Matchbox: John Cena Explains How Arnold Schwarzenegger Taught Him to Be An Action Hero

John Cena has become one of the biggest stars on the planet, and one of the most successful crossovers from professional wrestling to Hollywood acting. Cena shows no signs of slowing down, either: this year he’s already starred in a buddy comedy with Eric André (Little Brother) and the long-awaited Looney Tunes courtroom comedy Coyote vs. Acme. This week John Cena will star alongside Jessica Biel in Apple TV’s action-comedy Matchbox: The Movie.

Inspired by Mattel’s classic line of toy cars, Cena plays “Sean Walker,” a CIA spy who inadvertently gets his childhood friends’ group, “The Matchbox Gang,” into a real-life version of the epic vehicular adventures they imagined as kids. For Cena, it’s a full-fledged step into being a blockbuster action leading man, after years of appearing in franchises like Fast & Furious and playing Peacemaker in the DCU.

John Cena Explains Why Schwarzenegger Is His Role Model (Beyond the Screen)

You would think that at this point, John Cena has all the swagger needed to be a badass action star of his own making. But when ComicBook’s Chris Killian spoke to him recently, Cena was sure to give credit where credit was due and acknowledge the greats who inspired him to be an action star. When it comes to one of them, Cena made it clear the admiration runs far deeper than the screen performances.

“I have a strong affinity for Arnold [Schwarzenegger] and Sly [Stallone’s] accomplishments, and I can’t have more fluency in Arnold’s background and Arnold’s story,” Cena explained. He later continued that “He is open, vulnerable, self-deprecating, and his advocacy of being useful has helped me narrow in on my purpose. Gosh. He is what I believe the American Dream is: An immigrant coming here with a big idea and making the “impossible” just a word. And how he is relentless and trying to get the best out of others; how he uses his notoriety and relevance.”

Schwarzenegger wasn’t just a screen star to look up to: the Austrian body-builder/actor/political figure/businessman has been an informal life model for Cena. Arnold couldn’t know it, but apparently, his words about life, striving, and perseverance had formative effects on the next generation of stars, like John Cena. “Now (and like I said, his concept of being useful), his words found me at the right time and have helped hone my purpose for what I feel is act three of my life,” Cena explained. He would also add that “Arnold has been very influential about how I move through space as a human being.”

You can catch John Cena in Matchbox: The Movie, which starts streaming on Apple TV+ on October 9th. Who’s you’re favorite action hero? Let us know in the comments!

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