How ‘Queen of the Ring’ star Emily Bett Rickards transformed into a wrestling legend

Emily Bett Rickards knew very little about professional wrestling before signing on to play one of its most important female trailblazers, Mildred Burke, in the biopic Queen of the Ring. But after immersing herself in its history and transforming her body for the role, she came away from the project with a newfound appreciation for the sport.

“I just see the dedication of these wrestlers who put their bodies through this fun, engaging, injury-prone lifestyle, and their love of storytelling is something that brought me to my profession,” the Arrow star tells Entertainment Weekly.  

Directed by Ash Avildsen, Queen of the Ring charts Burke’s game-changing journey from single mom and diner waitress to the first million-dollar female athlete. To look the part, Burke trained for months, undergoing a strict workout regimen while working with real pro wrestlers to learn their techniques. She also had help from a wheelbarrow full of weights and chicken breasts. Yes, a wheelbarrow.  

“One thing that comes up a lot when people are talking about the shooting was I had a wheelbarrow of weights that followed me around a lot with chicken breasts,” she shares. Before takes, she would eat some chicken and lift weights to get an extra pump before getting in the ring.

To make the film feel as authentic as possible, Avildsen enlisted the help of pro wrestlers both behind and in front of the camera. “I was training with Al Snow and Doug Basham, and thank goodness for them,” Rickards says of the world-renowned pros who helped her behind the scenes.

In the film, real-life wrestlers Kamille and Toni Storm play Burke’s opponents, June Byers and Clara Mortensen, respectively. The actress credits both wrestlers with taking charge of the action onscreen.” When I’m wrestling Camille, or her character June, she’s really leading it,” Rickards says. “Even when she doesn’t look like she’s leading, she’s leading it. They’re making me look good, and they’re making sure that we’re safe. And truly, I wouldn’t look as decent, wouldn’t look as awesome without them.” 

The cast’s hard work is showcased not only in Rickards’ performance but also in that of her non-pro wrestler costars like Marie Avgeropoulos and Francesca Eastwoord. Throughout the film, Mildred and her manager/husband, Billy Wolfe (Josh Lucas), recruit more women to their act, allowing several actresses to showcase their abilities in the ring. Among the fantastic ensemble cast, Damaris Lewis and Deborah Ann Woll stand out as wrestlers Babs Wingo and Gladys Gillem.

While detailing Burke’s professional rise, Queen of the Ring does not shy away from exploring the deep pain and trauma in her life. “I was able to learn so much about her through the eyes of wrestling and through her heart with how she raised her son,” Rickards says. “When you’re fighting for your life, which I think Mildred was doing for her whole life, really fighting for her passion, for her son and women’s equality. That was all fueled into how she wrestled.” 

While she may not have achieved all her goals by the end of her storied career, Burke forever changed the sport she loved. “I don’t know if her dream felt like it was on top towards the end. Actually, I know that it didn’t.” Rickards says, “With that said, I think that she’d be proud of the legacy she left behind today, especially now that we get to retell it.” That legacy continues in female wrestlers like Storm and Kamille, who are not only able to live Burke’s dreams as pro wrestlers but also get to embody the women who made their careers possible onscreen. 

Queen of the Ring is now in theaters.