John Cena made his scene-stealing big screen comedy debut in Amy Schumer's Trainwreck in 2015, in which he also performed not only his first sex scene in a film, but an extremely awkward one at that. Yet, Cena says the moment paled in comparison to another high profile gig from earlier this year.
The 47-year-old opened up about the intricacies of onscreen intimacy on the latest episode of Shannon Sharpe's Club Shay Shay podcast this week. When asked if it's "hard" doing sex scenes, Cena exclaimed, "Oh my god, it's the worst!"
"This is the thing. Right now, you guys at home think it's just us. No! There's a whole f--king world back here," the soon-retiring WWE star explained, pointing to the camera crew filming the episode, which is apparently not unlike shooting a movie.
"It's just, there are so many people you need to make a movie. There's nothing intimate about it," Cena noted. "Nothing. So like, it's real embarrassing. And then on top of that, to do a comedic sex scene, where you’re like, making fun of yourself? They literally like [said] 'Try to have the most awkward sex you possibly can.' OK? And with an audience watching that. It's different. I don’t want to say it sucks, but it’s just different than you all think it is."
Sharpe then interjected to ask which was more awkward, his sex scene in Trainwreck or his viral Oscars moment, in which he appeared nearly nude onstage during the awards ceremony back in March. Cena didn't skip a beat.
"The Oscars. Because I got all the people behind the camera, of any production, but then I walk out in front of a room of my peers, many of which I’ve never met because I haven't worked my way up to meet," he continued. "I have the most decorated performers, producers, directors in one room and I’m gonna go out there with my balls in the wind, with an index card covering my stuff, being like, ‘Hey guys, is this funny? Are we good? Are we alright?'"
"How did they convince you to do that?" Sharpe asked incredulously, to which Cena stressed: "It was funny. Jimmy Kimmel called me personally and he's like, ‘I need you to come to the Oscars.'"
.@ShannonSharpe: Is it hard doing a sex scene?@JohnCena: Oh, my God. It's the worst!
— Club Shay Shay (@ClubShayShay) August 21, 2024
Shannon Sharpe: What's so bad about it? Did i miss something? ????????????
Full episode is streaming now on Club Shay Shay's YouTube pic.twitter.com/v2QyMg89ug
Although Cena was initially reluctant to commit because he was he in between projects and needed time to recharge, Kimmel was able to convince him otherwise. "He’s like, 'Just let me send you the bit.’ And he sent it on paper and I called him back, like, 'When do you need me there?'
"And I honestly thought I would be more naked. I expected full dick and nuts, but it’s Disney, so they put tape on my butt crack and stuff," Cena revealed. "That was even more embarrassing. Going out there with a taped butthole? It’s tough."
However, Cena is aware that it only worked out because he fully committed to the bit. "I didn't be like, 'I'll do it, but I gotta not do this, or maybe I'll be able to wear shorts or whatever?' No, man I wanna wear my watch and Birkenstocks and that's it."
Suffice to say, the bit definitely got people talking. And although Cena says the money "wasn't good," in the end, the apparent humiliation was worth it to perform in front of his peers.
