CM Punk recently spoke about stepping into a darker, more complex acting role while promoting the upcoming film Night Patrol. In an interview with Josh Wilding, the reigning WWE World Champion reflected on portraying a corrupt vampire cop and tackling the film’s deeper social themes.
Wilding opened the discussion by highlighting the movie’s dual focus on genre thrills and real-world commentary.
Wilding: “It’s a great action movie with a very cool take on vampires on the one hand, but then on the other, it’s got a lot to say about police corruption and racism. So, as an actor, how exciting is it for you to play a villain like this, but also tackle some pretty heavy themes at the same time?”
Punk explained that the role resonated deeply with him, particularly because of his lifelong appreciation for horror as a vehicle for social commentary.
Punk: “It’s really exciting. You know, I’m a big horror movie fan, and a lot of that is because of the subject matter. But horror movies, to me, have also been the genre that filmmakers use to speak on social issues. Way back when George Romero made Night of the Living Dead, that was social commentary. This movie is no different. And it’s fun to be able to do an action-horror movie because you like them, but it’s more meaningful when you’re actually saying something with the movie. So yeah, getting to play a bad guy in this kind of movie was tremendous. It meant a lot to me. I took it very seriously, you know, because there are a lot of underlying issues in this, and I think we did a masterful job of asking the question: who’s the real monster? Who’s the real gang?”
Wilding then followed up by noting Punk’s long-standing willingness to use his platform to speak out on social issues, asking how challenging it was to embody a character who stands in stark contrast to his real-life values.
Wilding: “Yeah. Yeah, absolutely agree. After watching the film—and I’ve always admired how you’ve used your platform to speak out against racism and support a lot of great causes—so to be an actor in a project like this, what’s the biggest challenge in terms of getting into the mindset of a character who stands against everything you do as a person?”
According to Punk, the transition was more natural than one might expect.
Punk: “You know, I wish I could say it was hard, but it’s not. It’s actually quite easy. I think everybody has had a less-than-desirable experience with a cop, whether it’s being pulled over or, you know, harassed on the street. I don’t know, but I know I’ve had multiple instances where it’s just like, man, I thought you were supposed to protect and serve. Why are you like this? And it was fun to be able to act that out. You get to be a little bit naughty, but it’s all for the art, so to speak. So yeah, it was easy to be able to be that rotten, nefarious, diabolical bad guy.”
With Night Patrol, Punk continues to expand his resume beyond the wrestling ring, embracing challenging roles that blend genre entertainment with pointed social commentary—an approach that mirrors the outspoken authenticity fans have long associated with him.
