WWE Hall of Famer “Captain” Lou Albano almost bowed out of playing Mario.
Before Illumination and Nintendo teamed up for 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie, pro wrestling collided with pop culture when Lou Albano played Mario in a popular live-action television series.
Pro wrestling fans mostly remember Lou Albano as the charismatic manager with a long beard tied with a rubber band. Pop culture enthusiasts, however, remember him as Mario in the late-1980s live-action Super Mario Bros. series.
During an interview on The Super Mario Bros. Super Show! DVD Box Set Volume 1, it was revealed that the WWE Hall of Famer was initially hesitant to take on the role. According to Albano, he felt more comfortable staying in wrestling.
“They approached me for the part, and I thought it was an opportunity. At first, I didn’t want to do it. I figured I was in wrestling and should just stick with that. But then my wife talked to me and said, ‘Hey, let’s take a shot at it.’”
Lou Albano had a major issue with looking the part of Mario
A major sticking point for Albano was shaving his beard, which he viewed as a key part of his wrestling identity and something he wasn’t willing to give up.
“I also didn’t want to shave my beard. I was used to wrestling with it tied up with a rubber band and all that.”
Despite his reluctance, Albano ultimately agreed to the role after discussions with a producer friend who insisted on the change.
“But the guy told me, ‘You can’t go on with that,’ and I wasn’t too happy about it. I had known him for years. He was a friend, and he put me on the show and asked me to do it, so I said, ‘Okay, let’s go.’ And before I knew it, it was all done.”
The sequel to the 2023 film, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, is in theatres on April 1.
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