Kurt Fuller Relives 1989 Cult Classic No Holds Barred, Hulk Hogan, Vince McMahon

KURT FULLER has never set foot inside a wrestling ring as a competitor, yet in 1989, he became one of Hulk Hogan’s fiercest on-screen enemies. He played the Ted Turner-inspired Tom Brell in No Holds Barred, The Hulkster’s first starring role in a movie that was bankrolled by Vince McMahon.

The film opened in the US and Canada on June 2, 1989, taking close to $5 million on its opening weekend – second only to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Despite being panned by critics, it has since become a cult classic; a “so bad it’s good” gem that is remembered fondly by a generation of wrestling fans. Fuller’s unhinged TV executive stands out as one of its most gloriously over-the-top and memorable characters.

No Holds Barred is a bizarre, wrestling-fuelled tale set in a fictionalised version of the World Wrestling Federation. Demolition’s Ax, Jesse Ventura, Mean Gene Okerlund and Howard Finkel all make cameo appearances – and at the peak of his Hulkamania powers, Hulk Hogan stars as the flick's hero Rip Thomas.

The plot, like most great wrestling storylines, is simple and centres around the battle between good and bad: Brell’s attempts to lure Rip to his rival network with a big money offer is rejected, calling for the disgruntled exec to spend the rest of the movie trying to exact revenge. Enter Tommy “Tiny” Lister as Zeus – a 6ft 5in mountain of a man, blind in one eye, who becomes Brell’s gun for hire.

The story even bled into real WWF programming, culminating at SummerSlam ’89, where Zeus was inserted into the main event and teamed with Randy Savage against Hogan and Brutus Beefcake.

Kurt Fuller, who would go on to become a seasoned character with with a resume packed with scene-stealing roles in Wayne’s World, Ghostbusters II, Scary Movie and many Hollywood hits, brought endless intensity, energy and comic timing to the wild world of No Holds Barred.

On Wrestling Life, Kurt Fuller sat down with Ben Veal for a no-holds-barred interview of his own. From bleeding on set to working with Vince McMahon, Fuller held nothing back as he relived one of wrestling’s strangest film spin-offs ever:

• Auditioning for No Holds Barred and how a puddle sealed the deal

• First impressions of Vince McMahon and working with him on set

• What it was like acting opposite Hulk Hogan in his movie debut

• Why subtle acting went out the window once the cameras rolled

• How Kurt was introduced to the wild world of pro wrestling

• His reaction to the script and what he really thought of it

• The infamous cheque scene and the moment that nearly choked him

• The electrocution scene and how far the movie went for laughs

• What made Stan Hansen and Tiny “Zeus” Lister so unforgettable

• Why Kurt has genuine respect for pro wrestlers

• The story behind Brell’s iconic insult – “jockass”

• Why No Holds Barred deserves more credit from film fans

• Memories from Ghostbusters II, Wayne’s World, and more

• The role he’s proudest of in his film and TV career

• Why he’s looking to spend more time in the UK

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Kurt Fuller: Why Vince McMahon Offered Me No Holds Barred Role

Hollywood actor Kurt Fuller shares his experience playing Brell in the iconic 1989 film No Holds Barred. Kurt opens up about working alongside legendary WWF talent and his memorable encounters with Vince McMahon.

“Here’s how I got the role. Vince McMahon had me come in and read five times. Now I won’t read once, but then I would have read ten times. And Vince is always there, ‘Hey, how are you, Kurt? How you doing? Hey, you’re looking great.’ Always pumping and hyping everything.

“Apparently on the fifth time I came in – I heard this years later – they were up on the third floor, it was raining. I was all dressed up in my Brell suit, I was all hyped for it, I was sort of in character a little bit. They were looking out the window and I drove up in my car and apparently I got out of the car and stepped in a big puddle and got my feet all wet.

“I was going crazy and Vince goes, ‘That’s it! That’s Brell!’ And that’s how I got the movie before I even got up the elevator and into the room. Because he saw me go Brell insane.”

Kurt Fuller On Acting With Hulk Hogan In No Holds Barred

Kurt Fuller talks about his experiences working with Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon during the filming of the 1989 cult classic No Holds Barred.

“I thought, okay, because he’s such an extreme personality, I’m gonna play it very small. Because when somebody is doing big things you don’t need to be big at the same time they’re doing the big things.

“Well, that lasted about two seconds. I came in there with these ideas to be subtle. No, I had to be bigger than big.

“Vince said, ‘Kurt, you’re acting with a guy who’s 6ft 7in wearing red spandex. You can’t be big enough.’ And I thought, ‘Well, he has a point.’”

No Holds Barred Star Kurt Fuller Remembers Tiny “Zeus” Lister

Hollywood actor Kurt Fuller – Brell in 1989 cult wrestling classic No Holds Barred – shares his memories of working alongside Tommy “Tiny” Lister, Hulk Hogan’s nemesis Zeus in the movie.

“Such a sweetheart of a person, I loved him," said Kurt, reflecting back on the former Zeus. "He’s passed away now."

“He was beloved for good reason. He was the perfect [antagonist]. Couldn’t speak, didn’t have one line, I don’t think, but he seemed enormous.

“I loved hanging out with him. I loved to make fun of him. He fell asleep all the time and I’d wake him up.”

"He Shoved It Down My Throat": Wild Hulk Hogan No Holds Barred Story!

Kurt Fuller shares an unbelievable story from filming an iconic scene with Hulk Hogan in the 1989 cult classic No Holds Barred.

“He’s supposed to shove the cheque down my throat and then I’m supposed to swallow it and his line is, ‘I won’t be around when this cheque clears.’ That’s a funny line, actually.

“He shoved it down my throat, his fingers scraped the back of my throat and started bleeding. I almost died. I had to cough it up and he said, ‘Sorry, brother. That’s the way we do it.’ I said, ‘Really? You really shove the cheque down somebody’s throat? I don’t think so.’

“It was like amateur hour.”

Yet Fuller concedes that despite the issues on set, there remains something extremely special about No Holds Barred: "The ridiculousness of it is very compelling. I think that because the movie has zero shame, it’s not apologising for itself. It’s saying, ‘Here I am. Love me or get out.’ When a movie will go that far with that kind of conviction, you have to respect it.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lee Herbert is the author of the forthcoming book Rampage — a heartfelt tribute to the glory days of the WWF’s first UK boom. Packed with moments, merch, and memories, it explores how a golden era of American wrestling turned a generation of British kids into lifelong fans. Lee’s writing is a celebration of everything that’s great about professional wrestling. Follow the book's progress at @wwframpagebook.

WRESTLING LIFE ONLINE: REAL TALK FROM REAL TALENT

Wrestling Life with Ben Veal shines the spotlight brightly and positively on those who shaped wrestling's past, drive its present and influence its future. Widely available, the show features honest, open and inspiring conversations with many of the sport's biggest names, including Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley, Lilian Garcia, Candice Michelle, Buff Bagwell, Doug Williams, Eric Bischoff and many more. The show is presented by award-winning journalist and content creator Ben Veal, co-author of Marc Mero's autobiography, Badd To Good: The Inspiring Story of a Wrestling Wildman.

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