Constantin FilmDave Bautista has posted a picture of his ‘Deputy Sheriff’ badge from Hillsborough County in Florida, but the wrestler-turned-actor probably can’t arrest you just yet.
Bautista is a man of many talents. He made his wrestling debut in 1999, joined the WWE in 2000, and fighting as ‘Batista,’ won the WWE Championship twice, the Royal Rumble twice, the World Heavyweight Championship four times, and multiple Tag Team titles.
He’s also become a giant movie star, playing Drax in the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and winning roles in the likes of Spectre, Blade Runner 2049, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and Knock at the Cabin.
More recently, Bautista received a law enforcement award, but the badge isn’t what it seems.
Dave Bautista receives “honorary” sheriff’s badge
Dave Bautista/InstagramAlongside an Instagram picture of him holding the new police badge, Dave Bautista writes: “Honorary Deputy Sheriff of Hillsborough County, Florida… I didn’t see that one coming either.” He follows that with a shrug emoji, and a crying laughing emoji.
Bautista continues: “Big love and thanks to my brother @titusoneilwwe and Sheriff @chadchronister for the honor and for everything you do for this community. Appreciate you both. Tampa’s held a special place in my heart ever since I moved here 20 years ago. Always has. Always will.”
Bautista’s love for Tampa is so real that as well as living there for two decades, he launched a tattoo studio near downtown in 2022, called DC Society Ink.
“Everybody that comes here is gone have one thing in common,” Bautista told Fox13 of his new business, “and that’s their love for tattoo or wanting to tell their story.”
Meaning Bautista currently has four strings to his burgeoning bow: wrestler, actor, tattoo parlour owner, and most recently, honorary deputy sheriff. Now if he could just get that Gears of War movie off the ground…
Related
Head here for Dexerto’s list of the best sci-fi movies and best video game movies of all time, or here for the best superhero movies, where Bautista’s Marvel efforts feature near the top.