Netflix documentary director on Hulk Hogan’s Trump support and the backlash that followed him to the end

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In his final appearance for WWE,Hulk Hogan, undoubtedly the greatest wrestler in the history of the company, was booed.

By the time Jan.6, 2025, his last appearance, had rolled around, Hogan became outwardly supportive of PresidentDonald Trump, which turned off some of his followers.

“But he never expressed regret.He stood by who he was,” Brian Storkel, the director of Netflix�

Businessman Donald Trump and wrestler Hulk Hogan standing together at Wrestlemania VI Convention Hall in Atlantic City

Donald Trump and Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania Vl Convention Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, March 29, 1987.(Jeffrey Asher/Getty Images)

Hogan had done five days of interviews with Netflix, totaling 25 hours.However, he will not get to see the final product, ashe died in Julyat the age of 71.

Long before becoming an outward Trump supporter, Hogan had been involved in some controversies.But from the jump, Storkel wanted to “humanize him and really get to know Terry Bollea, the person.”

“With all the subjects in my documentaries, I don’t like viewing people in black-and-white terms.Even if someone has done wrong, I don’t see them as purely good or evil.People are more complex than that, and that nuance is where the story becomes interesting,” Storkel said.“You need a subject willing to go there, reflect, and be open — and Terry was.”

Hogan began to be more public with his support for Trump after an assassination attempt in July 2024.

“He said he’d supported him quietly for a long time but felt embarrassed to wear the hat.He mentioned that the assassination attempt was what pushed him to speak out.Soon after, he was speaking publicly and took some backlash for it,” Storkel said.

Hulk Hogan speaking at the Republican National Convention at Fiserv Forum

Hulk Hogan speaks during the final day of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.(IMAGN Syndication: USA Today)

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Ironically, the last time Storkel chatted with Hogan was right after an interview with Trump for the documentary.

“I was at the White House, just outside the West Wing, on a call with Hulk Hogan, which was the weirdest thing.It felt like one of those surreal moments you’d imagine as a kid — a made-up story you’d tell people.I had just spent time with Donald Trump, something Hulk Hogan had set up so I could interview him, and then I’m standing there talking to Hogan about it.He was so excited it had happened,” Storkel recalled.

“At that point, he was already in and out of the hospital after surgery, so that ended up being the last call I had with him.”

Storkel admitted that not much was different about the documentary following Hogan’s death from his original plans, outside of some late tributes and more time with his son, Nick.Storkel was doing interviews for the documentary atWWEheadquarters in Connecticut the day Hogan died.

“There’s also a moment in the film where I say we’ll come back in a couple of months for another interview.He agrees and walks out of frame—and that ends up being the last time.It becomes a powerful moment because you realize that follow-up never happens,” Storkel said.

But no matter the case, Storkel felt a responsibility to tell the story of the greatest.

Nick Hogan and Hulk Hogan standing together backstage at Sony Studios in Los Angeles

Nick Hogan and Hulk Hogan during VH1 Big in ’05 – Backstage and Audience at Sony Studios in Los Angeles.(Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic)

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“With every project, I want to be fair and accurate.Of course I want the people involved to feel good about it, but I won’t change the truth to make that happen,” Storkel said.“With Hulk, getting to know him personally made it more important to honor him properly.Yes, he was flawed and polarizing, but he was also a caring person with a big personality.

“I didn’t want his legacy reduced to a single label or judged solely on politics or past mistakes.My goal was to show the full human being.Regardless of how people feel going in, I think they’ll come away with a deeper understanding of who he was.I really valued getting to know him, and I hope the audience gets that same experience through the documentary.”

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