Cody Rhodes isn’t ruling out taking a break from WWE. While the former WWE Champion made it clear that wrestling is still his home, he admitted he’s completely caught the acting bug and revealed there could be upcoming television and film projects that pull him away from the company for a while.
Speaking to The Sportster, Rhodes reflected on finally accomplishing the goal he’d spent his entire career chasing. The interviewer asked how his mindset has changed now that he’s reached the top of WWE, and Cody admitted that winning the championship forced him to ask himself a question he never really had to think about before: what’s next?
Rhodes became emotional while talking about the moment, recalling advice his sister gave him before he finally captured the title. Looking back, he said becoming WWE Champion was the biggest dream of his life, and once he achieved it, he almost had to rediscover his ambition all over again.
“I always get emotional, but I’ll try not to. My sister said, ‘Be careful what you wish for because at this rate, you’re going to get it.’ And when that happens, when the thing you want, the biggest dream you have in your life, which is to be the WWE Champion, happens, then it’s fun to go through the process of almost being a kid again and going, ‘What else do I want? What else do I want? And what is the work that it’s going to take to get there?'”
That search for a new challenge even led Cody to seek advice from someone who knows a thing or two about sustaining success. Rhodes revealed that he recently spoke with NFL legend Tom Brady and asked how he stayed motivated after already reaching the pinnacle of his sport. According to Cody, Brady’s answer completely changed the way he looks at success.
“I got to talk to the ultimate QB1 in Tom Brady not long ago, and I asked Tom, I said, ‘What did you do once you’d won and then lost, but you’d already been to the big dance?’ And his answer stuck with me about winning for everyone else.”
That’s when Cody opened up about something wrestling fans may not want to hear. He admitted he’s completely fallen in love with acting and storytelling outside the ring, revealing that there are projects on the horizon that could require him to temporarily step away from WWE. While he didn’t reveal any specifics, he hinted there are already opportunities in the works that haven’t been announced publicly.
“We’re at a—no pun intended—a crossroads in my career. I’m not going to lie to the wrestling fans. I’ve got the bug for TV, film. I’m obsessed. There might be some things that come up where I leave for a minute to do. There might be some things we haven’t talked about.”
Rhodes quickly made it clear that he isn’t looking to leave wrestling behind. Instead, he sees acting as another way to grow as a performer before bringing everything he learns back to WWE. He also credited WWE President Nick Khan and Chief Content Officer Triple H for supporting those ambitions instead of standing in the way.
“I want that to grow as a storyteller and an artisan and always be able to bring that back home to a WWE that now allows me to do it, with Nick Khan and Triple H allowing that element of it.”
Cody has already expanded his Hollywood résumé with a major role as Guile in the upcoming Street Fighter movie, and based on his comments, it doesn’t sound like that’s going to be a one-off. Even if acting pulls him away from WWE from time to time, Rhodes made it clear his plan isn’t to leave the company behind—it’s to come back with even more experience to bring into the ring.
Would you be okay with Cody Rhodes taking a temporary break from WWE to focus on Hollywood, or would you rather see him stay on TV full-time? Let us know in the comments below.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
