Samoa Joe brings big personality to Twisted Metal without saying a word, interview

While many people avidly played Twisted Metal on PlayStation, the Peacock series adaption takes a different turn. For Samoa Joe, (Joel Seanoa), who plays Sweet Tooth, everyone feels his presence from that very first scene. Although some clowns bring smiles, this villain is definitely not the ice cream truck purveyor that you want to meet on the street.

This interview was conducted during a press junket prior to the start of the SAG-AFTRA strike.

For many gamers, the classic characters are more than just personalities that can earn a spot at the next level. They connect on different levels. When Peacock turned pixels into real life for Twisted Metal, the essence of those characters still needed to connect with the audience.

For Samoa Joe, he mentioned that he felt the pressure to bring this character iconic Sweet Tooth to life. Although Will Arnett lends his voice to masked clown, Samoa Joe adds the bigger than life personality to the character.

Joe said, “growing up as a gamer, the character was important to me. Being asked to embody this character that was a large part of my childhood brought an external, but mostly internal pressure.” While many people feel that he did get it right, that iconic image on the screen is definitely one to remember.

Since he has a background in professional wrestling, that skill set offered some assistance in bringing Sweet Tooth to life. Specifically, he mentioned that “as performers, we’re taught to move for the entire arena to clearly and consciously understand what is happening. Building on those concepts helped bring the character to Sweet Tooth. It made it easier for me to envision the character beyond mask.”

While he physically embodies Sweet Tooth, Samoa Joe dug deep into the psychological aspects of the character. He explained, “During the asylum, we see some of Sweet Tooth’s back story and what made the man a psychotic clown that runs the desert. A lot of those scenes have a swing of really extreme emotional states of mind, from almost sorrow and sadness to absolute rage and anger to being very timid. It’s challenging to play a person with opposing forces battling for his headspace.”

Although all those nuances are woven into his portrayal, Samoa Joe appreciates that he needs to stay true to the fans of that classic video game. Similar to the intense connection that wrestling fans have to those characters, there is an expectation that needs to be met.

Speaking to the two fan bases, Samoa Joe commented, “I think that there’s a tremendous crossover between the two genres. In some ways, video games and wrestling have gone hand in hand, especially from my generation. I think that we’re going to see a lot of crossover in those fan bases. People know what to expect from me as far as being intimidating and domineering presence. I think that they expect me to bring those ideas to this character.”

Since Sweet Tooth is seen behind the wheel of an ice cream truck, it had to be asked. What frozen dessert would Samoa Joe order? He would choose the classic popsicle with the bubble gum flavor. It still makes him smile after all these years.

Twisted Metal, based on the PlayStation video game, can be streamed on Peacock. All 10 episodes can be watched now. Samoa Joe plays Sweet Tooth, but the character is voiced by Will Arnett.