Chris Jericho On Method Acting During 2008 Heel Run: ‘People Attacked Me On The Street A Couple Of Times’

Chris Jericho says some people hated his suit and tie gimmick so much that they went as far as attacking him.

In June 2008, Chris Jericho turned heel against Shawn Michaels after losing to him at the Judgment Day Premium Live Event. This heel turn brought out a much darker side of him on television.

In an interview with Spencer Matthews, Chris Jericho discussed this heel turn. Jericho said it was easy for people to like you once they had started hating you. He was super into method acting at that time, and would act like his gimmick in real life.

“People start liking you. So, it’s hard to have people stay hating you. But I also was dropping into this character like a method actor would to where it was affecting me in real life. I was in a real dark place because that’s what my character was, like just a real diabolical megalomaniac asshole essentially. It’s hard to kind of step out of that sometimes. So, it was really interesting. I could never do that now at this stage of my life, but at the time, I was super method.

I can remember getting into an elevator with a dad and his son. They were fans and we were close to the arena. I wouldn’t look at them. They were like, ‘Hey, can you sign my autograph?’ I would just ignore them. The guy got increasingly angry as we’re in the cell like, ‘You are not going to look at me? Who are you? Some kind of asshole?’ Now, they hate me for real.

But that’s what I want. I don’t want to sign an autograph for them. Then they go to the arena, and 10,000 people are booing me. But they’re like, ‘Oh, he’s really a nice guy.’ Then tell 10 people in their row. That’s now 10 people who like me because I’m a nice guy. I want the guy to be even more so like, ‘Fuck you and blah blah blah.’ That’s why I never had any merch at the time. I forbade the WWE to make any Chris Jericho merch.

Why would I want someone wearing my shirt? I want everyone to hate me. I’ll make my money main eventing pay-per-views against the good guys. I’m not worried about selling t-shirts. So, I had this kind of real, all-encompassing evil attitude. Sometimes that rubs off in your real life. But that was years ago. I was really dropped in to be this angry person because it’s all acting. You’re playing a character, right?”

The hate was so strong for him that many fans even picked fights with him in real life.

“People attacked me on the street a couple of times. I was cool at the time, but I wouldn’t want that now. For whatever reason, at this point in time, I was just super locked in. But once again, that was a two-year period where I was the champion in the main event, wrestling all the good guys. When somebody beat me, it was a big deal to take the title from the evil Chris Jericho.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Jericho talked about the importance of being a creative person. Fans can read more about it here.

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