Dave Bautista Tried To Play A Zombie On The Walking Dead, But Was Told He Was Too Big Dave Bautista has done pretty well for himself, considering that he didn’t get into the acting business until he was into his 40s. After starting out like many wrestlers-turned-actors do in mid budget action and adventure movies, the former WWE star made a concerted attempt to broaden his horizons and tackle the sort of material people wouldn’t expect from a man of his dimensions. The approach has yielded huge rewards so far, too, with his Guardians of the Galaxy director Jame Gunn explaining why Bautista has made the most successful transition from the squared circle to the big screen, even if he’s not landing the sort of regular blockbuster roles as his contemporaries Dwayne Johnson and John Cena.