The Baltimore Sun has a Q&A up with WWE World Heavyweight Champion John Cena. Here are some highlights.
If doing his second movie was much easier:
“It was certainly easier, but I don?t think it had everything to do with the experience from The Marine. We really just had a very, very good crew. Mark Gordon’s production company ? he produced Speed, Saving Private Ryan ? really stepped in there with Fox to make sure this thing kind of knocked itself out of the park. And Renny Harlin was such a great asset as a director. He’s the guy, whether it had been my first movie or my hundredth movie, that made it very, very easy. He’s a great guy to be around that certainly has an agenda. I?m a beast who runs on schedule because we travel so many days a year, and he was just spot-on, man. He was overly ambitious and he really delivered.”
On Ted DiBiase Jr. acting in “The Marine 2” DVD:
“I really think he has a lot of potential to be a success and another person to kind of transcend the wrestling business into the movie business. He’s a very hard worker, learns very, very quickly and understands exactly what this opportunity is. That’s the one thing I really tried to hit home with him. I said, ?Listen, they?re choosing you for a reason. The Marine did extremely well on DVD, so when The Marine 2 comes out, just because of the franchise, the DVD will sell, so you?re already involved with something that will be successful. If you do a good job, that’s a great way for you to make a name for yourself on to bigger and better things.? So I think he totally understood that. I certainly didn?t give him much advice about acting because he went through the same kind of torture chamber I did ? meeting with an acting coach all the time and really trying to do his best. I just really hit home about how great the opportunity was for him.”
On his comments about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson last year:
“What I actually said, and I?ll stand true to it to this day, I don?t even care, is that here’s a guy who, when he was with the WWE, pounded his chest that he really loved the WWE, and that wasn?t the truth. The truth is that Dwayne Johnson is a great actor and I think always wanted to be an actor, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s like an athlete saying, ?Hey, I don?t do drugs,? and then getting busted for drugs. It’s not the truth. I mean here’s a guy who said he was WWE through and through, and then the first chance to take a road to a different career path, he took it. There’s nothing wrong with that. Dwayne’s one of the nicest guys you?ll ever meet. He’s one of the hardest workers you?ll ever meet, and he certainly is a great actor. The roadblock that I have, because I certainly am in love with this business and I don?t see myself leaving it any time, is when someone says that and then leaves, it cheapens our business. If he’s going to say that, then back your word. That’s the only beef that I have and that’s what I told the people at The U.K. Sun. It just cheapens that phrase: ?Oh, I love this business.? So then next time I come up and say I love this business, well, the guy before me who said that left. That doesn?t look good for me or our business.”
To check out the full interview, click here.