The Undertaker said his character wouldn't work in WWE today because of the ways in which society has changed
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- The Undertaker's character might not work in the modern era.
- That's according to Mark Calaway, the man who played the role at the WWE for decades.
- Technology, social media, and the way fans behave around celebrities today spoil the mystery, he said.
The Undertaker said his iconic character wouldn't work as well today because of the ways in which society has changed.
Mark Calaway, who assumed the role of The Deadman, first wrestled in the mid-1980s, but it wasn't until the turn of the decade that he developed a menacing, sinister character.
The Undertaker eventually made its debut in WWE (then WWF) in 1990 and became known for his tombstone piledriver moves, black outfit, and partnership with iconic manager Paul Bearer — a real-life funeral director.
To this day, The Undertaker is one of the most celebrated and enduring characters in pro wrestling history.
But Calaway emphasized the element of mystery in the success of his career.
If he was born at a later time, he said, and performed as The Undertaker right now, things might be different.
Technology and social media would spoil The Undertaker's appeal, he said
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If a fan saw Calaway in public, in his regular clothes, and took a photograph to post on social media, it could have harmed what made The Undertaker's persona so great, the 57-year-old told BT Sport this week.
He said: "It would be very difficult just because everyone [has] a phone that has a camera. I was able to live this character because I didn't have to worry about that.
"I didn't have to worry about sitting in the airport in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt and somebody being like, 'Oh, look, The Undertaker.' I didn't have to worry about that.
"Everybody sees somebody and immediately they want to film them and see what's going to happen."
Elaborating in another part of the interview, Calaway said that, after an A&E Biography and some one-man shows, he effectively pulled back the curtain on the character.
'I don't think I can bring it back'
As far as he's concerned, he wouldn't effectively be able to assume the role anymore as too many people now see Calaway as a man, rather than The Undertaker — the Deadman.
This was evident when he returned to WWE earlier this year for a segment with Bray Wyatt, during which Calaway turned up without his distinctive black hat and coat.
"They didn't even know that I wasn't gonna have the hat and coat," he said of the WWE.
"They totally thought that I was coming [as] old Undertaker. I was like, 'No.' That's part of me and the storytelling, right? When I lifted the curtain, when I lifted it back and pulled it back, then that's gone. It's gone now."
He finished: "Now that people know that I can talk and that I have actual thoughts that aren't revolved around digging holes and taking souls, I think that character will live forever in our memory, but I don't think that I can bring it back."