John Cena opened up about the setbacks he faced early in his acting career and how they nearly drove him out of the movie business. The 49-year-old actor and former professional wrestler admitted that he did not take his early movie roles seriously enough.
John Cena opens up about struggling in Hollywood after admitting he wasn’t fully invested in his early movies
The former WWE Champion shared about his early Hollywood struggles while appearing on the 3rd Hour of Today to promote Matchbox: The Movie. He said, “I got [run] out of the movie business for not caring, and that’s justifiably so. If you don’t care about something, give somebody the opportunity that does.” And further added, “I’m so lucky to be given a second chance. It took 20 years to craft.”
Although Cena wished he had developed his maturity sooner, he said he remains grateful for the journey that shaped him. “I think there’s nothing wrong with taking inventory of yourself, looking in the mirror, loving yourself for your strengths and your flaws, and trying to work to be better than you were yesterday,” he said.
His passion for wrestling played a major role in the disconnect. Cena explained, “As a young 20-something, God, traveling the world, being out in front of tens of thousands of people every night going nuts and then doing it night after night, that’s where I wanted to be, and that’s where I felt comfortable and fluent.” He acknowledged that film production was “super patient” and “super slow,” but admitted he lacked the wisdom to understand the process at the time.
Cena built a legendary 24-year WWE career, winning a record 17 world championships before making the full transition to acting. He made his major film debut in 2006 with the action movie The Marine. Cena officially retired from in-ring competition in 2025. However, he continues to remain involved with WWE as a brand ambassador. At the same time, he remains active in Hollywood. His latest project, Matchbox: The Movie, is scheduled to begin streaming on Apple TV on October 9.
