Kevin Nash reveals the truth behind Super Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2
By Eric Bartsch
Wrestler Kevin Nash disclosed how he lucked into one of his biggest movie roles, that of the Super Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret of the Ooze, and who was originally slated for the job.
Kevin Nash is celebrated for his legendary wrestling career he spent in a handful of notable companies, including WWE and WCW. He held top titles in both organizations and was inducted into the former’s nominal Hall of Fame twice. However, the seven-foot former bouncer likewise has considerable film credits to boast about, and his most famous one happened in 1991.
Before Nash was a big star in the ring, he was another mid-level guy making a name for himself when an opportunity came knocking with insistence. He explained on his Kliq This podcast it was during a show in Greensboro, North Carolina, that representatives from Carolco Pictures – the producers of the Rambo films – called his name backstage and gave him an offer.
Drawing First Blood
“One of them’s got a card,” Nash recalled, “the guy says, ‘Hey, would you be interested in playing Super Shredder on the Ninja Turtles movie? I’m like, ‘Yeah.’” Carolco – in conjunction with New Line Cinema – was in the middle of production on the sequel to the smash-hit live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles film, The Secret of the Ooze, and had this opening.
Knowing he’d be in a town nearby the filming location of neighboring Wilmington, NC, and needing someone his size, they asked to do a mold of his head right away. “I went to a Holiday Inn,” Nash explained, “they stuck two straws up my nose and did a cast of my head.” It was all sudden but he had no issues snagging the part.
Bigfeet to Fill
The towering seven-footer didn’t have to read lines or audition as he was being prepped to fill some big shoes. Originally, Predator and Harry and the Hendersons suit actor Kevin Peter Hall was in line to play the Super Shredder. The suit was being made for him, but Hall sadly passed away after an accident and a brief fight with AIDS before he could wear it.
Nash would spend a month, by his recollection, on the set to film two scenes, and his pay for the job eclipsed what he was making from wrestling at the time. A few years later, he would become Diesel in WWE and after that an integral part of the WCW faction the nWo. From there, he became one of the biggest stars the industry has ever seen.
The Next Mutation
Super Shredder appears at the climax of the film and dies when he collapses a pier on top of himself. After Secret of the Ooze, the Turtles would spawn one more live-action sequel plus a TV series fans would rather forget, before returning to the sewers for a few years. A 2000s animated revival, followed by three more films, would bring them out of hiding.
They will be back in action for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, produced by Seth Rogen, this summer.
Next. TMNT: All 8 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies ranked from worst to best. dark
What did you think of Kevin Nash’s retelling of his time as the Super Shredder? Better yet, what are your memories of TMNT: The Secret of the Ooze? Is it one of your favorites? Tell us below and on our socials.