John Cena: I Took Movie Roles Early In My Career Just To Get WWE More Popular

John Cena will forever be tied to WWE, but for now, he’s continuing to carve out his role in Hollywood.

Cena hasn’t wrestled since WrestleMania 36 where he battled “The Fiend” Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Fun House match. Before that, he had an on-and-off schedule in WWE due to his film commitments. Cena

Cena’s first leading role came in the WWE Studios film The Marine and ever since then, he’s slowly grown his Hollywood profile. Speaking to Dermot & Dave, Cena discussed his transition to the big screen and how he wishes he could be in multiple places at once.

“I don’t think we find opportunity, I think opportunity finds us. When it finds us, you have to be brave enough to jump. I certainly had a wonderful existence in WWE with no sense of slowing down. I took bit parts here and there where I had to expose a lot of myself on screen and redefine myself to be the butt of the joke for five years running now to try and get another chance. It started off as me doing a parody of myself on kids movies with a YouTube character called Fred. Then I got another opportunity and another. The conundrum is, WWE is constant. To be able to step away — you can’t step away to film Fast. I haven’t been there for the better half of two and a half years and strictly because I’ve been filming and they don’t allow you to do both. I took those small parts and could film in a weekend, then come back and make my dates. You have to find that balance. When I did those movies in the early 2000s — if anybody saw them, I’ll mail them the check because I owe them some money — the reasons behind it were wrong. I was doing it to try and get WWE more popular rather than wanting to do it. Every second I was on one of those movie sets, I wanted to be back in WWE. Now, I truly enjoy everything that comes with the movie. You can’t have fear of missing out or wanting to be in all places at once. As performers in WWE, we fancy ourselves as versatile and want to be everywhere,” he said.

Cena has been adamant that his WWE career isn’t over and he will make an in-ring return.

WWE is reportedly hopeful that Cena will face Roman Reigns at WWE SummerSlam.

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