Before he was in ‘Tulsa King’ and ‘Superman’, Frank Grillo played the role of an MMA coach.
Since its theatrical release in 2011, the movie ‘Warrior’ has slowly become a cult classic to UFC and MMA fans around the world.
‘Warrior’ is a story of two estranged brothers, played by Tom Hardy (Venom, Mad Max: Fury Road) and Joel Edgerton (Star Wars), who enter a $5M winner-take-all MMA tournament called ‘Sparta’.
American actor Frank Grillo admitted the film didn’t get the best reception when it came out, even mentioning how UFC CEO Dana White hated it like most other fight films.
Grillo has really come into his own since starring as Edgerton’s MMA coach ‘Frank Campagna’ in Warrior, with roles as ‘Crossbones’ in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and ‘Rick Flag Sr.’ in the new DC cinematic universe. He’s also in the latest season of ‘Tulsa King’ alongside Hollywood legend Sylvester Stallone.
Grillo says his life wouldn’t have been the same if it weren’t for ‘Warrior’.
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Frank Grillo says Nick Nolte’s performance in ‘Warrior’ changed him as an actor
‘Warrior’ won several awards and saw Nick Nolte (48 Hrs, Cape Fear) nominated for an Oscar for playing ‘Paddy Conlon’, a former alcoholic and Hardy’s estranged father and coach in the film.
Grillo said Nolte’s incredible performance changed the way he looks at acting.
“That movie changed my life in many ways,” Grillo said on My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox.
“I often credit Gavin O’Connor (The Accountant) who’s a dear friend with giving me a different career.
“Being around Nick Nolte changed me as an actor because I learned from Nick the depths you go to create a character,” Grillo continued.
“Before that, I come from soaps [soap operas] and I was kinda making my way and wasn’t real serious. I don’t think I was.
“Watching Nolte, who in an obscure movie that very few people saw when it came out, was nominated for an Oscar. He gives a tremendous performance in that movie, the hotel scenes….
“There’s guys that I look at that I’m like, I’m embarrassed to say I do the same thing.
“And still to this day, I’m like, I don’t do that, I mean, that guy’s ridiculous,” Grillo said of his former co-star Nolte.
Frank Grillo said Dana White hates ‘Warrior’
Dana White recently said he liked watching Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson in the new MMA movie, ‘The Smashing Machine’, which tells the story of UFC Hall of Famer Mark Kerr’s fighting career.
However, when it came to ‘Warrior’, Frank Grillo said White was simply not a fan.
“Dana White hates that movie, hates it,” Grillo said on Inside of You with Michael Rosenbaum.
“Because he feels like it’s not a good representation of fighters,” Grillo added.
“I did a show, a TV series called Kingdom.
“He came to the set, he loved that because we kind of made that real, we kinda made it like the UFC.
“But, Dana White hates Warrior,” said Grillo.