John Cena Was Told To Reject His Barbie Cameo - Here's Why He Did It Anyway
John Cena is one of the most popular wrestlers in WWE history, and his transition into Hollywood has seen him appear in massive franchises like "The Fast and Furious" saga and the DC Universe. In short, Cena is a big deal, but his A-lister status hasn't prevented him from taking smaller roles in some projects. The actor's cameo in Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" movie, for example, is short and sweet, and he insisted on doing it despite his agents' fear that the part would hurt his career.
Cena, who plays Mermaid Ken in the movie, told "The Howard Stern Show" that his advisors felt he was too big for the cameo appearance, but Cena didn't see it that way. "[The agency is] just going on what they know. And what they know is, 'This entity, this commodity, gravitates toward these things; we should stay in this lane.' But I'm not a commodity. I'm a human being, and I operate under the construct of every opportunity is an opportunity."
According to Cena, the agency eventually backed his decision and helped him make the most of the cameo. The WWE legend has no regrets either, as he believes making an impression in any project can open the door to fresh opportunities. Furthermore, a fun cameo in one of the most successful and controversial movies of 2023 is nothing to scoff at. With that in mind, how did he get offered the part of Mermaid Ken in the first place?
John Cena wanted to work with Margot Robbie
John Cena's "Barbie" cameo stemmed from having friends in high places and simply being in the right place at the right time. In an interview with "TODAY," he spoke about how a chance encounter with Margot Robbie led to him being cast as the hunky merman, even though he was filming another tentpole project at the time.
"We literally randomly ran into each other as friends. 'Fast X' was filming across the street from 'Barbie.' And [she asked], 'Why don't you do "Barbie?"' I said, 'I've been trying!' And Margot makes a lot of the decisions for that, and I said, 'Well, I'll do whatever you need.'"
Cena also noted that "Barbie" shares similarities with "Fast X," so jumping from the action movie to the comedy wasn't as massive a leap as it might seem. He said both flicks have excellent casts, and he was willing to join Greta Gerwig's comedy in any capacity just so that he could be part of the ensemble. Fortunately, it all worked out in the end, and Cena can now brag about having yet another hit on his resume.