Vince Russo recently shared his thoughts on Danhausen’s presentation, arguing that the former AEW and current WWE star should remain in character at all times in order to maximize the gimmick’s potential.
During a conversation with Jonathan Coachman, Russo said one of the biggest mistakes unique wrestling characters can make is allowing fans to see behind the curtain.
“Don’t ever do an interview out of character.”
“Never.”
Russo compared Danhausen’s situation to successful entertainment acts that protected their personas for years.
“When KISS was hot, you never saw them without the makeup.”
“You never saw them out of character.”
“That’s what made it special.”
According to Russo, part of what makes Danhausen appealing is the mystery and commitment to the gimmick.
“The character is the attraction.”
“The character is what people are paying to see.”
“The second you break that illusion, you lose something.”
Russo argued that too many modern wrestlers are quick to separate themselves from their on-screen personas.
“Everybody wants to explain the gimmick.”
“Everybody wants to tell you who they really are.”
“Why?”
He believes maintaining the illusion is especially important for a character as unique as Danhausen.
“Danhausen isn’t a normal wrestler.”
“Danhausen is a character.”
“That’s why people are interested in him.”
Russo said seeing Danhausen conduct interviews as himself hurts the overall presentation.
“I don’t want to hear from the guy behind Danhausen.”
“I want to hear from Danhausen.”
“That’s who I bought into.”
Russo pointed to wrestling’s past as an example of why protecting characters can be effective.
“The biggest stars protected who they were.”
“They protected the character.”
“They protected the image.”
According to Russo, that commitment helped audiences remain invested.
“People believed.”
“People bought into it.”
“People wanted to see more.”
Russo reiterated that Danhausen’s strength lies in being different from everyone else on the roster.
“The character is what separates him.”
“The character is what makes him stand out.”
“So why would you ever walk away from that?”
He concluded by saying that if he were advising Danhausen, his message would be simple.
“Never do an interview out of character.”
“Never.”
“Be Danhausen all the time.”
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