Can Karlee Perez Be Female Version of 'The Rock'?

Crossing over is all the rage right now in Hollywood. 

Movie stars are tackling TV roles. Television actors are transitioning to the big screen. Even athletes are making it as actors, if they have enough talent, dedication and charisma. 

One of the best examples of the latter is Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, a former football star and pro wrestling legend who has parlayed his megawatt smile and massive build into a hugely successful movie career.  

Former WWE star Karlee Perez, aka Maxine, is hoping to follow the same path Johnson blazed from the ring to the screen; the fact that no female has done it is not about to keep her from realizing her goal.

“I was with the WWE for almost four years, and I spent three and a half years taking acting classes to work on my skills,” Perez said recently after auditioning for a movie role with producer Jimmy Fitzpatrick at MPC Models in downtown Safety Harbor.

“I was used mostly for my promotional and speaking skills. And when you’re on live in front of millions of people, you can’t mess up.”

While she knows making the switch from the bright lights of professional wrestling to the bright lights of a movie set isn’t going to be easy, Perez believes she has what it takes to be successful at it. 

For one thing despite her model-good looks, she’s not just another pretty face. 

The South Tampa native is a former criminology major who had to work her way up to the big stage of major championship wrestling. She also writes, sings, and she understands the value of making good connections in the industry.

“I signed with Di a few weeks ago, and I had a great audition,” Perez said of MPC director Dianne Paulson. “It’s all new to me, so I need people like Di and Jimmy to guide me.” 

Paulson, an industry vet who discovered a young Channing Tatum at a Tampa event before he went on to superstardom, is definitive when it comes to what MPC can do for Perez. 

“We’re going to be the ones to take the first WWE female and make her into a movie star,” she said. 

For her part, Perez isn’t shying away from the challenge. 

"Di wants to make me the female version of the Rock. Jimmy said I'm more diverse. The possibilities are endless," she said.

“Not one woman has gone from the WWE to be a star in another field,” she added. “I say if guys like the Rock can do it, why can’t a women?”

Related:

• Hollywood Producer Sets Sights on Safety Harbor

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