Elias Quotes

At one point when we recorded 'Fighting with My Family' at the Staples Center it was an incredible feeling and I loved it but I was playing AJ Lee and I wanted it to be me.

I wanted to be a pianist but it just wasn't my thing. I guess I wanted to stand up rather than sit down.

Acting is a subtle combination of hiding and revealing yourself, and as I'm not an extrovert, this is painful for me.

One of the reasons that I needed to become an actor was that I didn't have any self-confidence.

The personality aspect of wrestling has always been a struggle for me. It's not on my natural wheelhouse. It's also the part that I enjoy the least. My favorite part of the entire thing, of course, is getting in the ring and wrestling.

I would say I locked into my persona pretty early; I wouldn't say it's how I am naturally, but it's how I am naturally when I'm on a stage in front of people. That anxiety makes me be the character that I am.

From a backstage perspective, one of the things I always tried to do in wrestling was maintain that I was Adam. Edge was a character.

So, there's plenty of good heels in the business. I don't see guys who can get fans to rally behind them like I do. It's hard. It's the hardest job in the business and I'm doing it every single night.

Honestly, I think we in the WWE are very underrated as performers. What we do would be very difficult for even an experienced actor. To go out and sometimes have 15 minutes of verbiage, sometimes have to ad-lib and then, of course, have other variables such as the interaction with the audience, it can be challenging.

It doesn't matter if you're the best wrestler in the world and can do every move perfectly; if you don't connect with the crowd or sell well or have good promos, nobody cares.

It was when I got to NXT with Dusty Rhodes, being the creative force he was, and told us to bring our most creative side every single week. One of those weeks, I brought the guitar and started telling stories while I played, and it just evolved from there.

Once you learn how to work inside the ring - once you learn how to tell a story - then you can come to a big company like the WWE and learn the extra stuff, like the video, the pyro, the music, and that adds to everything you can do.

The first time I stepped on stage and I started singing, I knew that I wanted to do it for the rest of my life.

The athletic part I never struggled with. It was the promos, the talking and, being uncomfortable in front of the crowd. Especially being a 'bad guy,' having people call me names, that was hard getting used to.

Performing live was something that I had to really work at.

I've always liked being on the performance end of it. I've come up with different ideas, but as far as being a creative writer, I'm not sure about that. I've always liked the performance end of it and wrestling, getting in the ring in front of a live crowd.

I'm not as extreme in real life as I am in the ring or on television.

The thing that I didn't take into consideration is that acting, like wrestling, is a skill.

Performing live is a part of who I am.

I had always heard that theatre is for 'serious' actors but after actually having rehearsed day in and day out, I realize how challenging it is.

I think if you look at NXT, the one guy who seems like he would belong in a WrestleMania main event is Nakamura because of the aura and the buzz that he gets. He is able to grab the attention of people who don't really know who he is right away with his mannerisms and entrance - by the time he gets to the ring, you are kind of hooked.

The whole Aleister Black character is a creation of my influences, Triple H and NXT, and everyone combined.

I always sang after every dinner or when we had people over or when we had a show in school. I just loved to be on stage and sing in front of people.

I am not necessarily a private person, but I am Charlotte Flair on camera, and that is playing a character.

My band persona is 25% tougher than I am.