John Cena reveals his agency advised him not to do Barbie cameo: ‘This is beneath you’

John Cena had a short yet memorable cameo in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie. The actor shared how he was warned against taking on the part.

John Cena starred in a cameo in Barbie.

John Cena’s brief role as merman Ken in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie made for a hilarious scene in the blockbuster film. Yet, in a new interview during his recent appearance on The Howard Stern Show, the star revealed that he was advised by his agency not to take on the part. (Also read: Margot Robbie opens up about crisis before filming Barbie: ‘I’d spent years trying to get this movie going’) John Cena starred in a cameo in Barbie.John Cena starred in a cameo in Barbie.

What John Cena said

Speaking during his recent appearance, “So it’s not a big team, which I’m grateful for. I don’t have a publicity department. I have a manager only because it’s me and him. We’re kinda like a two-prong fork. And an agency that goes out and tries to look for work, and I don’t put it past them, they’re just going on what they know. And what they know is, ‘This entity, this commodity gravitates toward these things, we should stay in this lane.’ But I’m not a commodity, I’m a human being, and I operate under the construct of every opportunity is an opportunity.”
Hindustan Times – your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

‘This is beneath you’

He further added that his agency gave the explanation that the project did not match upto him. “I read the script of the movie and I tried my hardest to be in it. Margot [Robbie] was like, ‘We’ll make you a mermaid. You’ll be in it for half a day.’ ‘Yeah, sure. But 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. I’ve always operated under the philosophy of good work gets you another chance,” he said.

Barbie received tremendous critical acclaim and earned eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. It grossed $1 billion at the box office globally. Barbie revolves around Margot’s stereotypical Barbie, who has an existential crisis when she starts to lose her vibe and her perched Barbie toe. To get to the bottom of the mystery, she’s told to go where no Barbie doll has gone before – ‘the real world’. Along with Ryan Gosling’s Ken, she jets off to experience the ‘real world’.

Related Posts

😱🎬 Euphoria Season 3 First Photos Are Here! Rue, Cassie, and the Gang Are Back, Battling Love, Money, and Hollywood Chaos 💔💸💍

Buckle up, Euphoria stans—HBO just cracked open the glitter-dusted vault of our most addictive teen trauma, and the third season’s first-look photos are serving more shock value…

🎬💔 Chaos, Tears, and a Heartbreak: Maxton Hall’s James Proposes — Ruby’s “No” Leaves Fans Stunned! 😭✨

Hold onto your Oxford acceptance letters, Maxton Hall devotees—Prime Video has just unleashed a trailer that’s equal parts swoon-worthy serenade and soul-shattering suspense. The Season 3 teaser…

🌟🎅 Move Over, Santa! Alexandra Breckenridge From Virgin River Rockets to the Top as Netflix’s New Holiday Star in a Heartwarming Christmas Rom-Com — Viewers Are Obsessed! ❄️💖

In the glittering whirlwind of holiday streaming wars, where Hallmark churns out predictable mistletoe moments and Lifetime peddles tear-jerking tales of redemption, Netflix has just uncorked a…

Bondi Beach Attack Updates: Bystander Hero Pictured Recovering as UK Chief Rabbi Shares Family Survival Story.

Authorities in Sydney provided fresh details on December 15, 2025, regarding the terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Bondi Beach the previous evening, where 15 people…

Brown University Teaching Assistant Recounts Terrifying Moments as Gunman Entered Classroom.

Joseph Oduro, a 21-year-old teaching assistant at Brown University, provided a detailed account of the chaotic scene inside the lecture hall where a gunman opened fire on…

A major twist in the Brown University tragedy: The detained person of interest is walking free… 💔 After initial hope of a breakthrough, officials say evidence shifted directions overnight.

Authorities in Providence, Rhode Island, announced late Sunday night, December 14, 2025, that a person of interest detained in connection with the deadly shooting at Brown University…