John Cena sacrificed partying with Ricky Stanicky cast to be with wife Shay Shariatzadeh

WWE superstar and actor John Cena says he has been forced to set heavy boundaries while shooting a movie in Melbourne to make a certain someone a top priority.

Shay Shariatzadeh and John Cena. Picture: Getty Images

WWE superstar and actor John Cena says he sacrificed hanging out socially with his Hollywood co-stars in Melbourne to take care of his marriage.

Cena filmed the R-rated comedy Ricky Stanicky with Zac Efron, Andrew Santino, Jermaine Fowler, Jeff Ross and William H Macy in Melbourne in February and March. The movie wrapped last week.

Cena and wife Shay Shariatzadeh tied the knot in an attorney’s office three years ago, but celebrated with a lavish ceremony last year.

“I’ve had to set heavy boundaries for this film,” Cena said on Santino’s podcast Whiskey Ginger, which was recorded when they were in Melbourne.

“I wanna hang out with you guys, but my wife is an unbelievable person. I gotta fill those buckets, too, and make sure my relationship is stable and we’re on a great plain.

“Instead of, like, ‘Hey the cast is going out … I know you are,” Cena added. “But every time, I gotta draw the hard line boundaries of, ‘Yo, I need to be with my wife.’

“I want to try to be a good husband, a good partner. When I’m here, it’s the work, and all other things suffer. My training suffers, my relationship has to take a back seat, and my wife is unbelievably supportive of that. But I draw those hard line boundaries to play catch up.”

Cena and Shariatzadeh dined at top spots including Gimlet, Aru and Attica, and visited the NGV International.

Cena, a Make-A-Wish Foundation ambassador, also visited kids, and their families, at the Monash Children’s Hospital

Writer-director Peter Farrelly, actors Jermaine Fowler and Andrew Santino, Victoria’s Creative Industries Minister Steve Dimopoulos, Vic Screen boss Caroline Pitcher, and actors Zac Efron and John Cena, on the set of Ricky Stanicky in Melbourme. Picture: Supplied.

John Cena meets patient Joshua, 9, at Monash Children’s Hospital, in February 2023. Picture: Nicki Connolly.

John Cena visits Melbourne restaurant Aru. Picture: Instagram

Santino and Cena also riffed on Melbourne quirks and cuisine.

Cena gave thumbs up to Betty’s Burgers. “It’s a good smash burger place; best I’ve had out here.”

Santino: “You know what’s really good out here? Mexican food. No, I’m kidding. They literally have no idea how to do it down here.”
Cena: “No spice or hot sauce.”

Santino: “They don’t even know what hot sauce is. These people are insane. Me,

coming from Southern California, all I want is hot sauce.

“These guys double down on all sorts of dumb s--t. They don’t get it,” Santino added.

“They call French press coffee, plunger coffee. No it’s not. A plunger gets poop out of a toilet.”

Santino also disliked the term ‘afternoon tea.’ He added: “It’s not tea, it’s a snack.”

Cena: “Yeah, but I think there’s a whole culture around it.”

Santino, addressing Australians: “I don’t like it. The queen doesn’t like you guys. They got rid of you.”