The Face Behind Sweet Tooth's Creepy Clown Exterior In The Twisted Metal Series
The "Twisted Metal" video games were a huge favorite of millennials growing up, fulfilling the vehicular combat desires of angsty tweens hopped up on Mountain Dew and a variety of angry white boy music dominating the airwaves. Parents clutched pearls over the excessive violence and graphic ballistics, and gamers couldn't get enough of it. "Twisted Metal" was hugely popular, and the game's star, the hulking clown Needles "Sweet Tooth" Kane, became an easily identifiable figure. He drives an ice cream truck. He wears a leather daddy fetish harness. And of course, he's an evil clown built like a 1980s big hoss wrestler.
Peacock recently adapted the games into a series, turning the explosive games into a weirdly addictive post-apocalyptic action comedy. Since Sweet Tooth exists solely behind his demented clown mask, the creative team was wise to enlist comedian, actor, and prominent voice-over performer Will Arnett to give Sweet Tooth his personality. Arnett is a pro at aggressive, sardonic humor, and his voice perfectly matches the chaotic carnage of the character. However, Will Arnett is also the same guy who convincingly played the svelte part-time magician Gob Bluth on "Arrested Development" and Olympic figure skater Stranz Van Waldenberg in "Blades of Glory." "Big" and "beefy" aren't exactly words one would use to describe the actor, so it made total sense that "Twisted Metal" would hire a different actor to play the body of the colossal clown.
Even better, they cast Nuufolau Joel Seanoa, more commonly known to professional wrestling fans as Samoa Joe.
The Samoan Submission Machine
I've been a wrestling fan all my life, and I've seen Samoa Joe wrestle live on multiple occasions. Trust and believe when I say that photos and TV screens cannot properly capture what an absolute unit of a human being he is. While 6'2" isn't an unheard-of height, Samoa Joe's bulky frame and intimidating presence are a sight to behold. The irony, of course, is that Samoa Joe has a reputation for being one of the nicest guys in the business, and frequently showcases his comedic chops like the time he sold Girl Scout cookies (Samoas, of course) on "The Edge and Christian Show That Totally Reeks of Awesomeness." I didn't come up with the name, and I apologize for making you read that title.
Samoa Joe is also one of the most seasoned veterans still wrestling today, currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its sister promotion, Ring of Honor (ROH), currently holding the belt as the ROH World Television Champion. But Samoa Joe is also an international sensation thanks to his years working for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and his numerous stints in Japan. He is currently the only wrestler to have won championships in WWE, Impact Wrestling, AEW, and ROH, and there's a reason crowds tend to chant "Joe is gonna kill you" whenever someone faces off against him in the squared circle.
At 44 years old, Samoa Joe certainly has some years under his belt, and he's endured many, many injuries over the course of his time in the biz. It's becoming more and more common for wrestlers to make a pivot to acting following their wrestling careers, and based on the fantastic physical acting he's shown on "Twisted Metal," studios would be wise to keep their eyes on The Samoan Submission Machine.