John Cena has made the jump from WWE to Hollywood better than most, and now he’s explaining why it worked. According to him, the ring and the movie set are a lot closer than people think.
During his SpaceCon San Antonio Q&A, a fan from Mexico City asked Cena what he learned about acting that he never expected when he was still a pro wrestler. Cena said he used to think acting was a totally different beast because there’s no live crowd screaming back at you. Then it clicked.
“Thank you so much. What did I learn about acting that I didn’t realize when I was a WWE superstar? That they’re the same. I used to think different, right? I used to think like I belong in the ring and and I love being there. And then I started having um a different perspective on acting and I was like ah but it’s so different cuz there’s no big crowd and there’s no instant feedback.”
Cena said the job is the same at the core. You have to become someone people actually want to follow.
“It is the same. You get to assume the role of a personality and the more you are invested in that personality, the more people will go along with that ride for you.”
Then Cena brought it right back to WWE. He said fans know when someone is faking it, and that’s why a performer has to buy into themselves before anyone else will.
“And that’s what you have to do in WWE to be a success because you guys can see through BS. If I go out there and I play superstar, you guys know I’m lying like that. And for 23 years, I got to I got to invest in myself. I got to go out there as a version of myself that you guys reacted to. Uh, and acting is the same thing.”
That’s the part a lot of wrestlers never figure out. It’s not just about saying lines or hitting moves. If the audience doesn’t believe you, you’re dead in the water.
Cena got over because he went all in. Love him or hate him, fans believed he was that guy. Hollywood is just another arena for the same trick.
Do you agree with John Cena that WWE and acting are basically the same, or is he giving wrestling too much credit? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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