John Cena is no stranger to facing a numbers disadvantage in physical combat, which makes his role in his latest major motion-picture all the more appropriate. Cena stars as Noel in Jackpot!, a new action comedy from director Paul Feig. Jackpot! takes audiences a couple of years into the future where the economy has tanked and, in an effort to boost financials, California hosts a regular “Grand Lottery.” In a Purge-esque twist, Californians have the right to kill the winner before sundown to acquire the winner’s multi-billion dollar prize. Noel is not a lottery contestant but rather a freelance security guard, offering his protection services to winners in exchange for a percentage of the jackpot.
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John Cena Details His Characters’ Creative Process
On the surface, Noel is your typical John Cena character: quick quips, physical presence, and courageous charm. That said, like his portrayals of Ricky Stanicky and Peacemaker in years past, Cena executes his Jackpot! performance in a way that gives Noel depth and individuality.
“I guess I do my best to learn the material but also come up with ways on how to present the material but also keep an open mind to be coachable,” Cena told ComicBook when asked about how he individualizes his characters. “Some of the best advice I’ve been given from directors at various points in my performance is, ‘All the cool ideas you had, pal? Throw them out the window and do it like this.’ I think it’s the ability to be coachable that hopefully keeps me getting better as a performer.”
Cena’s Noel stars opposite Awkwafina’s Katie, the Grand Lottery’s latest winner with a skyline-sized bullseye on her back. In their efforts to evade money-hungry Los Angeleans, Noel and Katie end up on Machine Gun Kelly’s doorstep.
Cena sharing the screen with mgk brings his entertainment career full circle, as the Tickets to my Downfall artist previously opened Big Match John’s WWE WrestleMania 28 entrance ahead of his first match against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
“It was fantastic, and man, he was fantastic in his performance,” Cena said of mgk. “That wasa watermark moment in my career and he was able to be a part of it, and he was a great part of it. He put on a great performance and made the spectacle even more of a spectacle.”
“It was good to be able to catch up with him and reassure him over a decade later, like, ‘Hey, man, I’m so thankful you were a part of that because you made it bigger and you made it better,’” Cena continued. “Then when he got on set and he was like so open to do jokes and do comedy. His humility and vulnerability were uh an added bonus. I did not know that existed and it was pleasant to see.”
Jackpot! premieres on Prime Video on August 15th.
