Michael Gregory Mizanin is an American professional wrestler, actor and media personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name The Miz. Maryse Mizanin is a Canadian-American professional wrestler, professional wrestling manager, actress, businesswoman, reality star and glamour model currently signed to WWE under the ring name Maryse, performing on the SmackDown brand as the manager of her real-life husband The Miz. They both star in their reality television series, Miz & Mrs. They discuss the joy and hardships of being first time parents and living the busy work life alongside parent life, where they see the future of wrestling.
First of all, I’m a huge fan of both of you. I’ve been following both of your careers for a very long time. Miz ever since you’re on MTV and Maryse during the Diva search. I’m a big fan of both of you. First question I have is having a new baby in life on the road, how tough is that and how much are we going to see that explored in season two of Miz and Mrs?
Parenting seems hard enough just on a normal level. I can only imagine how hard it is being a WWE superstars.
Michael Gregory Mizanin: That’s basically what season two is. It’s now it’s like what it’s like to be first time parents in the entertainment industry and you know, us, we’ve never done this before, so you’re getting to see all the hoops and ladders that we go through to take care of Monroe. And it’s tiring, exhausting, but it is the greatest gift I’ve ever been rewarded. Like it is the best. There’s nothing like it.
It looks like you guys got a future superstar on your hands.
Maryse Mizanin: I mean it’s difficult because you want to be home, you know? And then with the schedule is pretty crazy, but it’s amazing to see Monroe with the crew of Miz and Mrs. It’s amazing to see. Today my husband posted a picture of her on Instagram saying, director of photography. So cute because she loves people. She loves the crew. She loves to be around. And that was something when you know you have a newborn, you’re like, I don’t know how this is going to go having 30 people over my house everyday in and out, you know, and she loved it. I mean I know it sounds crazy because she’s only 11 months old, but she loved it. She loves to have people coming over. She recognized them. She smiles at everybody. It’s crazy to see her personality already.
Michael Gregory Mizanin: I thought there would be a lot more crying, a lot more tantrums, a lot more. And maybe that’s to come, I don’t know. I’ve never done this, but as of right now she’s very like, she’s very happy and just wants to observe everything and everyone. If people come through the door all of a sudden she’s like wanting to know who they are, kind of deal like kind of smiles at them and kind of observes them. It’s really interesting to look at and you know filming the show, you kind of wonder how she would be like, granted right now she’s 11 months old you don’t know like how she’s gonna react to cameras and microphones and that kind of stuff. And man, when she’s on the screen. She pops, she’s just a star. You know, it’s crazy. It’s crazy to say it like that young, but you’ll see like you’ll watch it. I mean we’ve went from the “It” couple to the “It” family.
Oh wow. That’s rough. I got to say, I saw a clip from season two. Can you talk to me about this spray tan incident?
Michael Gregory Mizanin: I couldn’t agree with you more. But being on the road with WWE, you know, it’s tough for me to leave, you know, I want to be here at all times. I want to see everything. Like it feels like you leave for one day. She changes, she grows so fast. And one of the episodes I’m fighting for her to crawl, like I want her to crawl, cause I’m leaving for a while and if she doesn’t crawl before I leave, then she might be crawling and then I’ll miss the first crawl. And you don’t want to miss the first, you know, you don’t want to miss the first word, first crawl, the first step, you know, those types of things you want to see, be there to witness firsthand, not on Facetime or on a video. So that’s kind of what I go through each time I leave.
It reminded me of that episode of Friends.
Michael Gregory Mizanin: Yeah I believe it or not I spray tan every week. I go to either a spray tan person or I have my own spray tan. Or I do it myself. Normally I do it myself. Normally I do it myself, but Maryse can’t stand the smell of my tanner. So whenever she’s around, I have to like go to a specialist if you’re will, and every time I go there, I usually can go in booths, but Maryse found me this woman that does this airbrushing and every time you go in. You ask any WWE superstar that that uses tanner, you always ask for the darkest, the reason you asked for the darkest, because every time it’s not dark enough. Never dark enough. I want competition ready tan. I want to look like I’m going in a bodybuilder type situation because it’s like whenever the lights go on you it defines the cut. The darker you are, the more bronze you are, the better cuts you have in the WWE ring. Like you, you want to diet? You don’t need to diet. All you need is spray tan. So yeah, I guess I went a little overboard this time.
Yeah. Mike, I have a question for you. You’re so familiar with being on reality TV and WWE TV, what are you more comfortable with at this point in your career because you’ve got a camera in your face for a very long time. Pretty much almost your adult life.
Michael Gregory Mizanin: Yeah. Kinda right. Felt like Ross.
Yeah. Congratulations for it because I saw, I actually saw you early on in California, things like UPW somewhere. So yeah congratulations on all the success.
Michael Gregory Mizanin: You know, when I was a kid growing up I used to carry around like a VHS tape recorder, remember those big VHS tapes? My Dad had one when I was a kid and I would carry it around and I would make videos all the time. Anytime there was a newscast, I would run in front of the camera. Like I’d always been a ham to the camera. So to get on the Real World back when I was 19 years old was a blessing because I just enjoy being in front of the camera and getting on that show allowed me to believe that I could do anything I wanted with my life. I could pursue goals. Like when I was growing up in Parma, Ohio. You go from high school to college after college, you go back to Parma and you just live your life and that’s what you’re supposed to do for the rest of your life. But being on the Real World made me realize I could do anything I wanted and I wanted to be a WWE superstar. I remember growing up painting my face and putting streamers on my arms running around the house going “Load the spaceship with the rocket fuel” like Ultimate Warrior. And now here I am, 38 years old, one of the biggest superstars in all WWE. And I get to perform in front of live audiences each and every week. It is a true blessing, but it, trust me, it took a lot of sacrifice and hard work to get here.
Maryse we know that Brie Bella went back to the ring for one match after she had a baby. Do you have any desire to get back into the ring or are you happy being a mom and, and doing the stuff, but like behind the scenes with the Miz.
Michael Gregory Mizanin: Oh my goodness. Yeah that is way that’s where I first learned the art of professional wrestling.
Wow.
Maryse Mizanin: I did actually went back to the ring, main event, in Smackdown live. I started hiding Monroe.
Michael Gregory Mizanin: She would be back in the ring but the only problem is we got another one on the way.
Maryse Mizanin: I mean, I came back it was at Summer Slam, four months after, five months after having Monroe I was main event of Smackdown Live. And we had a huge pay-per-view match. And now I’m pregnant again.
Well, congratulations on the upcoming baby. So I have another question. Do you guys watch any wrestling outside of WWE at all?
Maryse Mizanin: Yeah. But eight months after having Monroe I got pregnant. So I, uh, yeah.
Yeah. Okay. I was just curious. Miz, have to ask you, how amazing was it to have your dad apart of Royal Rumble after you and Shane won the titles?
Maryse Mizanin: Not really.
I’m hoping you do. Maryse question for you. You and the women before you and during your generation, you guys paved the way for this women’s revolution, evolution in WWE. If your daughter wanted to get into the business, what advice would you have for her?
Michael Gregory Mizanin: You know, that was, that was really incredible for me. Like my dad, you know, growing up I was, I played all the sports, I played everything. And you know, my dad’s not the type to ever, you know, tell me or show affection towards me or tell me that he loves me, tell me that he’s proud of me. Any type of those things, it just he shows it with kind of through what he does. You know what I mean? He’s that kind of dad, which always pushed me. And at Royal Rumble as well as the Smackdown after Royal Rumble where Shane brought my dad in the ring. My dad telling me that not only is proud of me, that he loves me in the middle of the ring in front of 16,000 people, millions watching at home was incredible because I can honestly tell you, I’ve never heard my dad say that. And so it was a, it was a huge moment for me. I think it was a huge moment for him. And we got backstage and he was like “Mike, I just, I didn’t know that you even cared about that or it mattered. And I’d be like, yeah, it does. I don’t care, but you do care. You know, as a kid, you always want look for your parents to give you approval. You always look to your parents to give you that confidence and give you that love. And so to hear him say that, that was incredible and I just can’t wait for Fast Lane because he’s going to be in front row. It gonna be in front of my hometown, you know, of Cleveland, Ohio. It’s where I grew up. And you know, I can’t wait to bring a championship to Cleveland.
I agree. I’m so happy that the women are on top of WWE right now. It’s so cool to see that. So Miz, I’m a huge fan of The Challenge. When are we going to get the vets versus WWE?
Maryse Mizanin: I would tell her she can do whatever she wants. Whatever she wants to do, whatever she wants to go for. If she is passionate and she works hard than she can do it. After I was pregnant with Monroe and, and when I came back to WWE you know, the first, I mean I hadn’t wrestled in seven years, six years, and the first match I had was two, like I said, main event, Smackdown Live. Back in my days. Things like this wouldn’t happen. We were fighting for minutes on TV and nowadays it’s just absolutely insane where it’s at. You know, that women are main events of Wrestlemania. It’s grown so much and I think that it’s amazing. I mean, and I think it’s just going to keep growing. So now I’m curious to see what else, what else are they going to do?
I mean that’s a great point actually. I’m a huge fan of that show The Challenge. It’s my guilty pleasure. Literally after this conversation, I’m going to go watch it because I DVR’d it last night. What other Real World star or a star from The Challenge do you think would make it big in the WWE maybe like a CT?
Maryse Mizanin: Oh, I have no idea on that one. I mean, I’ve always been a fan of the challenge ever since I was on it. You know, it’s one of those shows that it’s kind of a guilty pleasure for a lot of people and it still gets amazing ratings. I’m very loyal person, you know, with MTV and Buna Marie productions who do The Challenge? I always tell MTV anytime they need anything from me, I’m always there because you gave me my shot. You give me my first shot, you give me my first chance. That’s why you’ll always see whenever they need a host for, you know, whether it’s the chance for stars version of The Challenge or if they need a person to host the reunion shows. I’m always on those because like, it’s me basically saying thank you to MTV because you gave me what I have today. I honestly believe that because if it wasn’t for MTV, Buna Murray, The Real World or The Challenge. I don’t think I’d be a WWE superstar. I’d be in Cleveland, Ohio, flipping Burgers with my dad, Mr Hero.
I agree. And congratulations for both of you guys mainly because like I love, the reason I really liked your show though is like you said, it is more lighthearted and it just makes me feel better and good and it’s like, oh people, even though you guys are WWE superstars, a lot of the people can like relate to you guys in a lot of different ways, you know what I mean?
Michael Gregory Mizanin: I’m a one of a kind my friend. But you know there’s a lot of challengers that, the thing about being a WWE superstar, you have to really love, love wrestling and love being in the ring and love traveling. And it’s not necessarily the stuff we do in the ring. I mean, granted, that is very difficult and you know, just cause we make it look easy. Doesn’t mean it is easy. It’s very difficult. But it’s all this stuff around the ring, you know, backstage, you know, a lot of the stuff that you go through and it takes a very strong minded person as well as physically. CT is definitely strong minded. He’s definitely physically gifted. I’m not sure if he, if he’d ever have that the dedication to, to be a WWE superstar if he wanted to. He definitely could. He has all the physical attributes and mental mentality, but it’s, you have to have a love for, for wrestling. And I’m not sure if there’s any challengers out there that has that absolutely love that will be willing to sacrifice all the sacrifices that are needed to be a WWE superstar. Like you look at Bananas. He can cut a promo on anybody anytime, anywhere, and is very gifted physically. But does he want to be a WWE superstar? I don’t know. I don’t think so. You know, the specific individuals to want to do that. And the individual is me. Uh, so Johnny can stick to, you know, First Look on NBC and CT can stick to keep doing the challenges and hopefully you know, other people like I always want challengers to do more because the more they all do that, the more respect I think we gain as you know, because back in my day when I was on a Real World, you were nothing. You are nobody. You are a person that was on a reality show and you have no talent to go stand in front of a camera and live your life. No talent hack. And now I look at it and I don’t think people look at reality TV that way, especially with our show. Miz and Mrs, I think we set out to do something different. Something that people will look at. Something that Maryse and I both put out there that we are proud of because nowadays with Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, everything is a reality show. I know exactly what the Rock, Kevin Hart and all those other people are doing because they’re always on Instagram live showing me exactly what’s going. So it’s basically its own reality show and I call ours like kind of almost like a hybrid reality where, you know, I look at our show as a, as a cross between, you know, a lot of people do it like, oh, it’s like a, you know, housewives or this or this. I don’t look at that. I look at our show is more of like Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Office, Seinfeld. You know, ours is a straight up comedy, funny but real and its reality. And so that’s how we set out to do this. And you know, it’s funny, I told the people at USA, I go, my goal this year was to win an Emmy. And you know, people laugh whenever I say that. But you know, I’m a person that I’ve always been driven by goals and I guess that’s a goal for me, you know, to do, to put my for your consideration out before everybody else. And hopefully we’ll be able to make some noise. And if we don’t win, hopefully we get a nomination or we just get people starting to look at it and going, wow, you know what, maybe they could, I mean you need a story for an Emmy. There’s no bigger story then a first time parent in the entertainment industry living their lives. Like there’s no bigger storing my opinion.
Well guys, thank you so much for your time and congratulations on season two.
Michael Gregory Mizanin: Sure, exactly. That’s what we wanted to do as well. Like we like what do my wife and I, what do we do on a regular basis that, that legit, like people will look at and go, Oh wow, I do that too. Like, everyone has a kid. So guess what? Everyone goes through their kids stuff the same stuff. You know, we’re no different, right. Cause we’re WWE superstars doesn’t mean it doesn’t mean that we’re, we’re doing this differently. It’s the same thing, man. I’m wiping butts.
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