John Cena Said He 'Knew Nothing' About Making Movies When Working On The Marine
John Cena has rocketed into Hollywood stardom with films like "Bumblebee" and "The Suicide Squad," but every actor gets their movie start somewhere, and longtime WWE fans may remember Cena's movie debut in WWE Studios' "The Marine." Cena detailed the experience in a GQ interview.
"I'm actually very, very proud of the movie," he said. "My mind was elsewhere at that age and time in my life. I wanted to be in the ring."
"The Marine" released in 2006 and currently sits at 17% on Rotten Tomatoes. It was Cena's first foray into film making, and it came about very quickly for him. The movie was originally meant to star "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, but weeks before filming, Austin dropped out for "whatever reason." This led to Cena getting quickly placed in the movie by former WWE CEO Vince McMahon. McMahon told Cena he was to be in Australia in 10 days time to be in a movie.
"Me being enamored with the WWE, and it was my life's passion at the time, I said, 'No problem," Cena said.
Cena was not ready for the opportunity
Cena went on to describe the whirlwind that followed.
"I left a small meeting in his office and packed my bags, and went to be in the movies — which I knew nothing about," Cena said, "I'm a young man in his mid-20s. I love the life I'm leading. I'm riding a lightning bolt of live audiences every night, I'm champion at the time, and as a former athlete, I get to be physical all the time. I have what I believe is a good work life balance — and then I get thrown into cinematic creativity, which is very patient. It's a very slow process. And I just wasn't ready for it."
Cena noted that despite all this, making the film was a positive experience. He explained that although he wasn't ready to make movies yet, he took a lot of wisdom from the experience of making "The Marine" that he still carries to this day.
"'The Marine' was a wonderful experience. And it's one I'll never forget because you can't have a journey without the first step," Cena said, "And the first step is always the boldest. They say timing is everything, and I was not ready for the opportunity I was given."