John Cena Thinks He Knows Why He’s So Popular With Kids: 'I'm Undoubtedly Myself'
He’s a 16-time WWE champ and a movie star on the rise, but John Cena isn’t quite sure why so many kids are in awe of him.
Is it the hilarity he conveys in his feature roles? Maybe it’s how heroic he looks when he executes his signature takedown move against an opponent, or perhaps it’s his dedication to working with hundreds of children through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
But in all honesty, Cena doesn’t truly know.
“I wish I knew! I’m undoubtedly myself. It’s a day and age where so many people are striving to find out who they are, what their purpose is,” the 16-time world champion tells PEOPLE in this week’s inaugural Kindness Issue. “We get to all those existential questions quicker in our lives.”
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He adds, “I’m very comfortable with who I am, but I’m going to challenge myself every day to be a better me. Maybe that resonates with people.”
Cena first emerged on people’s radars when he joined the WWE in 2002, before expanding his reach in 2006 when he — like his wrestling counterpart Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — entered the realm of Hollywood, starring in his first major feature as John Triton in The Marine.
PEOPLE’s first-ever Kindness Issue is dedicated to highlighting the ways, big and small, that kindness can make a difference and change lives. Click here and pick up the issue, on stands Friday, Nov. 8, for more stories on the impact of kindness from Julia Roberts, Tiffany Haddish and other stars, as well as everyday people practicing kindness in their communities.
From there, the wrestler turned actor picked up numerous other movie roles, with a significant turn in 2015 playing Amy Schumer’s boyfriend Steven in the comedy Trainwreck. In 2018, Cena also appeared in the comedy Blockers and earned a leading role in the Transformers spin-off prequel Bumblebee, alongside Hailee Steinfeld.
With a major role in upcoming family movie Playing with Fire and involvement in future blockbuster projects such as Fast & Furious 9 and the Suicide Squad sequel, Cena himself sometimes can’t believe where he is today.
“I never expected any of this to happen,” the actor said. “I’m just glad that somebody is into letting me create stuff. So, I think that’s really cool.”
Cena also currently hosts the revived Nickelodeon game show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, so it may come as no surprise he’s cemented his mark as a popular figure among younger generations.
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As for his popularity with children, Cena says he’s picked up a thing or two on what audience members love from his time in the WWE.
“You’re not going to win over the folks that don’t like you,” Cena told PEOPLE. “You should definitely cater to the people that do like you because they’re gonna stick with you through thick and thin. So, I’ve brought that in transition to another creative experience.”
Playing with Fire is in theaters Nov. 8.
