Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
The former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion stars with Billy Zane and Danny Trejo in the fight-filled thriller.
Even prior to his last fight in 2011, Randy Couture had been in the business of racking up acting credits. Notably, he has starred in The Expendables franchise, had a recurring character on Hawaii Five-0, played himself on Ballers, and has been working steadily since his retirement. Couture has pursued his career in front of the camera with the same determination and competitiveness that marked his time in the Octagon.
“Acting is still a very physical gig. You’re out competing with other guys for that role or that stunt. I think both my business endeavors and acting still fulfill that competitive void that I left when I left competitive MMA,” Couture told MMA Weekly.
His latest role comes in the action film Final Kill. Couture plays Deacon Long, a man who has spent his life in an underground world of violence. As Couture says, “If he’s got to tape a guy to a chair and beat the hell out of him, it’s no problem.”
The film centers around a couple who has stolen eight million dollars from a ruthless crime family and needs protection. An aging protection specialist takes the job as his final gig before retirement.
Couture stars opposite Danny Trejo, Ed Morrone, and Billy Zane. Interestingly, one of Couture’s co-stars is Dr. Drew Pinsky. Appropriately enough, he plays a Drew Pinksy-like character named Dr. Metzger.
When asked to compare the fight life versus his acting career, Couture says he misses the routine of training and the simplicity of focusing on an upcoming fight. “It sounds counterintuitive, but seeing how much I’ve been running and how hard I go in everything, the travel and everything that’s gone on since I retired, that single thing in front of you, like having a fight night, there’s a relaxing thing in that. I miss that,” he says, while adding, “Getting punched in the face on a regular basis, I don’t miss that as much.”
Couture still lightly spars and gets on the mats when he can, and his expertise is sought by the fight choreographers who work with him. “I think most of those guys appreciate my background and want my input,” Couture says, commenting, “You can write a great fight scene, and then you get into the actual place you’re shooting, and none of what you’ve written fits in that space, so you have to adjust.”
So while the UFC Hall of Famer is still incorporating his fighting knowledge into his acting life, there are some things that have been left behind. “I miss the impetus for all the buddies I’ve had from the phases in my life to come hang out. I think I had 11 guys I served with in the Army come to Boston for the fight with James Toney (at UFC 118).” Sounds like Couture needs to get a reunion party planned for his next big premiere.
Final Kill can be purchased or rented on YouTube, Prime Video, Google Play, Vudu, or on the big screen in select cities.