Just months before his tragic death, professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan leveraged his longtime friendship with President Donald Trump to secure a pivotal interview for a Netflix documentary chronicling his life and career. The revelation comes from director Bryan Storkel, who shared details about the project with TMZ Sports ahead of its premiere.
The highly anticipated four-part series, titled "Hulk Hogan: Real American," arrives on the streaming platform on Tuesday, April 22, 2026. The documentary features an exclusive interview with the sitting president, conducted at the White House through Hogan's personal intervention.
"There's a nice little surprise interview with Donald Trump, which [Hulk] helped me set up. We went to the White House and interviewed Trump and he talked all about Hulk Hogan," Storkel explained. The director noted that securing the president's participation required persistence, with Hogan making multiple calls to convince his friend to participate in the project.
The interview, conducted during the spring, nearly did not happen as planned. Hogan was originally scheduled to accompany the film crew to the White House but underwent surgery shortly before the scheduled date, forcing him to miss the historic session.
"Hulk was supposed to go with us, but he ended up going in for a surgery right before that," Storkel recalled. Despite his absence, Hogan remained deeply invested in the interview's success. The director shared a poignant detail about their final communication: "I'm there on the phone with Hulk Hogan outside the Oval Office, and he was so excited we got the interview. That's the last phone call I had with him, actually."
Hogan, who was 71 years old, died on July 24, 2025. His passing marked the end of a remarkable career that spanned decades and made him one of the most recognizable figures in professional wrestling history.
The relationship between Hogan and Trump stretched back to the 1980s, when both men were ascending to prominence in their respective fields. Their friendship experienced a resurgence in recent years, with Hogan becoming a vocal political ally of the president during the final chapter of his life.
The documentary promises to offer an intimate look at the wrestling legend's life, career, and personal relationships. With Trump's participation secured through Hogan's personal efforts, the series will provide viewers with unique insights from one of the few people who knew the Hulkster across multiple decades of American cultural history.
For fans and historians alike, the documentary represents a final gift from Hogan himself—a carefully curated narrative that includes perspectives from the highest levels of American power and celebrity. The fact that his last conversation with the director centered on his excitement over securing the presidential interview underscores how important this project was to the wrestling icon in his final months.