John Cena is enjoying a fruitful Hollywood run following his iconic in-ring career in WWE.
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Cena, 49, landed a recurring role as Peacemaker in James Gunn's DCU, a voice role in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, and stars in Matchbox: The Movie, which releases Oct. 9.
Despite his recent run of on-screen success, the former WWE Champion revealed that he was previously nearly run out of Hollywood.
While promoting his upcoming film Matchbox: The Movie, Cena admitted that it took time for him to become passionate about acting.
"It's been a long journey. I think that's the important one. People think things happen overnight," Cena told PEOPLE. "Those early projects — truth be told — I didn't have my heart into."
Compared to performing in front of sellout crowds globally as a wrestler, Cena initially struggled to become enthralled with acting.
John Cena Compares Joys of Wrestling to Acting
"As a young 20-something, God, traveling the world. Being out in front of tens of thousands of people every night going nuts. Then doing it night after night, that's where I wanted to be. That's where I felt comfortable and fluent."
After years of high-octane action in the ring, Cena noted that film sets were "super patient" and "super slow," adding, "I just didn't have the wisdom for the process."
Cena said, "I got ran 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."
Now, with his in-ring career in the rearview mirror, Cena has a newfound appreciation for film.
"I'm now super passionate about what I do. Everything from filming to sitting here talking about this movie with you guys, and I'm so lucky to be given a second chance. And that took 20 years to craft," Cena said.
"I understand that every job is important. That everyone is an artist, and everyone needs to do their thing," he continued. "And that's from the caterers, to the grips, to the AD, to the lighting folks, to the performers, you name it. Every job makes the thing happen."
Cena closed the book on his storied WWE career in December 2025. He had 17 World Championship reigns, the most in WWE history.
