Stone Cold Steve Austin has played some pretty nasty characters throughout his career, but his role in The Longest Yard apparently hit a little too close to home for one longtime wrestling supporter — and Nelly was right there to hear all about it.
During an appearance on 7PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony, Nelly looked back at his experience filming the 2005 movie alongside Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, Burt Reynolds and several professional wrestlers. The rapper recalled how much fun he had working on the film, even admitting that he made the mistake of insisting he didn’t need a stunt double.
The conversation eventually turned to Austin, who portrayed a racist prison guard in the movie. Co-host Kazim Famuyide immediately made it clear that he grew up admiring the WWE Hall of Famer, which made watching certain scenes particularly uncomfortable. Before getting into the controversial moments, Famuyide explained just how much Austin meant to him as a wrestling supporter.
“God bless him, man. My favorite wrestler of all time.“I’m a wrestler guy. Stone Cold Steve Austin, man.”
Famuyide specifically brought up scenes where Austin’s character directed racist language toward Nelly’s character and made another racially charged comment about running the football. While he understood that Austin was playing a fictional villain, he joked that the performance was almost too believable.
“You ain’t got to act that good though. Hold up. I’m like, ‘Come on, man.’ I had the t-shirt and everything.”
The host then admitted that watching someone he had supported for years deliver those lines genuinely bothered him at the time. It wasn’t that he believed Austin held those views in real life — he simply wasn’t prepared to see his favorite wrestler playing that kind of character.
“I WAS HOT. He was too convinced in that scene, bro.”
Nelly didn’t have anything negative to say about Austin. Having worked alongside him during production, the rapper quickly reassured everyone that his experience with the cast was positive.
“Nah, everybody was super cool.”
The conversation remained lighthearted, with the hosts acknowledging that Austin was simply doing what the role demanded. They ultimately praised his ability to make the character believable, even if that meant seeing the former WWE Champion in a way wrestling audiences weren’t accustomed to.
Austin’s performance in The Longest Yard was a significant departure from the rebellious, beer-drinking antihero who became one of WWE’s biggest stars during the Attitude Era. Instead of fighting against authority, Austin played an abusive prison guard who made life miserable for the inmates.
More than two decades later, the performance is apparently still memorable enough to leave longtime Austin supporters shaking their heads. Nelly’s recollection also makes clear that whatever viewers thought about the character, the atmosphere among the cast was much different behind the scenes.
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