John Cena has recently dished how he persuaded his agency for a role in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie.
Speaking on The Howard Stern Show earlier this week, Cena, who played a mermaid in Barbie, revealed, “The agency is just going on what they know. And what they know is, ‘This entity, this commodity gravitates towards these things, we should stay in this lane’.”
However, the WWE legend stated, “I’m not a commodity. I’m a human being, and I operate under the construct of every opportunity is an opportunity.”
Cena mentioned he was filming Fast X in the studio near Barbie when he met the lead star Margot Robbie, who told him to make a cameo in a movie.
“Margot was like, ‘We’ll make you a mermaid. You’ll be in it for half a day.’ Yeah, sure,” recalled the 46-year-old.
Cena mentioned, “I think the perspective from an agency standpoint was, ‘This is beneath you,’ which I get that. But also, to the agency’s credit, immediately they acquiesced, and I was like, ‘No we’re going to do it,’ but all they can do is offer their guidance.”
“They’re not ultimately making the choice,” he remarked.
Cena added, “Their guidance is ‘Truly trickle-down economics from this may take you out of these lead lap slots.’ And I get all that. I’ve always operated under the philosophy that good work gets you another chance.”
Meanwhile, Barbie became blockbuster hit at the worldwide box office last year.
