John Cena
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Your mornings are busy. Make the news simple. Every day on Up First, we unpack the three biggest stories of the day. This week, the final matchups of the 2026 World Cup, the latest developments between the U.S. and Iran, and a busy week in Congress with key confirmation hearings after the sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham. Stay ahead of the news. Listen every day to Up First on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts. Have your feelings about death changed over time?
Yes, I will die. I always used to say it out loud, like as a young person, like, oh, I'm not very going to make it. So I'm 40. That was just cannon fodder. Now my perspective has changed that we all die. We are all going to die. And it gives me gratitude towards the now. It allows me to reflect with great feelings. That's why I don't have a void for retirement. I have love and gratitude and thanks now.
I'm Rachel Martin, and this is Wildcard, the show where cards control the conversation. Each week, my guest answers questions about their life, questions pulled from a deck of cards. They're allowed to skip one question and to flip one back on me. My guest this week is John Cena.
I look back, I'm like, I had 23 years of being a pro wrestler. Yeah. What? What? That's my vocation.
John Cena is a WWE legend, but he has built a career as an entertainer that really transcends the ring. The first time I saw him lead a cast in a movie was the 2019 family film Playing With Fire. And his rapport with kids in that movie did not seem like acting at all. The man contains multitudes. His newest film is called Little Brother, and I am so very happy to welcome John Cena to Wildcard. Hi, John.
Thank you. Glad I could play today.
Here we go. Memories. I'm going to hold up three cards. And you pick, John, randomly. One, two, or three.
Has anyone ever asked you to pick?
Sometimes. We call that a dealer's choice.
Dealer's choice.
Okay.
I like this because the dealer can see all the questions.
I'm going to go with two.
Okay.
When's the first time you really got in trouble?
My older brother Steve was performing in his second grade play at Central Elementary School in West Newbury, Massachusetts. I, before the show started, climbed up on the stage and said, I'm Superman and jumped off into a bunch of steel chairs. And there's a pretty cool picture of me peering up from one of the steel chairs with two huge... Black eyes.
Black eyes.
And it is just – I think that was the first time I worried everyone but got in trouble as well. That's the first time I remember that.
You can draw such a clear line between that moment and what you ended up doing for a living. Imagine that. Imagine that.
Yeah.
Funny that. There's the performance gene. Yeah. Percolated early, it seems. Yeah. And being able to use your body.
Thinking you're invincible.
Not being afraid. Yeah. Thinking you're invincible.
Yeah.
And being comfortable with risk. Yeah. Was that emblematic in general of your childhood?
I think so. I think so.
Yeah.
I've been using the term, like, courageous ignorance a lot. You know, a little bit of – certainly a lot of curiosity, but I think the – The courageous ignorance of not knowing enough has led to a lot of interesting experiences.
It gives you permission or you're giving yourself permission to just to be bold, to try things. And hopefully you don't get burned, but I imagine the risk reflex will kick in eventually and protect you from actually doing damage to your body.
I think that's well said. And even in the realm of you do know your limits, like you learn your limits. I have experienced that it's far more effective for me to learn my limits rather than to... Be told them. And I think that that courageous ignorance, that blissful ignorance of like not even having the conversation about limits.
Yeah.
Allows you to find them in real time.
Yeah. You came from a big family. I mean, you were one of five brothers? One of five. All boys. Yeah. All boys.
So were your parents— Everyone always does that. All boys.
Well, I'm the mother of two boys. I love being the mom of boys.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–6:53
2
How did John Cena describe his childhood mischief and early performing instincts?
6:53–10:53
3
What does John Cena mean by “courageous ignorance” and how did it shape his career choices?
10:53–23:19
4
How did John Cena’s family and upbringing influence his love of performance and wrestling?
23:19–32:02
5
Why did John Cena choose boarding school and how did it change his work ethic and opportunities?
32:02–48:08
6
What inspired John Cena to take the role in Little Brother and how does he view the film’s theme of brotherhood?
48:08–52:47