AEW/ROH star Ethan Page recently spoke with Jackson Bragman on the Bragman Breakdown on a number of topics including a backstage interaction he had with WWE star The Miz several years ago.
Page said, “I did extra work, very young, I think I was 22, 23 years old.” “Still only doing independents. This was pre-IMPACT, pre-EVOLVE even. I was there for extra work, and I was waiting to sign in, you have to fill out these waivers. As I’m waiting, The Miz walks down the hallway. I had greeted maybe a couple of wrestlers at this point. First time I’ve ever been backstage, so I’m blown away at the whole larger than life atmosphere of it, and I’ve only seen what’s on-screen, so my mind is blown. I see The Miz walk by. He stops to say hello to every extra, every staff member.”
“These are people just filing papers. It didn’t matter who it was, he stopped and said hi to everyone. He stops in the admin room to double-check his charity appearances. As he’s double-checking, they are adding more to his plate. ‘Do you mind stopping to read to kids for Be A Star?’ ‘Yeah, no problem. Whatever you need. You know that.’ I have the clearest mental picture of that experience that I have tried to recreate in my career to give that same…the feeling I got watching it, I was like, ‘Oh, that’s how you do this job right.’ That is the person and performer that I want to be like.”
(H/T to Fightful for transcribing the above quotes)