Coffee Chats is teeing off with the generational talent. ScreenRant‘s signature interview series returns for its sixth episode with Happy Gilmore 2 star Maxwell Jacob Friedman, better known by his world champion initials, MJF. Friedman shares a charismatic conversation with host Liam Crowley over some dirty chai lattes as the two recap his journey from winning the AEW World Championship to joining Adam Sandler’s comedic ensemble, all at Gumption Coffee in New York City’s Flatiron District.

In this episode of Coffee Chats, Friedman details how he infuses his own authentic self into his big-screen roles, memories of shooting climactic scenes opposite Bad Bunny and Eminem, and his ultimate goal of rounding out professional wrestling’s acting Mount Rushmore alongside John Cena, Dave Bautista, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Coffee Chats no.6 w/ Maxwell Jacob Friedman

MJF Reveals His Secret To Creating Authentic Characters

Much of Friedman’s wrestling success is attributed to his embracing of “kayfabe,” the practice of effectively method acting as your in-ring persona during everyday life. As evident by his ring name being his birth name, there is a fine line between Max Friedman and MJF, and the same goes for Max Friedman and Gordy Gilmore. For Happy Gilmore 2, Friedman shaved his beard but kept his trademark lion tattoo, once again infusing himself into another on-screen persona.

“Anything I do, whether it’s me being myself in AEW or whether it’s me taking on the role of Gordy Gilmore and future roles, is I feel like I always approach things the same way. Let me take what is a part of me that fits this character, this role, so that way it’s not a character, I’m just being myself, and I’m being real. I find the things in relation to myself with the part I’m playing, so it feels authentic and real. I don’t know if that sounds lame, but it’s just my truth, and I think that’s why in wrestling and in acting moving forward when people watch me, they’re going to realize there’s this feeling of genuineness and it being organic because it’s real to me. And if it’s real to me, it’s going to be real to whomever’s watching.”

MJF Manifested Throwing Eminem Into A Lake In Happy Gilmore 2

“I’d go to the gym, I was listening to Eminem music, waiting for the beat to drop…”

Unlike his feature film debut in The Iron Claw, which saw him pop in for one brief scene in the final cut, Friedman is a full-blown supporting star in Happy Gilmore 2. Friedman is the most featured of Happy’s (Adam Sandler) sons and has several “clip that” moments, including tossing Eminem into a water hazard on the golf course.

“What’s really cool is you manifest these things in your head without even realizing it. When I was younger, I was unfortunately the victim of some anti-Semitic bullying. And I remember I’d go to the gym, and whenever I worked out, I was listening to Eminem music and I’m just waiting for the beat to drop. Now here I am, I’m throwing Slim Shady into a lake. He’s going to get eaten by alligators. And I’m just like, ‘Oh my God, that’s Marshall Mathers. He’s standing right there.’ I had moments like that every day on set.”

MJF Aspires To Be In The Company Of Rock, Cena, & Bautista

“There’s three heads on that Mount Rushmore, and I would really like to be the fourth…”

There’s no rest for Friedman from here. Following the astronomical streaming success of Happy Gilmore 2, the former Wembley Stadium headliner already has projects with Seth Green and Ron Perlman in post production. Crowley alluded to the triumverate of wrestler-turned-actor successes (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena, Dave Bautista), and Friedman made it clear that he strives to be in that conversation one day.

“If you’re asking me from wrestler mode MJF, I’d say I was born to do this, but the fact of the matter is, full truth cards on the table, Max Friedman talking: a lot of people will look at something and go, ‘Man, that seems cool. Wish I could do that,’ and then they just end it there. My brain doesn’t work like that. If I think something’s cool, I’m going to go do it and I’m going to try to do it and I’m going to put 110 percent in, I’m going to put the work in, and I’m not going to stop until I manifest it into reality. I want to continue through hard work, determination and grit and also luck. Let’s not kid ourselves. That is a part of the mix, but sometimes you can make your own luck. I’m not going to stop until I do get to be on that Mount Rushmore of pro wrestlers turned actors. To me, there’s three heads on that Mount Rushmore that you’ve already named, and I would really like to be the fourth, and I’m going to make it happen by any means necessary. If I don’t make it happen, I’ll be able to die with a smile on my face. I know that I gave it everything I had.”

Source: ScreenRant Plus

More About ScreenRant’s Coffee Chats

Coffee Chats operates as a mixture of personal discussion through the lens of coffee as well as a dive into the guest’s latest project. Along the way, we’ll hit a Cold Brew Open, give our First Sip Synopsis, discuss our personal Coffee Callbacks, share our dream Desert Island Drinks and more.

“I pride myself on being a conversationalist, and there’s no better setting to chat it up with someone than a cafe,” ScreenRant Reporter, Host Liam Crowley said. “Back when I attended Syracuse University, I used to make ‘coffee review’ videos with my friends on my social media. To essentially expand that 60-second concept into a full-blown production and be accompanied by some of the biggest names in Hollywood is a true ‘pinch me’ moment.“

“From the moment I reached out to Liam about joining ScreenRant’s New York team, we envisioned expanding our content offerings with engaging, in-depth interviews, including an original series,” ScreenRant Editorial, Branding, and PR Director Rob Keyes said. “Liam already had an idea for this, and Coffee Chats perfectly embodies this vision, offering a unique format that connects audiences with leading industry talent while supporting local businesses. We are thrilled to launch this series and collaborate with local establishments on this exciting initiative.”

“Over the past 21 years, ScreenRant has interviewed every star in Hollywood several times,” ScreenRant Content Director Alex Leadbeater said. “Across press junkets, red carpets, convention panels and beyond, we’ve been a constant presence in the entertainment industry. Coffee Chats builds upon this success to create a more intimate backdrop for a more personal, longer-form style of interview.“

Coffee Chats is created by Crowley, Keyes, and Leadbeater and is produced by Tiffany Loving, Laura Watson, Jacques Reeder, John Aljets, Leah Nucum, Cesar Garcia, and Kazden Risk.

Check out our other Coffee Chats episodes with…

• Noah Centineo
• Jack Quaid
• Bryce Dallas Howard
• Gabriel Luna
• Ben Wang