In a candid and reflective “Life in Pictures” interview, John Cena looked back on his legendary career, detailing the reasons for his current WWE farewell tour, the early movie roles that nearly ended his acting career before it began, his special relationship with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the key moments that defined his evolution as a performer.
A Childhood Dream
Looking at a photo of himself as a nine-year-old with a hand-drawn championship belt, Cena confirmed his lifelong passion for the business. “I’ve been wanting to do this my whole life,” he said. He recalled how secretive the wrestling business was when he was young, noting that he had to move to California at age 22 to find a wrestling school, despite the fact that the school Triple H trained at was just 35 minutes from his childhood home. “It was like this mystical thing that, like, how do you ever even do that?”
Lessons from “The Marine” and Early Film Roles
Reflecting on a still from his first movie, 2006’s The Marine, Cena described it as a “great lesson” in what not to do. He explained that his focus was not on acting, but on using the film to promote WWE. “I wasn’t there to be The Marine. I was there to put more people in a WWE arena,” he admitted. “And you can see it in the work… I just wanted to go back to the ring.” He stated this lack of presence and focus led to a string of poor performances, saying, “I got run out of the movie business in like, 2009 for for doing bad movies where I wasn’t present.”
A Second Chance with “Trainwreck”
His Hollywood career was revitalized nearly a decade later with a small role in the 2015 comedy Trainwreck. He credited director Judd Apatow and star Amy Schumer for creating a safe and encouraging environment that allowed him to be creative. “They created an environment for me to swing big,” Cena said. “They were welcoming enough to be like, ‘yeah, you can bring all those nuances to this weird character’… And what was the stunt scene ended up getting canceled for that weird missionary scene… I was around very funny people, and they allowed me a safe environment to be in on the joke.”
The Magic of Make-A-Wish
Cena, who holds the all-time record for wishes granted, spoke about his deep connection to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He detailed a special tradition he has with the children he meets. “I’ll ask him for advice, like, ‘oh, you should do this move,’ and I’ll just go put it in the match,” he revealed. “No one in the audience knows that that young person was like, ‘hey, I want you to do this move,’ and it will seamlessly be put into the performance, but it will affect both of us on a plane that’s indescribable.”
The Fun of “Barbie”
Looking at a picture of himself as a Merman in the 2023 blockbuster Barbie, Cena said the role was a great example of not taking himself too seriously. He explained that he pursued the small role simply because he saw the production happening near him, thought it “looked fun,” and is a great admirer of star Margot Robbie. “I got to reunite with a friend. I got to be part of something great… Gosh, don’t take yourself too seriously. You know, be who you are. Be authentic,” he said.
Accountability to the Audience
Cena described his relationship with the WWE audience as that of a “family member” that holds him accountable. He shared a specific and humorous example of this dynamic. “When I’m trying to hide my hair loss, the audience is just bringing it to light of like ‘you’re going bald,'” he recalled. “I want to be genuine with that audience, letting me know that, like, ‘hey, either do some work or shave your head.’ And they pushed me into going to see what my options were. So I ended up getting the transplant in last November.”
The WWE Farewell Tour
This deep connection with the fans is a primary reason for his current “The Last Time is Now” farewell tour. Cena explained his decision to retire from full-time competition stems from a promise he made to himself. “I should be as graceful exiting the business or try to be as I was excited to enter,” he said. “I openly, in print, made a promise to be like when I’m a step slower, I will go… I would hate to take a dream away from a kid like me.” At 48 years old, he said, “it’s time to step away.” He noted that instead of fading away or announcing his retirement in a press conference, he approached WWE with the idea of a farewell tour to give the fans “closure.”
John Cena’s farewell tour continues as he appears to be headed towards a final match with Brock Lesnar. Lesnar made his first WWE appearance in 2 years at SummerSlam when he attacked Cena.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit People on YouTube with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
