"It was my armor" - The Miz opens up about his emotional depth on-screen

The Miz has done a lot of Hollywood films, but he's also been acting on WWE programming for years.

The former two-time WWE Champion was a guest on the Death, Taxes, and Bananas podcast to discuss a wide variety of subjects. During the conversation, Miz revealed that he used his WWE character to protect Mike Mizanin. But over time, his WWE persona has helped him be more comfortable with himself:

"It was my armor that, literally, you could say anything about The Miz, 'I don't care, it doesn't hurt my feelings.' Mike, on the other hand, he's a baby. He's very sensitive. The reason I have such good comebacks and I'm so loud and brash is because whenever I do get made fun of, I am able to make fun of you even harder so it takes it all off of me," said Miz. "The Miz, now in WWE, I don't mind The Miz being vulnerable because it adds layers to the character and you." [H/T: Fightful]

The Miz on the emotions he felt when he had to put his dog Mocha down

One of the most emotional times in Mike Mizanian's life was when he had to put his and Maryse's dog Mocha to sleep after the canine was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Miz didn't hold anything back when he had to say goodbye to Mocha as it caused some very real emotions that he's never felt before in his life:

"I'm choking up right now, trying to hold it in, because I never experienced anything like that," Miz admitted. "That's the kind of vulnerability that, usually, on The Challenge, you didn't want to let out because we're sharks and when you're around sharks, you don't want to put blood in the water. Now, I look at it like I'm an untouchable shark. In WWE, I am so confident in my ability that even if I give emotion like that, it will make it that much more and will make it more powerful. It makes me more powerful." [H/T: Fightful]

It's fascinating to hear The Miz speak about the range of emotions he goes through as a WWE Superstar. It really is a testament to his body of work that he's become such a versatile performer both on the mic and in the ring.