WWE’s The Miz and Maryse on How ‘Miz & Mrs’ Brought Their Family Closer
Q&A
Mike “The Miz” Mizanin and his wife Maryse found success in WWE for much of their career as hated villains. Outside the ring, the “It Couple” have endeared themselves to audiences thanks to their USA Network reality show Miz & Mrs.
“I was one of the biggest jerks in WWE,” Miz said. “People now get some insight about who we are. It has made me into a good guy in WWE. This show is relatable … The number one question we always get asked is how is [Maryse’s mom] Marjo or how is [Miz’s dad] George? It’s interesting that our families are starting to get noticed.
“People will ask how my daughters Monroe or Madison are doing,” Maryse added. “It’s very interesting how people get involved in not only us, but who we are with our families. For so many years it was just us and WWE. It’s like we are out there now, and people see us. Now people tell me I’m adorable and so cute. Before it was always, ‘Maryse is the biggest b—- there is’ because they know me from WWE.”
This season follows the A-listers on their move and re-acclimation back to Los Angeles from Austin, which is easier said than done. While they were preparing for more Miz & Mrs hijinks and hilarity, we sat down with the happy couple.
How has Monroe adjusted to the filming process as she gets older?
Maryse: She is a pro. She is a professional actress, and she loves it. She is a character.
Miz: Whenever that camera is on her, she just lights it up. And this is probably every parent saying this, but she is a star. Every time she walks into a room attention is on her and rightfully so. She is just so funny and makes me laugh. She only knows a couple of words, but just by the things she says and does. It melts your heart with laughter.
Photo by: Nicole Weingart/USA Network
She seemed like such a natural on SmackDown when she was involved in your storyline with the Fiend where filming was done inside your home. Did you have any worries about how that was going to go? Did having the Miz and Mrs experience make it easier?
Miz: I didn’t have any worries. She may not fully understand the cameras, but she has seen them before.
Maryse: As long as Monroe is happy and smiling and having fun and enjoying whatever is going on, then I have a happy kid, so everything is okay. I know my daughter. When I see that big smile and her running all over the place, I’m like that’s great.
Miz: She loves the puppets.
Maryse: She loved hugging them.
You hear that with a second child things might go a little easier because you have the past experience to go by. Is that what you guys found with Madison?
Maryse: The second season you see [this year] is me from my pregnancy and moving all the way back to Los Angeles. Getting a rental house, getting my real house ready for the baby. This rental was supposed to be a few months and it ended up being seven months. I have this kid and now we are moving into the new house. It’s mayhem.
Miz: Our lives are just mayhem.
Maryse: The first time around with Monroe with that move we said, “We’re never going to do it again.” We did the exact same thing with Madison.
Miz: You see us move again across the country again.
Maryse: Now with Monroe and being extra pregnant in the show — I’m eight months pregnant.
Miz: You get to see a lot of our families and insights on them. We told each other that Marjo was the breakout star last season. This season George Mizanin is a breakout star. I wouldn’t be shocked if they were offered a spinoff. It is that kind of season.
Maryse: It’s crazy because I have a child, I’m pregnant. Then I’m going through the crazy time in my life. I have a crazy mother. We know that. Marjo is very Marjo. Then there is Barb and the things she does.
Miz: My mom just loves to clean. You might look at that and go, “Wow, she loves to clean. That’s fantastic.” There is a person that cleans, and then there is my mom. It’s almost OCD clean.
Maryse: I’m dealing with a lot of personalities because in this rental we were supposed to be there for eight weeks. We ended up being there for seven months. We have the moms living with us and legit on top of each other. Everything is in boxes, and we all live together. I mean would you live with your mom and mother-in-law for so much time? You probably get a headache just thinking about it. On the show you get to see how crazy everything goes.
When you watch these episodes back, is there one or two things you’ve taken from them? Something you’ve learned within parenting or your relationship?
Miz: It brought our entire family closer. I asked my dad if he wanted to come for Christmas or Thanksgiving or any kind of holiday. My dad is like, “Are you filming?” I go, “No.” He goes, “Nah.” I ask him, “Well, what if I said we were filming?” He says, “Well then I’d come.” I get to see my dad a little more. I get to see my mom a little more. Maryse gets to see her mom, sister, brother. It kind of brings our family together as we deal with things in our life we have to deal with. Although we’re not really drama. We’re more comedy. We’re more fun and what brings out the best in all of us.
With two kids, being a WWE superstar and working on all these projects, how do you find the time to be a family? You’re a veteran and done pretty much everything in WWE. Do you see yourself in the coming years slowing down or have you kind of worked around this new normal you’re in right now?
Miz: I wish I could clone myself, to be completely honest with you. Maryse and I are wired to work. We enjoy working. We enjoy the job we have, so we want to do the best job we can. Then you add in two little girls. I don’t want to be the dad that’s not there. I want to be the dad that is there and guides them and cares for them with everything they need help with. Maryse is just an incredible wife, so I have to be the best husband I can be. It’s all time management and making sure you are giving the time, attention to my daughters, to my wife and making sure I’m able to provide for them as well. It’s all time management. I think that’s one thing my wife and I are very good with.
Photo by: Nicole Weingart/USA Network
On top of WWE and Miz & Mrs, it was recently announced you would be hosting a new USA Network competition series Cannonball. You’re no stranger to this sort of environment — what do you think makes this one stand out?
Miz: I say Miz & Mrs is so fun because you can watch with the entire family. Cannonball is much of the same. USA Network knows what families want to see. This is one of those shows you can literally watch and don’t even have to have the volume on. You can be sitting down and just laugh. That’s what it’s all about. It is the biggest, wettest and wildest water sports competition you will ever see. Rosci Diaz along with Simon Gibson are there with me as well. Our commentary is just hilarious. Simon makes us laugh every single time he talks on the microphone. It’s a lot of fun. It’s big, and I just can’t wait for you guys to actually see the insight of what the show actually is. They give you a breakdown, but when you see a tease of this show you’re going to be, “I have to watch this.” It’s so entertaining and fun.
Lastly, if there is a season three of Miz & Mrs, does that mean we’re getting a baby number three?
Miz: We’re going day-to-day, my friend. Day-to-day.
Miz & Mrs, Returns, January 29, 10/9c, USA Network, immediately following NXT
