ROMAN EMPIRE

JOE ANOA'I SLAMMED HIS WAY TO WWE STARDOM AS “ROMAN REIGNS.” NOW THE BRAWNY BRAWLER IS LOOKING TO HOLLYWOOD FOR HIS NEXT STARRING ROLE

- TOM KLUDT

ABOUT AN HOUR into our flight, Joe Anoa’i tells me a secret: Roman Reigns isn’t going to win the Royal Rumble. As far as spoilers go, this is akin to finding out who was getting whacked on The Sopranos the night before an episode aired—and if James Gandolfini was tipping you off. Anoa’i, after all, knows Reigns the same way Gandolfini knew Tony Soprano. Or like Terry Bollea knows Hulk Hogan.

Since 2012, Anoa’i has performed as Roman Reigns in the great American soap opera that is World Wrestling Entertainment. He has sculpted the character, tinkered with his look and mannerisms, ultimately transforming Reigns from an awkward “babyface” (good guy) to a commanding “heel” (bad guy). “I’m very passionate about being a storyteller, being able to dive into a character and wear a different skin,” Anoa’i says. “That's the beauty of wrestling and what we do every single week. I can become this Roman Reigns guy.”

They aren’t the same guy, not entirely anyway. Anoa’i is laid-back, a self-described introvert who says he’s most comfortable as part of a team; Reigns is domineering and megalomaniacal, qualities that he channels in his two-word catchphrase: “Acknowledge me.” Anoa’i is a father of five who performs morning drop-off duty; Reigns is known as the Tribal Chief, a Mob-style boss who rules over his family with an iron fist. But in professional wrestling, the best characters are often amplified versions of the performer. “We just turn the dial up,” he says. “My normal level is a 5 or a 4, but when it’s time to work, we turn it up to a 10 or an 11.”

At this moment, somewhere above the southeastern United States, Reigns is nowhere to be found. It’s just Anoa’i and an entourage that includes his on and off-screen collaborator, Paul Heyman. We’re heading to Indianapolis for the Royal Rumble, one of WWE’s tent-pole events.