KISS co-founder Gene Simmons on working with WWE films and his history with sports

Whether or not you are a fan of the legendary American rock band KISS, you undoubtedly know who Gene Simmons is. Beyond his success as a musician, songwriter and producer, Simmons has made a name for himself as a reality television star, an actor, a film producer, an author, a book and magazine publisher, a philanthropist and an all-around entrepreneur.

2018 has been yet another big year for Gene Simmons. He not only released a new book (27: The Legend & Mythology Of The 27 Club) and unveiled a line of sodas (Gene Simmons Money Bags), but he announced a KISS "farewell" tour set to reach all seven continents (The End Of The Road) and work with Canada's Invictus MD Strategies Corp. as its "Chief Evangelist Officer." And that is without factoring in Gene Simmons Band live shows, his recent Gene Simmons Vault release, or many of his yet-to-be-announced projects.

I had the pleasure of meeting up with Gene Simmons himself at New York City's beautiful Loews Regency New York hotel for some in-person Q&A. Below are some highlights from that chat. And for those Sportskeeda readers keeping score, yes, Gene Simmons was the inspiration for the WCW character known as the KISS Demon.

More on all things related to Gene Simmons can be found online at www.genesimmons.com, while his soda -- now available in over 1,300 stores -- can be ordered online via its official website at www.genesimmonsmoneybag.com.

I remember hearing a couple of years ago that you had a deal with WWE Studios to produce some films. Is that still happening?

Gene Simmons: We did. I closed that down, I cashed out. We did one film with Wesley Snipes called, well they changed the title a few times. [Editor's Note: The film was called Armed Response.] We made some money, that's fine.

Now there's an eight-picture deal with another entity called Arclight [Films]. They've done some decent stuff. The secret is to have a big fund and to do cheaper movies. You've got a $100, $200 million fund, but if you're making $100 million dollar movies, you're stupid. It's putting all your eggs in one basket. All that's coming, there's a lot of businesses coming. I'm a Chief Evangelist Officer of Invictus MD, a Canadian cannabis company.

That's definitely a new direction for you, given things you've said in the past.

Gene Simmons: I stand by those words. We all use drugs, we all take aspirin, we go to the dentist and he numbs you, those are drugs. The stuff that hooks you, opioids and stuff like that, I'm against them now and there. I'm also against cigarettes. Cigarettes are legal, they "might" give you cancer, which is horrific when you think about it. Booze... When you drink too much, there's a phrase called "bar fight," you turn violent. The only thing that will happen to you, even recreationally, with cannabis is that you might get the munchies and watch a full day of Twilight Zone reruns and reach over for another Kit Kat. I think that's fair to say.

On the really really plus side, there are people suffering from epilepsy and depression, all sorts of things that cannabis products help, sometimes cure. So I've been dismissive in the past, you throw the baby out with the bathwater, I was wrong. The hard stuff is still bad and you should stay away from it. It's addictive, it destroys families. But cannabis products I would urge everyone, do your own research, make up your own mind. I'll tell you this, if the prognosis for a child of mine -- who god forbid was sick -- and the doctor said "well, there's a lot of pain there, you can relieve a lot of the sickness by using cannabis," I would not hesitate for a second.

You notoriously threw out a first pitch at a baseball game...

Gene Simmons: A few times. At Dodgers Stadium, it was a strike. I always do.

Did you grow up playing baseball? How did you have an arm for that?

Gene Simmons: No, in New York it was stickball. You literally take a broom handle, and you unscrew it, and you buy a Spalding rubber ball, and you try to hit it. I'm fairly strong and I had seen 50 Cent [horribly throw a first pitch at a New York Mets baseball game]... I don't know. I can throw a football, I can throw a ball, I can hit it. But no, I meet a lot of sports guys -- "I can throw a touchdown pass..." They're just a lot of talk. "Show me or not." I can show you.

Based on your height, did anyone try to get you to play basketball growing up?

Gene Simmons: No. My son [Nick Simmons] is 6'8" and nobody's asked him. We're both similar in the sense that being in group sports means a lot of passing, and some people are not built that way. When you're single-minded and single-motivated and stuff, you probably possess the ball too long and try to do it all yourself. My daughter's like that too, Sophie. Very self-motivated, doesn't do a lot of chit-chat, just goes and gets it.

So sports weren't a big part of your childhood?

Gene Simmons: Sports is great, but what I'm fascinated by -- and it's all wonderful -- is that single person who works out by themselves and gets in the ring. Nobody else to depend on except you.

That's fascinating to me, whether it's mixed martial arts or a boxer, or a pole-vaulter, that one single person. Lonely are the days, nobody's there's to clap for you, you don't make any money, you're working yourself out, you are your own staff sergeant, if you will. When you're on a team, you have people to depend on, and people and coaches, "Do this, do that." When you're alone, lifting weights or doing whatever, it's you. That's the real deal for me.