By Wilson Morales

How much fun was it for you to step into this character?

RYAN: Oh, it was a dream come true - to play a guy who's a superhero who, at the same moment, does not take himself overly seriously with a dream job.

How did you get inspired to do it?

RYAN: It wasn't so much the character that inspired me as it was the thought of stepping out and doing a big mainstream movie. I've always had one foot in and one foot out of the film industry. So I just wanted to get involved.

So when your agent calls you and say you're going to be wrestling against Triple H, what's the first thing that goes through your mind?

RYAN: Well after I got my diaper securely fastenedŠI think it was David Goyer who actually took me into the cell and said, "We've changed some things around. You're actually going to be fighting Triple H." I think Triple H was supposed to be shot by an arrow and he just ashed and that was going to be his end, but they wanted a larger ending for him so that involved me as well. I was terrified. The guy does not know subtlety on a physical sense so he was just tossing me around that room and you just got to suck it up. Unfortunately, for continuity reasons, we couldn't have a rubber floor put in so the floor is taped cement, which is the worst of it all.

That means you probably went through a lot of pain?

RYAN: Well yeah, to really throw me, you have to really throw me. To him, I'm like the size of his bicep so basically, he would just toss me around like a little rag doll and I'd get up and do it again and ice things down.

As the project began, what was it like the first time you met Wesley?

RYAN: The first time I met Wesley, we all had a start-of-movie dinner and I think that was the last time I met Wesley. Wesley's very method so he's kind of in that character once you step on the set each day. That was great. We talked a little bit about the prep and training and I had to go through two months before training and five months during. Wesley just sort of lives that way so it was great to pick his brain before shooting Ścause I had never done a movie like this.

Was he very sharing with the information?

RYAN: He was. He was very kind and forthcoming at that point but once the movie started shooting, he assumes Blade and that's kind of it. That's who's at work there, just him [Blade]. It's awkward, I've never worked with a method actor before. I'm still coming to grips with this, it's a very strange process. But I think starring in a movie is very vulnerable and whatever it takes to get you through that, I have all respect for it.

After doing a movie like "Blade: Trinity," do you think you can do a unique blend of horror and comedy in the future?

RYAN: I think it works in this movie because you have Wesley. The Blade character is so convicted in what he's doing. I think it works counterpart very well. Doing a whole movie by myself, however, would be experimental for me. In the comic books though they're so irreverent. It's good to see them brought out like that for once. It's fun to see that brought to screen for once. When you read the comic books, they're really irreverently funny and a lot of the jokes are at the expense of the people telling them, and around them. So it's really cool for me to bring that to the screen. But I have a safety net in the Blade character who's this one man vampire annihilation machine.

Are you planning on doing the Nightstalkers spin-off?

RYAN: I'm signed on for one, yeah.

Is it happening? What's the story on that?

RYAN: I think that's for the fans to decide. At this point, it's just conjecture. We'll see how the movie does and what the response is. But I think the response is good so far.

In "Blade," Abigail (Jessica Biel) listens to hard rock when she's fighting vampires. Is there anything you listen to, to get you going?

RYAN: What's that song that goes "Just call me angel, in the morningŠAngel"? That song aggravates me so much. For some reason, it inspires violence in me. I just want to do a slow motion assault on the bad guys.

It's rumored that David Goyer wants to do a movie based on The Flash and we've heard your name thrown around for the role.

RYAN: Yeah. It's just me and David talking at this point. There's nothing actual or official about it at all.

You've also been connected to doing Deadpool possibly as wellŠ

RYAN: Yeah. I think it's too hard to make. The guy's scarred head to toe. It's a difficult one to bring to the big screen. There's a strong mythology about the character as well so it's a little bit more abstract. David's had a meeting about it as well and I had a meeting with [Marvel exec] Avi Arad and he wanted me to play Deadpool as well. But Deadpool's also the same character as Hannibal King. He's the mirk with the mouth so it's essentially the same.

Would you like to do a movie that's completely outrageous like "Van Wilder" again?

RYAN: No. I mean I loved "Van Wilder." That movie was such a cult phenomenon on DVD.

I loved it in collegeŠ

RYAN: Yeah, every college kid owns it. Wish I had a piece of the DVD! They wrote "Van Wilder 2" and they sent it to me but I haven't read it yet but I can't ever imagine in a million years that I'd do it.

Even if the script was good?

RYAN: No, not at this point. I can't imagine why I'd ever do that.

Do you know a good joke to tell?

RYAN: Why did the Irishman go to the pub at noon?

(pauses)

Where the fuck else would he go?