him.
On the podcast, McIntyre explained how the chance to work with Crowe again came about.
“Once I finished Highlander, I was about to return to WWE, and I got a phone call from the agent, and he said to me, ‘Russell Crowe is asking for you to be in a movie.’”
“Then I really liked the script. I loved the character, and the fact Russell was asking for me was just bizarre to me. I guess he went to Henry and kind of asked about me. Henry put me over for the performance on Highlander.”
McIntyre also described how he pitched the project to WWE management.
“We got working with WWE and said, ‘I know I’ve been out for a couple of months and supposed to come back, but there’s this thing here. I think it’s a big opportunity. I’m not leaving. I want to be the first full-time WWE wrestler that’s done two movies with A-listers back to back. I think it’s a great look for the company.’”
According to McIntyre, executives made the green light contingent on Triple H’s approval. He went into the conversation with a series of arguments ready, but Triple H’s response caught him off guard, and he never had to use them.
“I was like, ‘Oh, damn it. But Paul, I’ve got all these notes and things. I didn’t even get to tell you.’ He was like, ‘No, D, you’re good. Just don’t even have to tell me.’”
McIntyre recently addressed his career plans in an interview with Complex. He said he plans to talk with Triple H and Nick Khan about film opportunities down the line but made it clear he does not want to give up his full-time spot on the roster to make only occasional appearances.