WWE superstar CJ Perry aka Lana spoke exclusively with Distractify about relating to her character in 'Another Version of You,' and acting career.
After watching the woman of his dreams marry another man, Diggsy Ellston (Kristopher Wente) is given another shot at finding happiness. When a stranger gifts Diggsy with a magical key, he is able to jump through parallel universes to find another version of his childhood crush, Suzette Larking (Sara Antonio). However, once he decides to open a "new door," he is not able to return.
In Another Version of You, Diggsy will go on the adventure of a lifetime searching for the perfect version of Suzette. Though, his life keeps intersecting with a gorgeous blonde named Gwyneth (CJ Perry). Will Diggsy keep trying to find an alternate world, in which Suzette loves him, or will he possibly pursue Gwenyth? Basically, this is the perfect rom-com to enjoy this holiday season!
CJ Perry (also known as WWE Superstar Lana) who plays the charming Gwenyth in Another Version of You spoke exclusively with Distractify, dishing on what drew her to the project, how she personally relates to this story, and how wrestling prepared her for future acting jobs.
CJ Perry details how she relates to her character in Another Version of You.
Besides the fantasy aspect of the film, the wrestler was drawn to this particular role because she related to her character on a personal level. "What I love most about her is that she was the kind of person that called Diggsy out," she told Distractify. She explained that the film explores the very real notion of people falling in love with the "idea of a relationship ... instead of just falling in love with the reality of that human."
CJ continued: "You have to fall in love with the person, not the idea of changing them." The wrestling superstar personally experienced this scenario when she was in her early-20s, telling Distractify that after a bad breakup, she thought she'd never love again. "I remember the first time I broke up with the love of my life (at age 18) ... I thought I was going to marry him and live happily ever after," she revealed. Adding, "I think it’s just, sometimes you just have to let go. It’s so hard for some people to let go."
The 34-year-old explained that throughout her life there were several relationships where she felt the need to try and change a partner to make it work. "I just wanted them to love me," CJ said. "I wanted them to change for me." Though, even after being heartbroken, she's happy to have learned those life lessons at an early age.
CJ Perry reveals how the WWE helped her prepare for acting jobs.
A few of the biggest A-list stars in Hollywood initially started their acting careers in the ring. However, CJ is not looking to model her career off of the likes of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, John Cena, or Dave Bautista. Instead, the Superstar is looking to find her own path.
"I want to be the first. I want people to model their career after me," she told us. "I want to do things that no one has done before. I want to be the first WWE Superstar to win an Emmy." You go, girl!
And, being in the ring has prepared CJ for her future acting aspirations. Describing the WWE as the "perfect training ground," she told us that there are many "misconceptions" about being a professional wrestler.
Aside from being an athlete, CJ, also known in the ring as the Ravishing Russian Lana, told Distractify: "We are storytellers." She continued: "All of that is scripted television and sometimes we are handed those scripts literally 20 minutes before we go on to live television. ...Millions of people all over the world are seeing you. There are no retakes."
CJ compared her role as the Superstar villain to performing a live-action play. "You get to perform in front of 10,000 to 17,000 live in the arena, so you get that instant gratification of adrenaline high off of performing in front of a live audience." She also noted that she learned all about camera angles from performing for the WWE. Concluding, "It’s just an amazing training ground."
You can now stream Another Version of You.
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