Karlee Perez Lands Leading Role

This story was written by Jeff Rosenfield.

Back in June, former WWE star and Tampa native Karlee Perez came to Safety Harbor as she started to make the transition from the wrestling ring to the screen.

Perez, who went by the name of Maxine in the WWE, enlisted Dianne Paulson and her MPC Models company to help kickstart her new career. She did a photo shoot and met with local producer Jimmy Fitzpatrick in hopes of landing a part in a series or movie.

Less than two months later, Perez has taken a big step towards becoming the first female wrestler to make it in Hollywood, landing a leading role in an action web series called 'The Cell.'

"I recently signed a deal with Imani Films out of El Paso, Texas, to star in a brand-new series called 'The Cell'," Perez told Patch by phone. "I'll be the main character in the series, playing an assassin."

"The director called me and said he thought I'd be perfect for this role," she added. "There's a lot of fighting. It's a good fit for me."

Although she didn't get the part through MPC, she credits Paulson and Fitzpatrick for helping her get started on her journey to potential stardom.

"Dianne and Jimmy are great, they were a big help to me when I met with them," she said. "I'm looking forward to working with them in the future."

In fact, Paulson said Perez is due back at her downtown Safety Harbor studio this month to do a photo shoot for an Italian magazine.

She said she always knew Perez had what it took to make the transition from wrestler to actor.

"I had no doubt in my mind that she would do great things," Paulson said.

Perez said she is extremely excited to fly to Texas to begin shooting the series next month. 

For now she will travel between Tampa and Texas to film the show; she is also going to read for a role in a feature film the studio is producing.

But she admitted that if her star begins to rise, she may have to leave the Bay area behind for the bright lights of Hollywood.

"I'll be in Tampa for now, but we'll see what happens from here," she said.