Cena gets to grips with Hollywood
Cena wasn't looking for a franchise, or an action film to do when the script for Bumblebee came across his desk. He didn't even care much about Transformers. But then he read it and found a sweet story about a misfit teenage girl (played by Hailee Steinfeld) and a robot that was more E.T. than Michael Bay (director of Transformers), and decided it was something he wanted to do.
"I was like 'I'll be Bumblebee's spare tire, I don't even care,'" Cena said. "I wanted to do something in the movie."
He and director Travis Knight settled on Agent Burns, who might have the dressings of a cartoon villain, but also has some surprises, and humor up his sleeve. Steinfeld marveled at how prepared Cena was every day and his "infectious energy".
In all of his films, Cena considers himself at the service of the story and the director.
"I became successful in WWE by always learning and evolving. I believe that the people around me are smarter than me," he said. "Same thing in movies. I never watch playback. I never give feedback. I take feedback."
It's something of a director's dream to have someone so open to constructive criticism.
"I love him. He is so coachable. He would do anything I asked him. And I'm saying anything," said Blockers director Kay Cannon. "If there was a time where he felt like he didn't give what I wanted, he would text or call or check-in and apologize, like, 'I'm so sorry, I'll do better next time.' He's very much an athlete."
His biggest learning curve in films thus far has been adapting to performing without an immediate audience of thousands in front of him.
