Former WWE Hardcore Champion Terri Runnels made her WWE debut as a character named Marlena, firstappearingat the 1996 Royal Rumble event to manage her (then) real-life husband Dustin "Goldust" Rhodes, which she did until late 1997. Runnels recently re-visited this period on "Stories With Brisco And Bradshaw."
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"What is it that they are missing in [WWE]?" Runnels remembers asking herself, "I thought to myself: we've got Scary Sherri [Martel], we've got cheerleader pom-pom Sunny, Dustin is doing this character; what is it that they are missing? So, the whole character of Goldust was missing this component, that I thought they were missing, which is this amazing character of the old-school Hollywood."
Runnels took influence from actress Marlene Dietrich, wearing long dresses and suits like the silent film star did. She says Dustin loved the concept but made her callVince McMahon and pitch it.
"I call the office and I get a phone call back from Pat [Patterson] and this is in December of '95," Runnels remembered. "I told him my idea and it was kind of the obligatory 'yeah, good girl, but yeah, mhmm-mhmm, we're not interested, but thanks so much.'"
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WWE reconsidered the character shortly after and would ultimately green-light Marlena. Rhodes was given the honor of telling Runnels.
"Dustin said, 'What are you doing?'" Runnels recalled. "I'm like, 'What? What? Why do you keep asking me what I'm doing?' He's like, 'Pack your bags, they want to do your idea.' That's where Marlena came to fruition and came to be."
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JBL asked Runnels about her first meeting with McMahon about the Marlena character, knowing the likelihood that she would be awkward or nervous on the first encounter.
"I didn't care," Runnels said. "I had been around presidents, princes, poppers, porn stars; I was not shy to be around anyone, so I didn't care, no big deal. Told him what my idea was, and I told him I will either go to the ring with a glass of wine or a cigar."
If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Stories With Brisco and Bradshaw" with a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
