John Cena is willing to jump into the deep end. If he’s going to do something, he’s going to do it without reservations. He proved that over and over again during his time in WWE, and he’s consistently proven that in Hollywood by taking challenging roles and ones that take him out of his comfort zone. That doesn’t mean he always likes it though. In fact, he hates shooting sex scenes and recently talked about why they’re “the worst.”
The subject in question came up while reminiscing about Trainwreck. Cena gave a ton of credit to director Judd Apatow for giving him great advice and creating an environment in which he was really comfortable to try things as an actor. That helped him find chemistry with Amy Schumer and land the part, but that doesn’t mean actually shooting it was easy though. Being told to have “awkward sex” in front of a whole set of people is “embarrassing.” Here’s how he described it in the sitdown with Shannon Sharpe on Club Shay Shay…
It’s the worst. Right now, you guys at home think it’s just us. No, there’s a whole fucking world back here (pointing off-camera)... There are so many people you need to make a movie. There is nothing intimate about it. Nothing. So, like it’s real embarrassing and then on top of that, to do a comedic sex scene where you’re making fun of yourself. They were like, ‘Try to have the most awkward sex you possibly can.’ And with an audience watching that, it’s different. I don’t want to say it sucks. It’s different than what you all think it is.
Other actors would likely take that experience as a warning and protect themselves from potentially embarrassing situations in the future, but that’s just not how John Cena is wired. If he responds to something, he wants to figure out how to make it as good as possible, which means fully embracing the idea. That’s what happened earlier this year during his much talked about (and well received) bit at the Oscars. He apparently wasn’t planning on being there, but host Jimmy Kimmel called him personally and asked him to read something.
Cena thought the gag, which involved him appearing naked with just a big envelope in front of him, was really funny, and when he agreed, he thought he’d just be totally naked for real (which likely would have received more FCC complaints). But then he showed up and Disney made him put tape over his butt crack, which was even more uncomfortable than being naked. The wrestling legend said it was way harder than the Trainwreck sex scene and went back to the tape in explaining why…
I honestly thought I would be more naked. I expected full dick and nuts, but it’s Disney so I had to put tape on my butt crack. That was even more embarrassing, going out there with a taped butthole.
John Cena is a treasure. He’s a Make A Wish legend, an incredible performer and an actor who seems to only be getting better with every role. That starts with being comfortable with himself and doing the things he responds to. That’s resulted in a ton of fascinating projects over the last decade or so in Hollywood, and next year, it’ll result in him returning to WWE for a yearlong farewell tour because he wants to. I can’t wait.
