John Cena is opening up like never before about his rocky start in Hollywood, admitting that he was once “run out of the movie business” after delivering what he calls a series of bad films.
The WWE legend, who is preparing for his final wrestling chapter later this year, has grown into one of the most recognisable faces in both the ring and on screen. But according to Cena, his early years in Hollywood were anything but glamorous.
In a candid interview with Vanity Fair while promoting the new season of Peacemaker, Cena reflected on how his acting career started on the wrong foot — and how he had to earn his second shot.
His first big role came in 2006’s The Marine, an action film produced by WWE Studios that flopped with critics and fans alike. Despite eventually spawning sequels, Cena admitted it was a wake-up call. “I did a lot of sh*tty movies and that’s why I didn’t do movies for a while,” he said. “I should have got run out of town. I didn’t appreciate it. I was doing movies to sell more tickets for wrestling.”
At the time, Cena was one of WWE’s top stars, wrestling 320 days a year while juggling film projects. The fast-paced wrestling schedule, he says, didn’t prepare him for the slow, methodical nature of movie sets. “I hated it,” he confessed. “It was a culture shock… I didn’t appreciate the patience of it. I didn’t appreciate those opportunities.”
The turning point came with his breakout comedic performance in 2015’s Trainwreck, where he starred alongside Amy Schumer. The film revived his acting career and helped Hollywood see him in a new light. “Amy and Judd [Apatow] took a chance on me,” Cena said. That chance paid off — opening doors to more films and, eventually, his starring role as Peacemaker in the DC Universe.
He also opened up at Fan Expo Denver earlier this year, saying, “I got run out of the movie business once for making too many bad movies, and then I got another chance, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Cena spent nearly five years in a film dry spell, where his only notable roles were in the Fred movies and voicing himself in a Scooby-Doo crossover. But perseverance, humility, and better roles have turned it around.
Now, with an ever-growing resume and the respect of both fans and critics, John Cena is no longer just a wrestler dabbling in movies — he’s a Hollywood star who earned his place the hard way.
