John Cena has gone from a ‘scrawny kid’ to being a WWE wrestler — now he is a Hollywood superstar

SKINNY, awkward and bullied — WWE superstar turned Hollywood actor John Cena has grown a long way from his scrawny childhood.

SKINNY, awkward and bullied — WWE superstar turned Hollywood actor John Cena has grown a long way from his scrawny childhood.

“I was the one that was picked on,” the 1.85m-tall, 114kg Cena told The Daily Telegraph. “I was a bit of a string bean at 11/12 years old.

“We all go through our developing stage at that age. I just didn’t look like anybody else,” the wrestler turned actor said.

WWE wrestler turned Hollywood actor reveals he wasn’t always this buff and has endured some failures to get to where he is now. Picture: Tim Hunter

Worse yet, the star of films such as Trainwreck and Daddy’s Home, who is currently being seen in Daddy’s Home 2, was a rap fan in a rock’n’roll town.

“I looked different, I acted different, I walked different and I got a lot of flack for not being like everyone else,” Cena said.

“I kind of used it to make me a stronger person.”

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Cena is in Sydney to promote animated film Ferdinand, where he voices the leading role of the bull who doesn’t fit into society. Picture: Supplied

Cena has maintained his profile as one of the biggest global stars of WWE wrestling, while also releasing rap songs and building a solid Hollywood career.

He’s in Sydney promoting his new animated film Ferdinand, about a bull (voiced by Cena) who doesn’t quite fit the mould. It is a scenario Cena relates to.

His stardom has steadily grown in Hollywood as he takes on more roles. Picture: Supplied

“None of this happened overnight and a lot of it is through failure, and the ability to take a chance,” he said.

“So many folks just get into their comfort zone and aspire to do these things but won’t take any steps to move forward. It is being able to weather the storm and not being afraid to take chances every single day.

“I am not exactly cheered at every event that I go to and there is a giant contingent out there wanting me to change, wanting my being, my value system to change and I just won’t.”

Originally published as John Cena has gone from a ‘scrawny kid’ to being a WWE wrestler — now he is a Hollywood superstar