WWE Hall of Famer Paul Heyman spoke with ScreenRant on a number of topics, including the amount of work and research he puts into developing his on-screen character.
Heyman said, “I study. I’m a voracious student of camera angles, lighting, sound. From being obsessed with directing, I’ve studied different ways to approach the performance. And also it’s a lot of what we do is very much improv. I know the theme of what I’m going to talk about when I go out there. I know the sales pitch. I know what I’m trying to convey to the audience, but I don’t really know the exact words. I may know a line or two that I have planned. But besides that, it’s just taking the temperature of the room and playing to it. And when you do that for so long, there are nuances and idiosyncrasies and subtleties that you learn in reading the room.”
On approaching his promos:
“It’s just a feel for the interactive synergy that you have with an audience. I would dare to say that if you watch any orator perform in front of his audience, they will all tell you something similar to this. What’s the core of what I’m talking about? How do I drive that core into the heart of the audience? How do I get them to feel what I’m saying and care about? And if you can ask yourself those questions before you go through the curtain and perform or if it’s a backstage before the red light goes on, then what you’ve accomplished is putting yourself in the mindset of the viewer. And once you’re in the minds of the viewers, how do you play to them? And how do you get them emotionally invested in the message that you’re delivering?”
