The following is a transcription of a telephone interview with former WWF superstar Rena "Sable" Mero. The audio version of this interview is available to be listened to at www.WrestlingPlanet.com:
Matt Boone: Alright we're talking with Rena Mero here, we're gonna ask her a few questions. Let's get right into this.
Matt Boone: So you're featured in the new movie, "Corky Romano"..
Rena Mero: Yes, I have a role in the movie Corky Romano and it opens October 12th. It's with Chris Kattan from Saturday Night Live. I play female security. So I get to a chance to rough them up a little bit.
Matt Boone: Did you have fun doing that?
Rena Mero: I did, I had a fantastic time. He (Chris Kattan) is twice as funny in person than on-screen. He was really great to work with. It was a wonderful experience. We shot it on location in Los Angelas, and it was just a really good time for me.
Matt Boone: Ok sounds good. Would you live to explain the differences and similarties in acting in sports entertainment, and acting in film?
Rena Mero: Oh, well I think the biggest difference is that when I was in the wrestling industry, it was live, you were in front of a live audience and there's nothing like the excitement that you feel and the energy that you get from being in front of a live audience with all the fans screaming. It's just very enthusiastic and very energetic. And that's probably the biggest difference. When you're working on location shooting a television show, or a movie, you get to work with pretty much a closed set. It's just you and the camera-man and the crew.
Matt Boone: What about the takes? When you perform in sports entertainment you get one shot.
Rena Mero: (Laughs) Yea, when you perform in front of a live audience, live TV, you get one take. So what you see is what you get and knowing that it kind of keeps you on your toes and helps you to give your best possible performance because you only get one shot at it. But it's very nice to be able to work behind the camera's. I've been doing a lot of producing and stuff like that as well so it's nice to have that opportunity to do a lot of different things like different roles within the entertainment industry.
Matt Boone: I saw on your website, RenaMero.com, you're working on another movie?
Rena Mero: I am. I just returned from the Czech Republic from the second movie I've shot this year called, "The Final Victim." In this movie I play an undercover CIA agent that goes to college to investigate murders of American citizens. While I'm there I become a police woman. So I got undercover, I'm a police woman, and I become a very well bread southern woman. It was quite a challenge for me. You know I am from the south, but I don't think I have that southern slang from living here. You know when you travel as much as I do it kind of goes awar.
Matt Boone: Yea. That leads me into another question I have for you. Did you like the traveling that went along with wrestling, or did you prefer staying in one location for a long period of time? Did you like traveling basically?
Rena Mero: I do, I enjoy traveling very much. There are very few places that I haven't had the opportunity of being. When I first started in the wrestling industry I had not traveled very much. So wrestling certaintly gave me that opportunity to see the world. But, I also have a daughter and it took me away from her quite a bit. So now i'm choosing to do movies and certain television series. It's better for me because i'm only on location for a period of time where I can take my daughter with me. Or sometimes because of different studio's and different sets, I can shoot them right here. But the schedule in the wrestling industry was very stressing. It did give me the opportunity to see fantastic places that I wouldn't normally see.
Matt Boone: You said you lived in Orlanda, is there anything new coming out of the possible Universal promotion?
Rena Mero: (Laughs) That is the big buzz now.
Matt Boone: It definately seems to be.
Rena Mero: Yea, I guess that wrestling needs competition now. Yea in November I am in negotiations now to work on a new wrestling show being produced by Jennifer Storm and Jimmy Hart. We're hoping to possibly get that company going.
Matt Boone: Sounds good.
Rena Mero: There's a lot of "big hitters" involved with this show. A lot of extremely talented wrestlers will be involved. If you've ever wondered what happened to your favorite superstars there's a chance to see them in this promotion.
Matt Boone: Alright. Do you have any comments on the merger of the WWF, the WCW, and the ECW?
Rena Mero: Well, you know I really don't have any comments on that other than I don't really get a chance to watch wrestling anymore, but I feel anytime in that industry, or organization, you get your best performance when there's competition. There are very few names within the WWF, WCW, ECW, whatever you want to call it now. (laughs) The "Vince McMahon conglomorate."
Matt Boone: There you go.
Rena Mero: There are very few spots in that show, so there's a lot of talent that's not getting that opportunity that they should get.
Matt Boone: Are you still in contact with anyone from your working days over there? (WWF)
Rena Mero: Yes, I still have a lot of friends from within the wrestling industry. I stay in contact with quite a few of them. Alex Wright and his wife just spent a week and a half with my husband over here. Scott Hall lives right up the street from me. Diamond Dallas Page and Kimberly are great friends of ours. There are quite a few people within the industry that we stay very close to.
Matt Boone: Now, when the Sable character was presented to you, what was your reaction? Where you more prepared to be a valet or were you informed that you would be wrestling a lot?
Rena Mero: Well, when I was first introduced to Vince McMahon, I had no idea that I would ever be involved in the wrestling industry. I just accompanied my husband when he was signing the contract when he switched federations. (from WCW to WWF) I was modeling at the time and doing some television work and commercials. Wrestling was never anything I was interested in, or ever thought that I would be doing. Marc (Mero) and I had been married for a couple years while he was in the WCW and that was never anything we had thought of. Then Vince McMahon offered me a position with the company and it was at first presented to me as valet. I did that for, gosh, probably close to a year. Then I was approached to become a wrestler and why not? I'll try anything once and if i'm good at it, i'll keep doing it. Vince McMahon was really interested in it, and they made my character what it was.
Matt Boone: What do you consider your most memorable experience from your time in the WWF? What stands out in your memory the most?
Rena Mero: Probably, what stands out the most, would have to be when I won the Women's Championship. That was a highlight in any wrestler's career. That's the pinacle that all wrestlers strive to achieve in their career. My career was so extremely short, I was only in the business for gosh two years? Maybe three years. Almost three years so i've been out longer now than I was in. (laughs) It was a very short career for me, but winning the championship and maybe winning the "Slammy" award. You know, having the opportunity to just try something different. To have the experience of performing in front of a live audience. There's nothing that compares to that. But, also having the experience to work with my husband and travel across the world with him. So there was so many good things that came out of it.
Matt Boone: One of them was your time with Playboy. What was that like?
Rena Mero: Oh most definately, Playboy. Playboy is probably one of the highlights of my life. It was a wonderful experience. When I was first approached by Playboy, I turned them down quite a few times because it was never anything I thought i'd actually be interested in doing. I was very flattered that they offered, but I wasn't interested. As "Sable" became more popular, I thought it might be a good idea for my career to further itself. Not just be in the wrestling industry, but maybe get more mainstream. Playboy definately gave me that opportunity. It was just a great experience, probably one of the most memorable of my life.
Matt Boone: Have they given you any offers? Is there any negotiations for another spread?
Rena Mero: There is always the possibility of me doing a third, well actually a fourth. I did two of the main magazines in one year, then I had a collector's edition that came out that same year. So there is a possibility that I will work for Playboy again, not anytime in the near future but I do have a really good relationship with Playboy still. I still stay in contact and there's always that possibility.
Matt Boone: With everything that you've accomplished, you've certaintly accomplished a lot, are there any goals in your life that you have yet to fulfill?
Rena Mero: Yea, I always have goals in life. Right now my main focus is to stay focused on my acting career. I've had the opportunity to work on several movies. "Corky" will be coming out October 12th and I have two more coming out before the year is finished. That'll be five movies this year. It's been a wonderful learning experience. I think everytime I have the opportunity to work in a movie, it definately helps me grow in a lot of area's when I get to do a different character each time. My comic book is doing extremely well. I'm going to continue with my modeling career. Being a wife and a mother and now the possibility of maybe being involved in another wrestling industry. So there's a lot on my plate right now.
Matt Boone: Sounds pretty overwhelming.
Rena Mero: It is overwhelming at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm a very active person. I like to keep my juices flowing and I like to stay very creative. The path of life I have choosen has certaintly given me that opportunity.
Matt Boone: Which role do you think you fit in better: wrestling or acting?
Rena Mero: I'm not a really big physical person. I'm very athletic so that helps me to perform in wrestling, but my true love is acting. Wrestling gave me the opportunity to take on another character, of course "Sable" was a character that is much different from me in real life. Although they have some of the same similiarities. But wrestling was a wonderful learning experience for me and it wasn't the path I thought I would take but it definately opened a lot of doors for me and gave me a lot of opportunity.
Matt Boone: Where do you see yourself ten years from now? What do you see yourself doing?
Rena Mero: Well, let's see. Five years from now I hope to have my own television series. Or maybe working my way up the movie industry to possibly an Academy or Emmy award.
Matt Boone: That would be great.
Rena Mero: Ten years from now I hope to be doing the same thing. I hope to be in a situation where I can pick and choose top notch films that I would love to star in, actors I'd love to work with.
Matt Boone: What actors do you really hope to work with the most?
Rena Mero: Julia Roberts. She's a wonderful actress that I would love to work with in any aspect. Michael Douglas, Nicholas Cage, George Clooney. There's so many fabulous actors out there. I love to watch different movies because you can learn so much from watching different people. Just being on the set with Chris Kattan, I learned so much from being on the set with him. Just watching him on the set with the other actors, producers, and directors. When I work on location, it's just a wonderful learning experience for me.
Matt Boone: You said you did some producing, would you like to share any of that with us?
Rena Mero: Well there are some projects coming out, but at this time I am not at liberty to give that out. There are some future projects that I am working on. Hopefully the next time we talk I will be able to give some of that information out.
Matt Boone: That would be great. Would you like to let everybody know where your appearing, or where they can see you besides the "Corky Romano" movie?
Rena Mero: Yes, I do have some appearances coming up and some new movies coming out. The easiest way to find out that information would be to check out my website at www.RenaMero.com. That will give you all the information.
Matt Boone: Alright, thank you for taking the time out to talk with us. I hope to talk to you again in the future.
Rena Mero: Thank you very much, I appreciate your time.
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