Exclusive Interview: CM Punk Talks ‘Revival,’ Stepping into the Shadows, and Fueling the Hero’s Rise

CM Punk made his name in the ring, where charisma, grit, and instinct collide—and now he’s channeling that same raw intensity into his on-screen roles. In Revival, the wrestling legend turns in a performance that’s equal parts brutal and grounded, proving he’s as much a force behind the camera as he was between the ropes.

On one miraculous day in rural Wisconsin, the dead return—but not in the way anyone expects. In Revival, the “revived” look and act exactly as they did before they died, throwing the town of Wausau into chaos. At the center is Officer Dana Cypress, a single mother thrust into a brutal murder investigation as fear and suspicion grip the community. Among those adding fuel to the fire is Anthony Check, a volatile and unpredictable figure played by CM Punk, whose presence only deepens the tension in a town where everyone—living or undead—is a suspect.

Pop Culturalist sat down with CM Punk to chat about his role in the genre-defying series, how his wrestling instincts inform his on-screen work, and why he was drawn to the story of Revival He opens up about embracing the physicality of Anthony Check, collaborating with his scene partners, and the brutal final scene that fans won’t soon forget.

PC: Revival is a series that transcends genre. When a project like this first crosses your desk, what is it that immediately captures your attention?
CM Punk: For me, it was the source material. It wasn’t just a television show—it was a comic book I was already a fan of. There were talks about developing it into a series eight or nine years ago. At the time, I spoke with Tim Seeley and Aaron Koontz about how they wanted me to be involved. I said, “That sounds great. I love the comics. Whatever you need me to do, I’m in.” So it’s really cool to see it finally come to fruition.

PC: When you’re playing a character who already exists in another medium, how much do you draw from the original source material, and how do you approach building that bridge between what’s familiar and the version you’re bringing to life?
CM Punk: I try to stay as close to the source material as I can—especially if I think it’s good and I’m already a fan of it, which I was in this case. They tweaked a couple of things—the way he dresses is different—but those are decisions I don’t really have input on. I show up to my trailer, the clothes are there, and I put them on. I’m like, “Okay, this is what we’re doing.” Everything moves so fast when you’re shooting a TV show, especially with a tight schedule and budget. For me, it was less about Anthony Check and more about Em Cypress. I took a very progressive approach: she’s the hero, the babyface. I’ve got a short amount of screen time, and my job is to help get her to where she needs to be—and to make people want to see me die horribly. [laughs]

PC: Serving the hero’s story. You’ve said in previous interviews that you’re very much an introvert, but you bring such a presence to the screen. What is that preparation process like for you when tapping into different characters? And how much does the physicality—especially with a character like Anthony—help you tap into his essence?
CM Punk: The physicality is the easy part. They gave me a bit of leeway with that. In Hollywood, we like to rely on camera angles and stunt doubles, but I find that if the other actor I’m working with is willing to go there, I can always be a little more physical. Romy [Weltman] is a tiny, tiny little lady. I said to her, “You’re not going to hurt me—no matter what you do, it’s not going to happen. If you trust me, we can really have fun with this and make it something special.” And we did. They gave us that freedom. She’s a violent girl in that scene. Me being a pro wrestler, I can take that physicality and bring it into the acting world—and get away with a little more.

PC: Credit to you as well, because that struggle looks real on camera.
CM Punk: It was 100% real.

PC: You’ve built an illustrious career in the ring, where you’re able to feed off a live audience. How different is that experience when stepping into a character on screen, where—as you said—you’re feeding off a scene partner instead? What has that transition been like?
CM Punk: It can be jarring. Pro wrestling is more like Broadway—it’s live. You can’t stop and say, “Hey, can we shoot that again?” or “I messed up.” There’s no red light that turns on and off. When you’re in front of a crowd, it’s live—you’ve got to go. I said this earlier, and I think it’s important: when I’m in the wrestling ring, I’m not an actor—I’m a reactor. I’m feeding off my opponent and reacting to whatever the audience is giving us. I’ve had moments where I’m supposed to be the hero, and they’re booing me—so I adapt.

Television is different because there’s no live audience. You don’t get that immediate feedback. But you trust what’s on the page because you trust the writer. And in turn, you trust the director and the person you’re in the scene with. You create magic in both worlds—but the recipe, and the way you cook it, is different.

PC: Spoken like a true artist. You’ve touched on this already, but that final scene in Episode 6 is one that audiences will be talking about for a long time. What was your initial reaction when you read that scene? It also feels like such a nod to your fan base. What were the discussions like with the creative team when shaping that moment?
CM Punk: I actually haven’t seen it yet. I’ve been told it’s amazing—that it turned out to be a great scene. But while we were filming, I wasn’t watching dailies or playbacks. We were just in the moment, trusting our instincts—me, the director, the stunt coordinator, Romy—we were all figuring it out together. We’d say, “This feels right,” or “This is what’s going to look best.”

Sometimes that stuff doesn’t translate to camera exactly how you imagine it. A lot of times, they’ll add special effects later—CGI, blood, all the extras to make it really pop. But the physical work we did that day? I think we pulled it off. It was all about instincts—mine, Romy’s, the director’s. We’d throw ideas around: “What if we try this?” or “Let’s add this beat.” I just kept saying, “We’ve got to make it as violent as possible—but safely.” That’s always the priority. We have to be safe.

PC: It’s a standout scene this season so far. When you strip away the horror and supernatural elements, at its core, this series is a family drama that’s tackling a lot of timely themes. You’ve talked about being a fan of the source material—was there a particular theme that resonated with you, either through the comic books or the show? And what do you hope audiences take away?
CM Punk: It really is a family show—but I’m not talking Leave It to Beaver. I’m not talking about a ’50s sitcom where everything’s sunshine, lollipops, and puppy dogs. This is much more in tune with real life. The Cypress family went through a tragedy—the mom died. The matriarch of the family passed away in a car accident, and it might have been one of our heroes’ fault.

To me, it’s about everything they haven’t dealt with yet. Now they’re facing this existential crisis with people coming back from the dead and borders being closed. There are all these real-world, very topical issues happening. But at its core, it’s the story of a father struggling with his emotions, trying to hold his daughters together as a family—and ultimately, that unit starts to fracture. So yeah, it’s absolutely a family show. Just a very real one.

PC: It’s a credit to the source material as well. As you said, it’s been in development for eight or nine years, and it feels so relevant to everything going on now. Wrestlers are typically known for having a walk-out song. If you had to choose one for your character, what would it be and why?
CM Punk: Oh God. I feel like Revival is kind of a time capsule. If you’ve noticed, there are no smartphones in the show at all—because if there were, it would be over in two episodes. People would be filming and Googling everything, and that would be that. So yeah, it has this ’90s feel to it.

If Anthony Check had a walk-out song, it would probably be Papa Roach’s “Last Resort.” It’s very ’90s, very edgy—fits him perfectly.

To keep up with CM Punk, follow him on X and Instagram. Revival airs every Thursday at 10/9c on SYFY.

Photo Credit: Lavivier Productions/SYFY