David Michael Bautista Jr., born on January 18, 1969, is an American actor and retired professional wrestler. He was in WWE from 2002 to 2019. In movies, he is famous for playing Drax in Marvel movies like Guardians of the Galaxy. He left the series after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 in 2023. He also acted in Dune (2021) and its sequel, Dune: Part Two (2024).
Bautista started wrestling in 1999 and signed with WWF (now WWE) in 2000. He became a six-time world champion and won various titles. He left WWE in 2010 but returned in 2014, winning the Royal Rumble. After his final match at WrestleMania 35 in 2019, he retired with a total of eleven championships.
Besides wrestling, Bautista began acting in 2006. He starred in films like The Man with the Iron Fists, Riddick, Spectre, Blade Runner 2049, My Spy, Army of the Dead, Dune, and more. He also had a brief mixed martial arts fight in 2012.
In his early life, Bautista faced challenges and lived in poverty. He started as a nightclub bouncer, had legal troubles, and worked odd jobs. Bodybuilding changed his life, and he turned to wrestling after a difficult period.
Bautista’s wrestling career details his journey from training in WCW to joining WWE in 2000. He had storylines with different characters and became a key member of the Evolution stable. In 2005, he won the World Heavyweight Championship and had a successful title reign until an injury in 2006.
In his acting career, Bautista played various roles, including Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy and Mr. Hinx in Spectre. He supported the director of Guardians of the Galaxy, James Gunn, when he faced controversy and threatened to leave if Gunn’s script was not used for Vol. 3. Gunn was later reinstated.
Bautista continued acting in various films like Army of the Dead, Dune, and Glass Onion. He also appeared in TV shows and made guest appearances.
In his personal life, Bautista has been married multiple times and has children and grandchildren. He is known for his tattoos and changed to a plant-based diet in 2010. He supports social and political causes, endorsing Bernie Sanders in the 2020 primaries and Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Bautista has faced controversies, including a fistfight with Booker T during a commercial shoot in 2006. In 2007, he was mentioned in an ESPN list related to an investigation into the sale of anabolic steroids, but he denied the allegations, stating compliance with WWE’s wellness program.