Beyond the Screen with Tyler Mane & Renae Geerlings
Updated: Aug 27
Known for unforgettable roles in X-Men, Deadpool & Wolverine, Troy, and Halloween II, Tyler Mane has built a career portraying some of cinema’s most formidable characters. But behind the strength and stature that have defined his screen presence is a story of vulnerability, resilience, and reinvention. Alongside his wife, actress and producer Renae Geerlings, Tyler is entering a new chapter with MANE AF, a podcast devoted to honest conversations about marriage, reinvention, purpose, and everything in between. MANE AF debuts August 27th. In this exclusive interview with Miami Living Magazine, Tyler and Renae reflect on the journey that brought them here and the stories they are ready to share next.
Miami Living (ML): Tyler, your career has taken you from professional wrestling rings to playing some of cinema’s most unforgettable intimidating characters, from Sabretooth in X-Men to Michael Myers in Halloween II. When you look back at the younger version of yourself who built a career around physical strength and toughness, what do you think he would say about the chapter of life you’re in today?
T: Oh, man. I don’t think younger me even had a concept of being older. He was just banging through day to day, hustling and doing whatever he could to get to the next wrestling gig or the next acting gig. He definitely took his youth and health for granted. He’d probably say, though, that he never thought we’d make it this far! And he’d probably apologize for beating the body up so badly that I had to get new hips and have to feel all these old injuries from the road on the daily. (laughs) Maybe he’d rethink some of the life choices to make these years a little easier on us! I don’t know, I’m kind of glad he didn’t have to think about it though, because everything he did got me to where I am now and I’m not one to have regrets.
ML: Renae, you were the person who encouraged Tyler to get the lump checked when he initially thought it was nothing to worry about. Can you take us back to that moment – what was it that made you trust your instincts, and what was going through your mind before you both knew what you were facing?
R: I was worried from the first time he mentioned it, but he seemed pretty unconcerned. More like it was just something that would go away. When he mentioned it again a month later is when I stressed that he needed to ask his doctor. I’m pretty sure I sounded like a broken record for the next few months. That was last year. When it was still there in January is when I started to get very pushy. As a woman, we’re taught from a young age what to look for, and I saw all red flags. When he finally talked to his doctor, the assumption was that it was probably a lipoma or something benign. Being male, the odds of it being malignant were very small. There are only about 2500 cases of breast cancer in men a year in the US, so the odds were that it was fine. But I didn’t care. I pushed him strongly to call back and get an appointment with someone to have it removed. He must have realized that I wasn’t going to let it go, so he did. Thankfully!
ML: Tyler, for so much of your career you’ve been recognized as one of the strongest physical presences on screen. How has going through your breast cancer journey changed your relationship with your body and with the idea of strength itself?
T: I’ll be honest, it was pretty emasculating to hear “breast cancer,” but I don’t know why. I guess anything having to do with breasts as a man feels off when it’s regarding yourself. I was embarrassed about the diagnosis. But it occurred to me that other guys would probably feel the same way, and when we researched it, we found out that a lack of open dialogue about it is one of the reasons men have such worse outcomes. We just want to ignore it, hope it will go away, and then when it’s finally found, it’s often in later stages and has worse outcomes. So I thought it was important to put the ego away and use my diagnosis to try to do some good. Sometimes being strong means putting your ego away and doing the hard thing. I definitely am more in tune with what my body is telling me these days.
ML: The two of you have built a life together while navigating the unique highs and challenges of the entertainment industry. Looking back, is there a particular moment – maybe one that happened far away from the spotlight – when you realized you had truly become a team?
R: We’ve had a lot of ups and downs and challenges thrown at us through the years. There have been many times when we felt like a true team only to have that tested by life throwing challenges at us, but I think we’ve always been pretty strong. This year, though, has ratcheted that up by a lot. We’ve been working hard on improving our communication and trying to understand where the other person is coming from on all things. And there’s been a lot of loss and busyness and health stuff to deal with. We’re both VERY strong personalities, and so sometimes it can be hard when we have opposing things to focus on or personal losses, his brother and my father, to work through. But this year has proved that, no matter what, we prioritize each other first and foremost.
ML: Your upcoming podcast, MANE AF, explores everything from mid-life mayhem and marriage to reinvention, purpose, and the unexpected challenges life throws our way. Was there a conversation between the two of you that made you think, “This is something people need to hear”?
T: Definitely finding out that only 2,500 cases of male breast cancer are found in the US per year and yet 500 men die annually because no one talks about it. We’ve also been dealing with all the things that midlife throws at you. Losses of family members, aging parents, the physical shifts that happen in midlife, getting things organized for retirement years and making sure the family is taken care of, children growing up in this economy and trying to support them, on top of a diagnosis like this. It’s just a lot to handle. And we know a lot of people are going through the same things, so we thought we’d like to share our experiences as we muddle through it and learn so other people can benefit from our experiences as well. I really want to encourage everyone to answer those wake-up calls and advocate for yourself. No one else is gonna do that for you.
ML: Tyler and Renae, you co-created The Last Spartan: Red Tape, which combines an action-driven story with a mission to support DeliverFund’s fight against human trafficking. What was the moment when you realized this project could become more than just entertainment and carry a larger purpose?
R: Doing the research was eye-opening. It became more than just a “story” and crossed over into a real-life horror. As we were preparing for its release, we decided to partner with DeliverFund.org to raise awareness and also donate a portion of the proceeds to help end human trafficking. It definitely gave the whole project a deeper meaning for both of us, and the response has been overwhelmingly positive.
ML: Tyler, after sharing your cancer experience publicly, you’ve opened a conversation around something many men never think they could face. Was there a specific reaction or message from someone who reached out to you that stayed with you and reminded you why telling your story mattered?
T: I can’t pick just one. I’ve had multiple people message me from a hospital bed to tell me how much it means to follow my treatment updates. I honestly can’t believe how many people come up at shows or send me DMs to share their own personal struggles with cancer. Until it happens to you, I don’t think you can truly understand. Getting the diagnosis changes everything. Even having the strong support system that I have, it can feel very isolating. Talking to other people who are also going through it gives me a community of people who “get it.” And hopefully, I can make them feel less alone on their journey. That’s the goal with our podcast too.
ML: Both of you have experienced major reinventions throughout your lives: from wrestling and acting to producing, writing, advocacy, and now podcasting. As you enter this new chapter together, what feels most different about the way you approach life, creativity, and each other today compared to when you first began your journeys?
R: Time. Time feels very different. Not so long ago, it seemed like we had forever. Nothing felt particularly urgent. This year, after losing Tyler’s brother and my father, and also getting a scary diagnosis for Tyler, time feels more important.
T: I just want to make stuff together. I always have felt this way, but given what happened this year, our partnership is top of the priority list. So, for the time we have, whether it's 5, 15, or 40 years, I just want to live in the moment and create and build everything together. I joke about always being in the doghouse, but the reality is that I know she has my back and I have hers. And that’s all that really matters.
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