Retired WWE star John Cena has drawn parallels between WWE and acting, and how they're similar in many ways.Cena has become a successful actor after enjoying a legendary professional wrestling career in WWE. The 17-time world champion was asked by a fan at the SpaceCon San Antonio 2026 convention whether there are any differences between the two professions."What did I learn about acting that I didn't realize when I was a WWE Superstar? That they're the same. I used to think different, right? I used to think, like, I'm alone in the ring, and I love being there, and then I started having a different perspective on acting, and I was like, 'Ah, but it's so different 'cause there's no big crowd, there's no instant feedback.' It is the same. You get to assume the role of a personality, and the more you are invested in that personality, the more people will go along with that ride for you," he said.Cena pointed out the dedication and time he had to invest in perfecting the character he plays in "Peacemaker," asserting that he had to do something similar during his WWE career."I heard so many people today say, like, 'Hey man, there's no one else that could play Peacemaker.' And I got to tell you that that warms my heart because if you watched both of those seasons, you know I've invested my whole self into that character, and that's what you have to do in WWE to be a success, because you guys can see through BS. If I go out there and I play Superstar, you guys know I'm lying like that."He added that his WWE character was a version of himself that fans wanted him to portray, claiming that acting is similar. Cena, whose WWE career has come to an end, has a host of movies set for release soon, including the upcoming "Little Brother."
