Wrestling icon stars in 'Condemned'

NEW YORK, April 29 (UPI) -- Professional wrestling icon Steve Austin says he enlisted the help of an acting coach to prepare for his starring role in the new film, "The Condemned."

An action picture about deathrow prisoners fighting for their lives on an Internet reality show, "The Condemned" was No. 9 at the box office when it opened this weekend.

"Working with the acting coach really helped me," Austin told UPI.

He said he relished the chance to play a "completely different guy" from the "over-the-top" persona he adopted for his World Wrestling Entertainment engagements.

"('Stone Cold Steve Austin') is a character. He's definitely a part of my personality that I can just turn the volume up all the way on 10," he said.

"But Jack Conrad (his character in 'The Condemned') is more like me and I only wanted someone to see that I could do things different than use four-letter words, flip people off, drink beer and beat people up," he said. "That was my job with WWE and I loved being Stone Cold Steve Austin. I'm very proud of it. I love my fans. But this is just a whole different ballgame; this is acting."

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