(CNN) – Dave Bautista is thankful for the role which helped to make him famous, and he’s ready to flex new muscles.
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In an interview with GQ, Bautista talked about leaving behind the Drax character he’s played in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise in six movies and a holiday special.
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The actor said “I’m so grateful for Drax. I love him.”
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“But there’s a relief [that it’s over]. It wasn’t all pleasant. It was hard playing that role,” he added. “The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy—it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff.”
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If he has his way, that would include working more with Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who helmed “Blade Runner 2049” and both of the “Dune” films in which Bautista costarred.
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“If I could be a number one [on the callsheet] with Denis, I would do it for f***ing free,” Bautista said. “I think that’s how I could find out how good I could be. He brings out the best in me. He sees me in a different light, sees the performer that I want to be. That might be how I solve the puzzle.”
The actor most recently starred as Duke Cody in the film “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”
