John Cena, aged 47, had a childhood marked by bullying and unemployment, living in his car, surviving on free pizza before rising to fame.
The actor made headlines with his outstanding Costume Design Award presentation almost naked on the Oscar stage on March 11 (Hanoi time). The video capturing this humorous moment garnered over three million views on YouTube and thousands of interactions on the X platform.
Cena was born in 1977 in Massachusetts, USA, as the second of five siblings. Before becoming a Hollywood star, John Cena was a shining name in American wrestling. He held 25 championship belts, including 16 WWE World Championships, five United States Championships, and four Tag Team Championships. He was the face of WWE from 2000 to 2010.
According to The Street, John Cena earns $8.5 million annually from his WWE contract, pocketing $500,000 for each appearance at major events. He remains one of WWE’s highest-paid athletes despite reduced activity, being among the top individuals in merch sales for the company. Artists receive 5% of merchandise revenue. In 2016, Forbes declared John Cena the highest-earning wrestler, with a total income of $9.5 million.
In an interview with People in July 2021, the artist revealed he sculpted his physique to protect himself from being a victim of school violence. “Tired of being beaten up, I asked my dad to buy me a weight set when I was 13. From then on, I never stopped training,” John Cena said.
During a conversation with comedian Kevin Hart on the Hart to Heart show in August 2023, John Cena mentioned living in his car for several months, utilizing a local shop’s pizza challenge where finishing a giant pizza meant it was free. He ate like that every night until the shop agreed that if he stopped coming, they would provide him with free sandwiches.
John Cena stated that during tough times, he could have returned to Massachusetts with his family’s help but chose not to give up. A year after moving to a new city, he joined the Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW) professional wrestling company, debuting as The Prototype and winning the UPW Heavyweight Championship. His achievements caught WWE’s attention, and they recruited him in 2002, turning him into one of American wrestling’s legends.
Following The Marine, he continued to participate in various projects such as Bumblebee (2018), The Suicide Squad (2021), Fast & Furious 9 (2021), Peacemaker (2022), and Freelance (2023). There is currently no official information on the actor’s salary, but many sources suggest he received $500,000 for the lead role in Peacemaker.
Currently, with 18 years of experience, John Cena has become a familiar face in the action-comedy genre. Mashable praises his ability to embody characters in this genre, noting his humorous nature in roles that challenge conventions, demonstrating that his talent goes beyond muscles. Pierre Morel, the director of Freelance (2023), told Bleacher Report that John Cena is a natural-born comedian.
John Cena’s latest work is the comedy film Ricky Stanicky (2024), produced by Amazon, starring alongside actor Zac Efron. CNN commented that while Ricky Stanicky didn’t meet expectations, Cena’s role suited a wrestler-turned-actor.
In addition to acting and wrestling, the 47-year-old actor was once a rapper. He released his first album titled You Can’t See Me in 2005, reaching number 15 on the Billboard 200 chart. John Cena is the only wrestler to perform on the BBC Two’s Top of the Pops stage.
Furthermore, the actor is actively involved in charity work. In 2022, he set a Guinness World Record by fulfilling 650 wishes for critically ill children through the Make-A-Wish foundation since 2002. He participates in the Love Has No Labels movement, promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion for people of all races, religions, genders, sexual orientations, ages, and abilities since 2016.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, John Cena is a millionaire with assets worth $80 million, owning numerous luxury cars and valuable real estate. He married Shay Shariatzadeh, a 35-year-old engineer of Iranian descent, in 2020. Previously, he had a four-year marriage with college sweetheart Elizabeth Huberdeau from 2009 to 2012. After the divorce, he dated WWE diva Nikki Bella for six years before marrying his current wife.