A Nude John Cena Makes the Oscars a Night to Remember
Just as Poor Things was on a winning streak during the 96th Academy Awards (best makeup and hairstyling, best production design), host Jimmy Kimmel tried to bring an actual streaker onstage.
Fifty years after a streaker interrupted his predecessor host David Nevin while he was introducing Elizabeth Taylor, Kimmel invited a naked John Cena onstage, but the actor and former wrestler hid behind a curtain. He refused streak, arguing he felt embarrassed doing something so tasteless, but he still had a job to do. Cena took the envelope for best costume design and held it over his genital area as he scooted to the microphone—but viewers at home didn't get flashed. As snippets from the nominated films flashed across the screen, he reappeared in a coral-colored toga to announce that the winner was Poor Things.
Immediately on X (formerly Twitter), people argued that Cena gave Kimmel competition as the funniest comedian of the evening.
john cena worlds best comedic actor
— ashley ray🍦ice cream money out 3/1 (@theashleyray) March 11, 2024
no matter what anyone says, john cena COMMITS #Oscars pic.twitter.com/Nq7oRvWAuC
— adam driver in francis ford coppola’s megalopolis (@stunninggun) March 11, 2024
Impeccable comic timing and charisma can be underrated. John Cena has both. #Oscars
— Rebecca Sun 孫洪美 (@therebeccasun) March 11, 2024
This John Cena bit will be such a formative moment for budding Oscar watchers
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) March 11, 2024
Write to Olivia B. Waxman at olivia.waxman@time.com.
