John Cena reveals the one career mistake that nearly cost him his Hollywood opportunities. After making a name for himself in WWE, the wrestling legend stepped into Hollywood with his 2006 movie The Marine. However, he revealed that he nearly ran himself out of the movie business in the late 2000s.

And the actor admitted that the reason his early Hollywood career began to fall apart came down to one major mistake.

Ahead of the premiere of Matchbox: The Movie, John Cena sat down with the 3rd Hour of TODAY for an interview to discuss the film. He also looked back on the early stages of his Hollywood career and addressed one major mistake he made and that was him not caring enough about the work he was doing. Cena admitted that his lack of interest nearly cost him his movie career and came close to forcing him out of the film business altogether.

“Those early projects — truth be told — I didn’t have my heart into,” he said.

“As a young 20-something, God, traveling the world, being out in front of tens of thousands of people every night going nuts and then doing it night after night, that’s where I wanted to be, and that’s where I felt comfortable and fluent,” he further added.

As he shared in the interview, his heart and mind were back in the ring, surrounded by an energetic and excited crowd, and he was passionate about his first love, which is WWE. Cena went on to share how he did not have the “wisdom” to understand the process on film sets, which he said were super patient and slow. And that led to him almost getting out of the business.

However, the experience also taught him to appreciate filmmaking. He went on to add that he now appreciates each and every opportunity and performs wholeheartedly. Perhaps those efforts helped Cena make his name in Hollywood with hits like Trainwreck, Barbie, and Fast X. Now, WWE and acting are not his only loves in life.

Rey Mysterio Defies Age in A Incredible Duel Against Chad Gable for IC Championship on WWE Raw on Netflix

The actor is passionate about yet another thing in life and even got bullied for it early in his life.

John Cena, during his appearance on the Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend podcast, revealed that he had a love for rap music. He recalled that he was bullied for what he looked like. At the time, Cena had yet to grow into his height and stature. However, he did not let anything stop him. 

He released his rap album, titled "You Can’t See Me," on May 10, 2005, started his acting career, learned from his mistakes, and continued to grow into the person he is today. His earlier struggles, achievements, and candidness in sharing his experiences are among the things that make him so admirable o his fans.

Will 'WWE Worlds Collide' 2026 Stream on Netflix? Your Guide to Watch the Special PLE Online

What do you think about John Cena's confession about career mistake? Let us know in the comments.