John Cena: I Only Did My Early Career Movies To Help Make WWE More Popular

John Cena has admitted he initially only got into appearing in films in order to help make WWE more popular, as opposed to actually enjoying being on set.

Cena's first movie role came in a WWE Studios film called The Marine and, ever since, The 16-time WWE Champion's Hollywood profile has slowly grown.

The 44-year-old hasn't been seen on WWE television since WrestleMania 36, having been away due to multiple film and television series commitments, and Cena says he now 'truly enjoys' every aspect of making a movie.

The same can't be said for when he started the process, however, as he simply saw it as a tool to help get exposure for WWE, admitting he used to want to be back in the WWE ring over being on set.

Speaking to Dermot & Dave, Cena said: "I don't think we find opportunity, I think opportunity finds us. When it finds us, you have to be brave enough to jump. 

"I certainly had a wonderful existence in WWE with no sense of slowing down. I took bit parts here and there where I had to expose a lot of myself on screen and redefine myself to be the butt of the joke for five years running now to try and get another chance. 

"It started off as me doing a parody of myself on kids movies with a YouTube character called Fred. Then I got another opportunity and another. The conundrum is, WWE is constant. To be able to step away...you can't step away to film Fast. I haven't been there for the better half of two and a half years and strictly because I've been filming and they don't allow you to do both. I took those small parts and could film in a weekend, then come back and make my dates. You have to find that balance.

"When I did those movies in the early 2000s...if anybody saw them, I'll mail them the check because I owe them some money... the reasons behind it were wrong. I was doing it to try and get WWE more popular rather than wanting to do it.

"Every second I was on one of those movie sets, I wanted to be back in WWE. Now, I truly enjoy everything that comes with the movie. You can't have fear of missing out or wanting to be in all places at once. As performers in WWE, we fancy ourselves as versatile and want to be everywhere."

H/T Fightful