sh Avildsen chatted directing his new movie “Queen of the Ring,” which is based on the book of the same name by Jeff Leen and the life story of Mildred Burke.
The synopsis is: In a time when pro wrestling for women was illegal all over the country, a small town single mother embraces the danger to change culture as she dominates America’s most masculine sport to become the first million dollar female athlete in history.
How did “Queen of the Ring” come about? What inspired it?
I’ve been a lifelong lover of pro wrestling and wanted to make a PG-13, inspiring fictional story that was a love letter to all my favorite books and characters from the ’80s. When I called the legend, Jim Ross, to help me work on it, he asked if I knew who Mildred Burke was.
I had never heard of her. He said the book about her life, Queen of the Ring, feels like a movie and that I should check it out. I read it that weekend, called him back Monday morning, and said, “Forget about the fictional ’80s idea, we have to tell this woman’s story.”
I was completely enchanted by the book and Mildred’s life. I am so grateful to JR for turning me on to it.
What was it like working with the cast?
It was a dream, mainly due to how committed they all were to the training and doing their real life characters justice.
There was such a sense of camaraderie amongst all of us too, as we knew this was an underdog indie production with a very ambitious script.
Normally, a period film with scope like this is only left to major Hollywood studios. We went against the odds and pulled it off thanks to a fearless team spirit.
What did this screenplay teach you about yourself?
Oh wow, that’s a loaded question that I could take hours responding to… But for the sake of being concise – I learned that I have a deep affinity for fascinating true stories that are mostly unknown, and that taking people on a turbulent journey of an underdog is one of my favorite types of stories to tell.
How has your father influenced your career and shaped your journey?
I always loved his films and his style, but because I didn’t meet him until I was 34 — it was a very challenging experience growing up loving the work of your father that you share a last name with but don’t share any life with.
Being rejected as a little child and then growing up a teenager with a chip on your shoulder about not having a dad, it pushed me to be relentless in my pursuit of success on my own terms and to be self-made.
However after finally meeting him, all that changed and we became the best of friends and our bond helped shape me in the art of filmmaking.
How does it feel to be a filmmaker in the digital age? (Now with streaming, technology and social media being so prevalent)
I am grateful for the pros of this era… how much more accessible it is for people to find out about independent films and how the playing field has been leveled.
For so many decades, Hollywood gatekeepers were really the only ones deciding what stories got told to mass audiences, but now things have shifted.
What is your advice for young and aspiring filmmakers?
Get to work and don’t quit. No excuses anymore if you really want to tell stories. Now we have smartphones that we can literally make entire movies with. It’s such an exciting and unpredictable era in the business, more so than ever.
Don’t think you need millions of dollars to make a movie – you just need a script you believe in and some people you trust to help you with it.
What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)
Health, happiness, and fulfillment of what your life consists of day in and day out. It has nothing to do with money or material possessions, that’s for sure.
What would you like to tell our readers about “Queen of the Ring”? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it)
Honestly, I just want them to be entertained by watching it and wake up the next day with more confidence in pursuing whatever it is they want out of our very short trip on this Earth.
To learn more about Ash Avildsen, follow him on Instagram.
