John Cena says The Rock calmed his nerves before "scary" moment
John Cena recently revealed that Dwayne The Rock Johnson gave him some helpful advice before he auditioned for the movie Trainwreck.
Like The Rock, Cena has successfully transitioned from the world of WWE to Hollywood in recent years. Back in 2014, however, he was still relatively new to auditioning for major movie roles.
In an interview with GQ, Cena said his former WWE in-ring rival helped calm his nerves before his audition to play Steven in the movie:
“The audition process is scary for me, like it is for most people. It is a business of failure. You’ve gotta be used to getting told you’re not the right fit, and I really wanted this one. And, deadpan, Dwayne was just like, ‘Just be yourself, man. They called you in for a reason. Just be who you are.’ And I was.” [4:12-4:33]
Cena has appeared in several movies since 2014, including F9 and The Suicide Squad. It was announced this week that he will play a villain in a new live-action/CGI hybrid film featuring Looney Tunes character Wile E. Coyote.
John Cena praises The Rock for inspiring WWE Superstars
History.
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The Rock became one of the biggest movie stars in the world after initially making his name in WWE between 1996 and 2003.
John Cena believes the eight-time WWE Champion helped pave the way for superstars, including himself, to succeed in movies following their full-time in-ring careers:
“As far as Dwayne Johnson’s trajectory is concerned, he’s broke down so many stereotypes, shattered so many barriers. He allowed the outside public to be like, ‘Yeah, these WWE guys, they may be on to something.’ None of those opportunities happen without him.” [3:40-3:55]
Cena added that his two-time WrestleMania opponent is likely unaware of the significant impact his success has had “on an entire industry of people.”
Please credit GQ and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.