Stone Cold Steve Austin has been a WWE champion, a reality competition host, a podcaster, and now he's doing something a little different with the premiere of USA's Straight Up Steve Austin. In it, Austin meets up with celebrities from all different walks of life, and the two engage in fun activities while sharing some personal stories. CinemaBlend wanted to get a sense of what sets this show apart from traditional television talk shows, so we went straight to "The Texas Rattlesnake" himself to find out.
How does Stone Cold compare himself to the other hosts known for getting chatty during primetime and late-night? Steve Austin isn't promising he'll climb the top of the late-night ladder like he did during his prime in the WWE, but he did indicate that viewers who tune in will understand him and the show's format through and through.
I don't know what sets me apart. I just know that I am me, and it's a personality driven show. I'm never going to be a...hey, Johnny Carson was the best to ever do it. I'm just the guy that came from a squared circle and used to get hit in the head with steel chairs for a living. Now I'm hanging out with some of the coolest people on the planet doing really cool things, and I'm having a blast getting to know them and trade stories. And at the end of the day when you watch Straight Up Steve Austin, the only thing I want to accomplish is you get to know the person I'm talking to, and maybe get to know a little bit about me. But bottom line, have a good time watching the show.
Straight Up Steve Austin is, at times, almost more about the Steven Austin and his guest getting invested in their activities than the interviews themselves. Having their bodies and brains focused on other things allows the guests and Stone Cold Steve Austin himself to loosen up with one another, and it allows them to bring the fun back whenever conversations start to slow down.
As Steve Austin noted above, though, the conversations he has with his guests lead to revealing stories about their pasts and their personalities, and sometimes, even Stone Cold himself will open up about a thing or two. Along with opening up cans of beer and whoop-ass, no doubt.
Straight Up Steve Austin may not be as talk-heavy as Austin's podcast The Steve Austin Show, but Stone Cold told CinemaBlend there are some advantages to doing a show like this when compared to the typical podcast format. Austin got into some of that below, and also shared a bit about what audiences can expect in the series premiere.
I'll tell you what, getting to know people on my podcast is one thing. It's sitting across the table from someone, and you've got to break that ice and then get in there. And I'm not trying to ask heavy-duty questions and you know, pry for those kinds of answers. It's a good time. With Straight Up Steve Austin, it's myself and another person bonding over a physical activity outdoors. And maybe it's from a part of their background or maybe it's something from my background. In the season premiere, I'm hanging with former US Marine Rob Riggle, who's now an actor who's in demand everywhere. But based on his military background, we're crushing cars in a tank because that's the world that he came from. And so when you're doing stuff like that, you kind of form this chemistry – you start bonding – and the conversation starts flowing.
Actor, Holey Moley host (and almost full-time marine) Rob Riggle is just one of the many guests lined up for Season 1 of Straight Up Steve Austin. Austin will also hang with Impractical Jokers star Sal Vulcano, WWE superstar Becky Lynch, comedian Gabriel Iglesias, racing legend Dale Earnhardt Jr., country music star Trace Adkins, and NFL quarterback Baker Mayfield. Stone Cold hangs with everyone involved and gets into some antics that audiences and fans might not expect from the bad ass wrestling icon (and actor).
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Premiering tonight, August 12, Straight Up Steve Austin airs on USA network Mondays at 11:00 p.m. ET, right after Monday Night Raw. Stick with CinemaBlend for more on the latest goings on in the world of television and movies.
