Comedian Drew Carey made a memorable cameo in the 2001 Royal Rumble match, and according to Bruce Prichard, his backstage demeanor was exemplary. Speaking on the Something To Wrestle with podcast, Prichard praised Carey for his humble approach, noting that he arrived without the entourage typically associated with major celebrities.
A Low-Key Arrival
“Drew Carey shows up to the arena with a gym bag by himself, comes in the back door, introduces himself to everyone, says, ‘Hello, my name is Drew Carey. I’m involved in things here,'” Prichard recalled. “And I mean, every person walking backstage [he] introduces himself to”.
Prichard contrasted this with other celebrity guests. “No manager, no lawyer, no friends, no entourage, none of that bullshit. Just showed up to the building and came across is just a guy who happened to be extremely successful and and was a huge star at the time, and was absolutely just so respectful of everything that that we did”.
Refusing the Celebrity Treatment
Carey’s humility extended to his accommodations. When WWE staff attempted to give him the standard VIP treatment, he politely declined isolation. “Finally found him and say, ‘Hey… I know we got a room for you over here,’ and we put him in a dressing room,” Prichard said. “He goes, ‘Do I have to stay in here by myself?’ I was like, ‘No dude, no, come on out.’ And he came out and went and just was in awe of it all”.
A Genuine Fan
According to Prichard, Carey’s excitement was palpable throughout the event. “Sat up and watched the entire show just like, like, like a little kid just staring at the screen, like, ‘Oh my god, oh my god,'” Prichard stated. “And would thank everybody when they came back from the ring, ‘Oh my gosh, I was amazing. It was greatest match ever.’ Every match was the greatest match he’d ever seen”.
Prichard summarized the experience by calling Carey “a joy to work with” and the “anti-Prima Donna… just a class act all the way through”.
Why He Didn’t Take a Bump
During the Royal Rumble match, Carey famously eliminated himself to escape a confrontation with Kane. Prichard clarified that the decision to avoid physical contact came from WWE management, not Carey.
“He was willing to take it as far, and it was us that wanted to protect him and make sure that there’s not a chance that he can get hurt and not be able to do what he needs to do,” Prichard explained. “So it was a fun spot to be able to get him exposure and get him out and in front of the audience”.
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