- 6 months ago
Legendary entertainer John Cena looks back on his life and career through photos, sharing stories from his childhood dream of becoming a wrestler to his evolution into a Hollywood star.
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00:00I really think this is a great business card of like, I've wanted to do this all my life.
00:04I'm John Cena, this is my life in pictures.
00:08I meet a lot of folks who say like, man, I've been wanting to do this my whole life.
00:13And there isn't a better business card than this.
00:18Like, I've been wanting to do this my whole life.
00:21So if you were to tell this person at this age, like, this is what you're going to do,
00:26I think this person would have believed it.
00:28But this person is also probably nine years old here.
00:32And I think I hit a maturity level at around 11, 12, you're going to, you know, junior high.
00:41And it's like, you want to be a ball player, you go play ball.
00:44You want to be a doctor, you go to med school.
00:45Hell, you want to be in a band, you join a band.
00:48How do you do this?
00:50And only just recently has WWE like open armed about like NXT, go to the performance center.
00:56If you, if you ever thought about doing this, you can.
00:59This used to be so secret.
01:01The school that the now head of creative Triple H trained at was like 35 minutes from my house.
01:07I never knew it.
01:08I trained out in California because that's the first time I ever heard about a school.
01:12And I was 22 years old.
01:16It was like this mystical thing that like, how do you ever even do that?
01:22So this kid wanted to do it.
01:25That is a, I drew that myself.
01:27And this is on the old printer paper that was stuck together.
01:31It's why the seams are taped.
01:32So the belt wouldn't rip.
01:34And like me and the brothers would just go down and kick the crap out of each other.
01:39And we had entrances and music and characters.
01:42It wasn't like, like freestyle wrestling, like the Olympic style.
01:45It was like full-blown sports entertainment.
01:47This is my first movie role, The Marine.
01:52And what a, what a great lesson.
01:54They have a hostage.
01:56It's my wife.
01:57I can't control anyone's perception.
02:01I'm sure there's folks who'd be like, ah, overnight sensation or whatever.
02:04It's undeniable that people are going to think the way they think.
02:08Looking back, what a great lesson that this and a few of the movies that I was fortunate enough to do after have given me.
02:18The reason I did this is because WWE was opening a movie studio.
02:24And the thought process was if we could make our in-ring talent, movie stars, more people come to the shows.
02:32As an in-ring talent, the one thing I want, more people at the shows.
02:37So I would go do this.
02:39And here I'm in my, you know, mid-20s.
02:42I'm a world champion.
02:44I'm, I'm going five shows a night.
02:46And a different crowd every night.
02:48And I get the create, creative space to improvise and ride the wave of this noise that is indescribable.
02:57Musicians know it.
02:58Stand-up comics know it.
02:59Sketch comics know it.
03:00But there's a very small group of folks that know like the energy of an audience.
03:05And then I go to a quiet movie set that takes a long time to light and especially action.
03:11It takes like eight hours to do a huge practical explosion.
03:14And I wasn't there to be the Marine.
03:17I was there to put more people in a WWE arena.
03:22And I'm proud that I got to do it.
03:25And when I reflect on this, it reminds me of when, when I sit in the chair to talk to you, talk to you, because we've committed to do this.
03:35And when I sit down to be in a role, put your focus there.
03:41Don't be elsewhere.
03:42Because here I was elsewhere.
03:44I was, this was in Madison Square Garden.
03:47This was in Madison Square Garden.
03:49This guy was in Australia filming a movie.
03:52And you can see it in the work.
03:53And I got to brush up against brilliant actors.
03:58And boy, I mean, the movie's fun.
04:00But I just wanted to go back to the ring.
04:03And I wasn't, I wasn't mature enough to understand like, no, it's not that simple.
04:08And I got run out of the movie business in like 2009 for, for doing bad movies where I wasn't present.
04:15Thinking that just because I wore a gold and leather belt on Monday and Friday, they'd come see whatever I'm doing.
04:21It's not true.
04:22You like, what an, what an excellent photo to look at is it reminds me like, we set your odometer, pal.
04:29It's time, time to learn another craft.
04:32And when you are somewhere, be the somewhere.
04:35Don't be elsewhere.
04:37At this, this one's helped me a lot.
04:40Fast forward almost a decade later.
04:42I now have been told I'm never doing movies again.
04:45And I start smaller than this.
04:47I was in a bunch of like Fred movies as a Fred Fagelhorn's father.
04:51Where I got to parody myself and not take myself seriously.
04:55Are you with me?
04:57Yep.
04:57You gotta fire up.
04:58I'm with you, Dad.
05:00Well, good.
05:00Just, just remember, it's, it's, it's probably gonna get cold outside.
05:03Bring a sweater, okay?
05:04Okay, Dad.
05:05You spend so much time in WWE trying to create a character that resonates, and then you're worried about its fragility.
05:11But at the time of those Fred movies, I've been my character for 10 years, so it's like, okay, we can wink at the camera.
05:17And people started to see me like, oh, this guy can have fun.
05:22Judd Apatow and Amy Schumer, Amy wanted to recreate a moment in her life where she was just worn out by the performance of Sex.
05:30So they wanted like a stunt seat.
05:33And I was able to get in the room to begin to read.
05:35And Judd, who is spectacular, so is Amy, on creating an environment where we're only gonna show the funny one, and if none of them are funny, don't worry about it.
05:47I've been studying Mandarin my off time.
05:49Meow to Shishoujian.
05:50Do you need to go to the bathroom?
05:51Please don't speak Chinese or whatever.
05:53Okay, I got it.
05:54Just, yeah.
05:55They created an environment for me to swing big, and I was present right there.
05:59They were like, put down the script and just talk.
06:00And we were just, this is for the audition.
06:02We were just, two people right there talking to each other, just riffing.
06:06And a lot of the stuff in the movie was, you know, make sure to know your lines.
06:11Make sure to show up.
06:12Make sure to, if someone gives you a line to say as an alt or an improv alt, interpret that of like how this character is.
06:20I started to do character work about like, man, this guy is a fitness buff.
06:25So he's, he goes to the gym with his male friends, and they talk about like the American dream of like a white picket fence and a house.
06:32And this is kind of what he wants in this relationship.
06:34What he really wants is to be with his gym buddies and be in the gym.
06:37And like, man, maybe he's sexually confused as well.
06:40And all of that stuff is never in there.
06:43They were welcoming enough to be like, yeah, you can bring all those nuances to this weird character that's going to be on screen for two minutes.
06:50And then it spawned into more than two minutes.
06:54And what, what was the stunt scene ended up getting canceled for that weird missionary scene where they're just like, it's missionary.
07:01Make it the most awkward sex you possibly could.
07:04So I was like, all right, this guy's also an egomaniac and he thinks he's great.
07:08And he thinks he's doing all this stuff to turn people on when it's really like him, him being exposing himself and what he really wants.
07:17I don't, I don't know.
07:18I think I was around very funny people and they allowed me a safe environment to be in on the joke.
07:25And now like, what is a wrestler doing here?
07:27But then again, I wasn't like, what am I doing on this comedy?
07:31We all were like, let's just make something good.
07:35I'm so grateful for the time I've been able to spend with Make-A-Wish.
07:38I'm even more grateful that my fellow superstars, my coworkers, my colleagues now look at it as an aspirational thing.
07:47Because they're only going to meet, they're only going to want to meet John Cena for a little bit.
07:52And the reason I just drop what I'm doing in that environment to do whatever I can is because the experience can truly make a difference.
08:03To talk with the family is just like I'm talking right now.
08:07You get to kid him up for the night.
08:09You get to give him stuff that like, I came to see this person.
08:11Well, here's all the stuff I have.
08:13And with me, it's a great lineup because it's my ring gear.
08:17I'm not giving him like a t-shirt that looks like me in wrestling tights.
08:20I'm like, hey, this is the stuff I'm going to wear.
08:23Here, here you go.
08:24And then I'll ask him for advice.
08:27They're like, oh, you should do this move.
08:29And I'll just go put it in the match because we're entertainment.
08:33I think that's the absolute magic of sports entertainment.
08:38No one in the audience knows that that young person was like, hey, I want you to do this move.
08:43And it will seamlessly be put into the performance.
08:46But it will affect both of us on a plane that's indescribable.
08:53So, very proud of this.
08:55Hi, Barbie.
08:56Because I got to reunite with a friend.
09:00I got to be part of something great.
09:02I got to meet new people.
09:03I got to sing to Dua Lipa.
09:04And I think it's a great example of if you're invested in something and you believe in something,
09:12never ignore guidance and never ignore information.
09:16But, like, instinct is okay.
09:18And I want to be careful with my words because I love and trust the people that I seek information from.
09:30I understand their position.
09:32I do.
09:33Hey, this is going to take a day out of your life.
09:36It's going to be difficult to make it work.
09:40We think it is going to be a big movie, but, like, you're such a small piece.
09:45Is it even going to matter?
09:46I didn't do this for this picture.
09:53I did it because I saw the pink golf carts on set.
09:57I got to know that the movie was going on, and it looked fun.
10:02And I think Margot Robbie is an insanely great human being, a gifted professional.
10:07And, like, if this is the creativity around this, and this is the person leading the charge,
10:12I know I'm at least going to have fun.
10:14And, gosh, nobody could have seen this, but I'd still be happy with this picture.
10:19And what I love about it, too, is, like, gosh, don't take yourself too seriously.
10:24You know, be who you are.
10:26Be authentic.
10:27The WWE audience prepared me for this.
10:29I can add Merman to the list of things I've been able to do.
10:32Mom is so proud.
10:33One of these days, I'll be able to thank the audience, which has been a family member to me for a quarter century.
10:46And when I say that, I mean they've held me accountable.
10:50They don't let you get away with phoning it in.
10:52You just can't.
10:53Because they'll eat you alive.
10:55And that's what a good support system does.
10:59You know, we're here to give our best.
11:01We expect the best from you.
11:02When I'm trying to hide my hair loss, the audience is just bringing it to light of, like, you're going bald.
11:12I used it as a thing because of the point in the story we were in.
11:18Just because I also want the audience to know that, like, I see your signs.
11:22The one that says the bald John Cena.
11:24Like, I get it.
11:26But I also know it's something I'm going through.
11:28I want to be genuine with that audience letting me know that, like, hey, either do some work or shave your head.
11:39And they pushed me into going to see what my options were.
11:44So I ended up getting the transplant in last November.
11:49And the crazy thing is I came back for the retirement tour starting in January.
11:53So I'm like, all right, successful surgery.
11:56But I got to get out there and go.
11:59And it was, um, it was not easy.
12:07I started to assess physically where I was and assess the current program.
12:16And the current program in the WWE is spectacular.
12:20Like, surgically perfect.
12:23The athleticism is far beyond anything I've ever been capable of.
12:26The talent pool is extremely deep.
12:29And I remember being a young 20-something in Kentucky, wrestling in front of 20 people every night, crossing my fingers and hoping to get a call to come up to WWE television.
12:44And thinking that call would never come.
12:45And I kind of made a promise when I got on television and when I started gaining some notoriety that I should be as graceful exiting the business or try to be as I was excited to enter.
13:02I openly, in print, made a promise to be like, when I'm a step slower, I will go.
13:09Because there will be kids just as hungry as I am who have earned a shot to see if they can make it.
13:16And I would hate to, just because I'm hanging around too long, I would hate to take a dream away from a kid like me.
13:23And maybe not have the opportunity to have someone have an impact on the business.
13:28So, um, I'm 48, I'll be 49 next year.
13:33I've been on television 23 years with WWE.
13:37And it was either, uh, the norm is just to kind of drift out of the mix and then come back every once in a while.
13:47Or just announce your retirement through like a social post or a press conference.
13:52Um, but I approached WWE with an idea and I said, I think, uh, the business and the fans have been good to me over the years.
14:02I would, I will take this block of time and stand down from most everything.
14:08And let's try to give, let's try to give our audience something that they can have closure for.
14:12If you want some, hurry up and come get some, cause the last time is now.
14:21If they wanted to see something one last time, and this is, uh, something that a lot of rock bands do,
14:26or a lot of rock bands will do like Farewell Tour number four and five.
14:31Getting on stage and playing music is very taxing.
14:33But, uh, the physical nature of what we do in WWE, I have my health, uh, my health and, and my dedication to my partner are the tip of my spear in life right now.
14:47So I think every time I go out there, I just, I want to make sure I'm able to give my all, but it's, it's time to step away.
14:54I think they chose the right guy because one, I love uniformity.
15:03I'm in a casual interview in a three piece suit because this is, I love suits.
15:07I used to hate them.
15:08Now I love them.
15:09I love the uniformity of it.
15:11I love that because for 25 years, I've put on my jean shorts, my sneakers, my two sets of wristbands, my hat, my towel, and my t-shirt.
15:20I love the uniform.
15:20And this is no different.
15:27This is a uniform.
15:28I get to walk the line between being John and when I ask questions about like, well, how was working with James in the garb?
15:34I will answer as John.
15:36But then when we get to be snarky and have fun, I can slip into the guy.
15:41Nobody wants to see this.
15:43They want to see this.
15:44And they want to get familiarized with this because this is the guy they saw dance.
15:48This is the guy they saw in Suicide Squad.
15:49This is the guy they saw in the first season.
15:51And the more in this environment at Comic-Con where the DCU and every other fantasy fictional story, the mega fans, ascend on this one spot in the world.
16:03They want this.
16:05If you're a superhero, what were you in prison for?
16:07Integrity.
16:07I made a vow to have peace.
16:10No matter how many people I have to kill to get it.
16:12Oh, peacemaker.
16:14Yes.
16:14And I've been fortunate enough.
16:15I tell people I'm less of a talent and much more of like a promoter because at WWE we learned to promote early and often.
16:24I have not had more fun than I had yesterday because our friends are back together.
16:31The day got a little bit long.
16:32We get a little bit loose.
16:33And like everyone jokes with everyone.
16:36And it's all in good fun.
16:37We have good boundaries with each other.
16:39We all have professional respect for each other.
16:41And we're all in a moment where we're like, it doesn't matter if we're tired.
16:45We love this show.
16:46We want to get it out.
16:47How do we make this fun so people can see our fun?
16:50It's because of the relationships we have.
16:52That starts at the top.
16:54James Gunn wants to work with good people, especially on a TV show where it's in like seven, eight months on location.
16:59I also think we know like we're the long shots that that that scene at the end of season one where they send the real heroes to save the day.
17:07And we've already saved the day and where we get the heroes walk, but we have to walk past the heroes to get all the publicity.
17:14And we're like, you guys.
17:18That's us.
17:19That's the 11th Street kids.
17:20We're.
17:21We're the long shots, the lovable losers.
17:23You know, like it's.
17:25It's a it's fun.
17:27Gosh, we got a good group.
17:28So if you don't know anything about Peacemaker, please go watch it.
17:32So at least I can I can kick it again with my friends.
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