A Hillsborough County class got a boost of some major star power on Feb. 28, when former WWE wrestler and “Guardians of the Galaxy” star Dave Bautista met with and answered questions from TV production and acting students at Tampa Bay Technical High School.

  • Bautista shared stories, encouraged positive thinking
  • Students said they hope sacrifices made for arts careers can lead to success
  • Bautista next stars in "Avengers: Infinity War," in theaters May 4, 2018

"I just like showing up, showing my face and saying that I care," Bautista said.

The actor talked to students about his favorite roles and the hard work it took to make it to the big screen.

"It's a hard life, it really is," Bautista said. "It's a sacrifice and it's a struggle."

The students and aspiring actors, in turn, said they hope those sacrifices can lead to success.

"I hope to take away new skills and knowledge that I can use when I start going on auditions, when I go into the real world and try to do films," student Christopher Asencio said.

On top of acting advice, teachers said Bautista brought positivity.

"With what's happened recently and what's happening in high schools, this reassures kids that high school can be such a fun place to be, high school is a place that gives you opportunities that you don't find every day," Theater Director and TV production teacher Amanda Depin-Ragan said.

For Bautista, it was a one-on-one opportunity to answer questions about his career and give back to his community.

"People need to get out and encourage these kids and not let them see that everything in life is so negative," Bautista said. "We need to be a positive influence as much as we can."