August 21, 2024 • 33 mins
In Part 2 of this episode of Club Shay Shay with John Cena, The Face of the WWE talks about his transition to acting, how Judd Apatow’s “Trainwreck” changed his career, and his experiences in films like “Suicide Squad” and “Fast & Furious”. John doesn’t shy away from the challenges of acting, particularly the embarrassment of filming sex scenes, but embraces the opportunities that come his way. Additionally, John gives listeners a sneak peek into his latest role in Jackpot, which John found to be a natural fit based on his personality in real life.
As the episode nears its close, John offers insights into his financial philosophy. A self-proclaimed car enthusiast, John talks about his love for driving and his worst purchases, including a fake Lamborghini, while his best purchase remains his wife’s engagement ring. He shares some of the tough financial lessons he’s learned to inform listeners how they can avoid the pitfalls he’s made in the past. John shares views on personal privacy as a global superstar, and why he still doesn’t want kids despite the societal implications adopted when an individual decides to make such a lifestyle choice. Join Shannon Sharpe and John Cena for an episode packed with inspiration, candid stories, and the wisdom of a man who’s never given up.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thank you for You're coming back. Part two is underway.
When you decided to say, you know what, I'm gonna
give this acting thing a try. Because Rock Wressell then
went to acting steal wrestle's periodically here and there. Bautista
did the same thing. Batista now he mainly just does acting,
and even Roman Raines he's followed in Europe. So what
(00:20):
did you have conversations with Rock? Did you have conversations
with Batista?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
I did, But I think our pastor are different, Okay.
I think especially with Dwayne he did WWE and said
I want to do act, okay. I think with Bautista
he also said I now want to do act.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I got a chance to do act okay. And I
got a chance early in my career. Two thousand and
four was my first movie and it didn't go so well,
and then I did a bunch of bad movies. But
I got those chances because the WWE was opening a
studio right again, if life cracks, the door open, see
what's behind.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So my boss was like, hey, you got to go
to Australia to make this movie? Why because we were
gonna do it with stone col and he backed out
when we film in a week, Get down there, Okay,
let's go. That got me kind of run out of
the movie business in two thousand and nine, and then
in the early like twenty ten, eleven twelve, I was
approached with very small roles and I had been playing
(01:16):
the same character on TV. Not that I was bored,
but this was a chance to be like, Hey, do
you want to make fun of yourself or do you
want to be part of this movie where you can
dress up as a different character and do different stuff.
So I didn't say I was going to go act.
I just merely said, yo, there's an opportunity in front
of me that i'd like to do. I know why
I fucked up in the past because I wanted to
(01:36):
be in the ring when I should have wanted to
be on set. Right, let's give this thing a try.
And when you give it a try, give it a try.
Respect the process, respect the long days, respect the multiple takes.
It's not live entertainment. There's not ten thousand people scream
in your name. Do this for this and do it
the best you can, and that's when things start. Good work,
(01:57):
I'm a firm believer in good work will get you
another opportunities somewhere right, and that started to happen.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
What's the hardest part about auditioning? Failing?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
It is the thing and and a lot of a
lot of the audition process they're just looking. A lot
of it is aesthetic. You know, you see a character
in your mind when you read the book, and if
the person walks in and they're the spitting image of
that character, man, they got a good chance. Anyone can
be coachable. If I'm a director, I want to think
if I'm your head coach and I see you and
(02:28):
I'm like, man, I think we're good coaching. I think
we can help this talent. It's a lot. That's a
lot of the audition process. So the shitty thing is
failing a lot like it is a business of rejection.
In baseball, you get to hit three out of ten times,
you make the Hall of Fame. Yeah, that's an f audition.
It's like god, if you land one out of one hundred.
(02:49):
For some it's one out of a thousand. Like you,
you just get rejected all the time and you're basically
being told you're not gonna and they kind of don't
tell you why. It's just you didn't get the gig.
So if you know you need to work on your
speed easy, I'll practice that. I'll get better at that.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
But just tell me that. So you're not fast enough, Yeah,
you don't get young. You'll get anything. You just don't
get the.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Start your routes. You need to work with your route.
So then you need to be able to get on
the edge. You need to get scanny. So well you say, nah,
you know, you don't know what to practice. You know,
it's it's just tough. It's tough.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
But then train wreck happens. Yep, what was that situation? Like?
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Well, I mean you like they call you, was like, okay,
we got this role, we got this roll, John, We
like for you to come down there read for it,
and uh give this thing a goll yep.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
And I sat in a room with Amy Schumer and
jud Appatow and I was prepared. We went through the
script and then life handed me an opportunity. Judd said,
put the script down and just riff, and we just did.
And and I wasn't afraid of looking silly, and I
wasn't afraid of not being funny, and I wasn't afraid
of failing because I was failing all the time anyway,
(04:00):
and I got advice from Judd behind the camera of
kind of encouraging me to what say, Amy is an angel.
She made the environment so comfortable. And then when I
got the part eventually, and they were like, yeah, it's
a sex scene, and we want you to do elaborate
and crazy stunt sex and all those lines you had,
we're probably not gonna use. We're he just gonna do
this stunt sex scene. Yeah, sure, let's do it. Be
(04:23):
naked in front of everybody. Yeah, no problem, let's do it.
So that also comes with like, well, people are gonna
laugh at me, and people are gonna make fun of
the way I look physically. Okay, man, let's go being
okay with self, you know, And okay, this is what
this profession is about. Yeah, let's do it. Let's give
it a try.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Is it hard doing a sex scene? Oh my god,
it's the worst. Why what's so bad? A money?
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Right now?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Did I miss up? No?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
This is the thing right now. You guys at home
think it's just us. Yeah, no, there's a whole fucking
world back here. Yes, and this is this is like
a great reduction. Nonetheless, but dude, man like catering was
right there, and like the sound tenses right there. They
started off. We start off practice. It was like a
closed set and I'm I I've come to grips of
(05:12):
like a this is who you are.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
You work every day, be the.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Best you can, fucking man, let it hang out, right.
So when that attitude literally all okay, okay, a short
story either way, it's just there are so many people
you need to make a movie. There is nothing intimate
about it, right, nothing, so like it's real embarrassing. And
(05:35):
then on top of that, to do a comedic sex scene, yeah,
where you're like making fun of yourself and and have
it they literally like try to have the most awkward
sex you possibly can, Okay, and with an audience watching that.
That's it's different. I don't want to say it sucks.
It's just it's a it's different than you all think
it is. Yes, it's different.
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ro dot co slash info. That was the movie Lebron
was in? How was Lebron on?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Say? So?
Speaker 2 (07:11):
We never got to officially meet, but I've met him
at wweka, he's awesome. He is, he's awesome, Like, yeah,
he's a great person.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Okay, let me ask you this, which was hard of
the sex scene and train wreck or sex scene at
the Oscars.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
The Oscars because I got all the people behind the
camera of any production. But then I walk out in
front of a room of my peers, many of which
I've never met because I haven't worked my way up
to meet Right, I have the most decorated performers, producers,
directors in one room, and I'm gonna go out there
(07:50):
with my balls in the wind with an index card
covering my stuff, being like.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Hey, guys, is this funny? Are we good? Are we
all right?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
That was?
Speaker 3 (07:58):
That was a how did they be sure to do that?
Speaker 2 (08:01):
It was funny. Jimmy, kimmeill call me personally and he's like,
I need you to come to the office. Jimmy, I'm
in between stuff, like I need some time to recharge.
And I know I'm I'm very good with boundaries and
self of like if I just give me twenty four.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Hours and I'm back in.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I really needed some time.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And he's like, just let me send you the bit
and he sent it on paper and I called him back.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
I'm like, when do you need to be there?
Speaker 2 (08:23):
It wasn't It wasn't a thing of like, And I
honestly thought I would be more naked, right, I expected
full dick and nuts. But it's Disney, so you gotta,
I like, put the tape on my butt crack and
get stuff. That was even more embarrassing, right, Yeah, going
out there with the taped butthole.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
That's tough. That's tough.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
But uh, as soon as soon as I read it,
and I'm so fortunate that Jimmy Kimble thought of me
and we went through it rehearsal, he was like, Man,
this is gonna this is gonna be a moment. This
is gonna be funny. And only because when I invested,
I didn't invest. I invested. I didn't be like, I'll
do it, but I gotta not do this and maybe
I will work or whatever. No, I'm like, man, I
(09:01):
want to wear my watching birkenstocks.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
So it was just.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Knowing that it's an opportunity and investing in that and
and I don't know what or if any yield that
will have the money wasn't good. It was a moment
to perform in front of my peers. But I don't
know if it got me anything, but I knew that
I wanted to do it.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
You know, then you had you did the Suicide Squad
and the Suicide Squad with Will Smith eat your Elba.
So these roles are getting bigger and bigger. So when
you get like, damn, that's Will Smith man, let's eat
your sailbook? Does that thought? Do you get starstruck when
you get.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
All the time? And I think a lot of the
a lot of the awe comes from like it's I'm
starts for talking to you. You have been able to
take something you love and make it your vocation, not
a job like what you were, what you were put
here to do. And then after that chapter closes, you
(10:00):
are now taking something you love and making it your vocation.
To me, I'm in awe of like, that's fucking super cool.
So when I'm standing next to Idris, who's been a
performer on screen for decades and operates at a high level,
I'm in awe. It's not of what his fame can
(10:20):
do for me. If you look at how I operate
on social media, I'm very hardline boundaries. I don't ever
I don't ever try to treat my relationships with people
as transactional. But damn do I have respect for people
that can take what they love and make it their vocation.
I remember meeting Kevin Hart. Kevin is a like a
fucking Tasmanian devil. Yes, that dude goes he grinds me.
(10:45):
My gearbox stops at like fifth, his goes to tenth. Yes,
and he's on the phone and doing stuff in all
right roll and he immediately snaps into Carrell. He can
fucking cry, he can buy South cut me byself, damn it.
And he was trying to give away secrets of like, no, look,
this is what you gotta do.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
You do this.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I'm like, Kevin, I am so grateful for this information.
I mean grateful to even stand next to you. I
don't have that gear like, thank you so much for
the knowledge. And dude, your success is amazing. I just
I wouldn't be good at what you do. I know
where my limits are right, and it's it's amazing to
watch you work, dude. Right, he was the most the
(11:26):
craziest example of somebody I've seen fluent in so many levels.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Do you do you.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Get an off when you see people greatness, you know,
having been around lebron and you be already. You watch Jordan,
you watch Kobe, you watch that, you watch all these
great players in football. I played with John l where
Ray Lewis, and you see Tom Brady. Say, Manny, operated
do you get an awe? You like, I see exactly
why that person he or she's enjoyed the levelless success
(11:53):
that they've had.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
And the answer is always the same. It's the work.
And by the way, no compliment for the Bronx, those colors.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
And I like that.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
I like that that is, but I would just thinking,
like you from Connecticut, that's all right, be a good guess.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
I mean your cloud.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Appreciate that. Appreciate that. The answer is always the same.
It's the work. Everyone thinks it happens overnight, and a
lot of people build this construct of like, oh, they're
just lucky. Luck is a part of life, preparation, MutS, opportunity,
that's what it is. But man, luck can get you
a minute, Luck can get you your five minutes. Luck
(12:34):
can get you one hit, single labor effort. Work allows
you to call it your vocation. And whenever someone rises
to the top of their vocation, dude.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
That is just work.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
You know, that is work, that is at a level
that it's I think that we call it luck or
or people might call it luck because they just they
might have trouble understanding how much work it takes. I'm
always in awe because, like yo, I knew how much
effort that is. That's a lot of effort.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
You know, Fast and the Furious, I mean, are you
going to be an eleven?
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I would be in The Fast and the Furious as
long as they would have me, because it's an action
movie about cars.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Yes, and we're talking off camera. You love you love
your cars, dude.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
So that franchise I'm a fan of. To be invited
in is awesome. But I did have a pretty big
fiery wreck in the last one. I know that they
have a reputation of resurrecting characters. I hope I made it.
They didn't have a funeral for me, so I'm okay.
I'm okay, but I hope I made it. I hope
I can do the next one. We Know You Love
(13:42):
UC four got a new GT out. They got one
to twenty. Now about the four gt we go meet it.
I think I'll let those find a home.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Your new movie Jackpot? How did you prepare for this role?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
So this Every once in a while a project gets
put in your lap that it's like, WHOA, I think
if we were to shoot this tomorrow, I'd be okay.
I get to be a goofy, virtuous, self deprecating, larger
than life character who owns a fledgling protection agency. Who
(14:19):
I don't know any special skills or anything. I have
a few of my own homemade weapons, but I throw
people through walls, I lift up heavy things, and I
get to make fun of myself. And I get to
surround myself with a wonderful comedic cast and a wonderful
comic director and writer who are going to fire jokes
at other people to make fun of me.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Yeah, I can do that.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
So this is one of those ones where it wasn't
like man, I had to take six months to get
in the inside the mind of nol. Like it was like, Yo,
this is a bunch of great jokes. The script is great.
What would you do if you won the lottery and
had to make it to Sundown but everyone else with
a ticket could kill you and claim their prize. Wow,
Like it's an easy concept. To understand great cast, fun
(15:00):
action like it and not asking too much of me.
They weren't like, hey, we need you to go learn
this ancient martial arts. It's like you want to throw
people through walls and haymakers and stuff, and yeah, no,
that's fun.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
How did do you do your own stunts in this movie?
Speaker 2 (15:14):
A lot of the participation was me because the stunt
coordinators are like, Okay, it's big, he's lumbering, he's unorthodox
at times. That's how we're gonna plan our action. And
because it's an action comedy. Do you watch Jackie Chanzos, Yes,
very gifted, but he does action comedy. He's not afraid
to make fun of himself. They also knew that I
was gamed to do that stuff, so a lot of
(15:35):
the physical jokes I'm a part of as well.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
So if somebody really tried to hire you to protect them.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
The billion jackpot? How much? What cap of percentage are
we looking for? Uh?
Speaker 2 (15:47):
So I don't so chances are if they were to
meet their demise and I'm probably their protectors, So I'm
going down on a blaze of glory, I would ask
for ninety percent because I don't I don't.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Think we're make it of debt is still dead. I
don't know they were to make it, you know. So
let me ask your question. Let's say the roles are reverse.
You want a billion.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Dollars, I think finding finding someone with a special set
of skills.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
I I don't.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
But then again I don't know, right, because if you
have someone who has is so skilled in the arts
of stealth, espionage, disposing of problems, maybe at the final minute,
you know what I'm saying, I get the ticket, it
would it would have to be someone that doesn't have
a lottery ticket. If you can't play, you can't win.
So they don't have a ticket, and they would have
(16:46):
that special set of skills. And I don't know who
that would be.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
The owning your own name ww still currently owns that.
And they get a piece of any project that you're
part of. Sure you're okay with that? So do you
like one day? Because remember they just gave DJ Dwayne Johnathan,
they just gave him the rock he had that.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Now, yep, do you want that? You want that bestowed?
You know?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
So when you say that, like I believe, context is
the is very important in conversations. The WWE fair is
an understatement. Generous would be a better scenario. I have
such a trustworthy relationship with them over two decades. Correct,
I have a champion of the brand. I love the company.
It is my home. They are my family. Even after
(17:32):
twenty twenty five, I've already signed an extension to remain
a member of the WW family for the near, mid
and long term future. Gotcha, I don't think there'll be
a beat of my heart where WW blood doesn't come
out of that said, Without them, I don't exist. And
I fell into a weird scenario where we're for a
hot second, people were using their real names. Nowadays people
(17:55):
have real sounding names, but it's not their real name,
so they can own their real names. Fell into a
weird scenario, and WW recognizes that they're very focused on
intellectual property, as they should be. If I make a
song and somebody wants to use the time as now
on their commercial and they just steal it, well, that's
(18:17):
not exactly fair. Is a huge conversation in the movie
business about artificial intelligence. If someone scans me, takes my
face and makes two hundred movies in their own accord
without giving me anything, I don't know how fair that is.
So in the vision of fairness. Whenever the WWIP is approached,
they have to be cut in on the deal. And
(18:37):
that's not them going, that's me going, hey, I'm doing this.
Let's work out the business. A wise man once said
to me, making money is the toughest part, dividing it.
That's easy. Making it's real tough. So I always operated
under that construct. Ww has been and this since the
start of my contract. They've never tried to change my name,
(18:58):
even when they realized they made a misas think like,
they never tried to alter my being or character. They've
always given me freedom to who I want because we
trust each other. I'm not out to try to rob
them of what they've earned. And again they're not out
to try to take what's not theirs. Everybody wants to
play fair. And when I say fair, ww's terms are generous.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
You've been in the stock market, you like the investment.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
So what was some of the best advice that you've
received in some of the best advice that you've given
people to help them be able to do what you've done?
Speaker 2 (19:31):
John all over the map, But I love this, This
is great, it's great.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Don't spend beyond your means okay, I think that is
important to Is that easier saying than done?
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Yes, yes, because of because of a lot of things.
But I'll trim it, make it easy. Don't spend what
you don't have, and try to spend less than you
have so you can save a little bit. Don't carry
because and I know there that's not a universal thing,
(20:04):
because there are many people who would advocate when the
percentage of debt is low, carrying debt's good because I
can beat the percentage in other investments. I'm just afraid
one day they're going to call the margin and I
don't have the money. So I tend to not want
to owe anyone anything. That way, all tabs are square
at the end of the business day. Don't spend more
than you have, don't carry, don't carry any bad debt,
(20:28):
and be accountable. I think that's and know who you are.
If you're someone who wants to get rich quick, there's
nothing wrong with that. Understand the math behind that. Talk
to a venture capitalists and tell them, ask them how
many of their assets fail. A venture capitalists will invest
in four hundred companies opening one survives from one. So
(20:51):
if you're at home with your hundred bucks and you
want to get rich quick. You got to take that
hundred bucks somehow, bet on four hundred companies and hope
one hits. And if you push it all into one
you are locked into that hook line and sinker. So
I think, know who you are as an investor, dude,
I try to be safe. My stuff is the most
unsexy shit you'll ever talk about it. And people always
(21:13):
are like, man, this thing's gonna smoke. It's gonna be great,
good for you. And I'm also okay with the success
of others.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
You can go with tb os huh man, this I
like this club. Can I get one of those fancy lockers here?
This is good?
Speaker 2 (21:31):
So know who you are. Yeah, And I think keeping
up with the person next to you is a bad idea.
Just always try to have a good balance sheet. Look
at your books, look at where you want to be,
and look at like look at what you spend, what
you earn, look what you spend it on. I think
getting out of the habit of spending more than you
make that right there, changes the dynamic a better thing.
(21:54):
If you have enough money to begin saving money, holy shit,
you are beating the game. If you have no debt
and can put money away.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
You're ahead.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
What's John's best purchase and his worst purchase? Worst purchase? Man,
I made a ton of bad purchases. Bad purchases would
have to be cars, A lot of a lot of
bad cars. I have lost so much money on cars.
(22:25):
And that's another thing. Be okay with your failures. I
love cars. It's a passion. I don't do it to
make money, so I lose money because it's a passion.
I bought I remember when I started making money. My
worst purchase is a because I didn't want to spring
for Lamborghini, so I bought a fake one.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
Oh my god, how do you buy a fake Lambo?
I found a way to do it. So we had
a lambou body with a board Injinese.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
At BMWV twelve and I was like, yeah, it's gonna
I was a young This is like two thousand, this
is two thousand and three. I found a company it
would do it that put a V twelve in it.
I'm like, man, it's the same thing. It looks pretty good,
like it looks great. Yeah, I'll buy it. They tried
to stiff me out of the car. I had to
ask some friends who knew how to find things to
(23:12):
go and find things. I then had to get a
title for the car, of which I did. The car
finally shows up after two years from me of waiting.
It doesn't go into gear. The motor is held together
with the timing of two Chevy V six's, so everything's confused.
Nothing runs. The car is not roadworthy, so I sent
it to a shop. This is two thousand and five.
(23:34):
I just got the keys to that car a week ago.
What a week ago? I've sent it to ten shops.
I finally found somebody to do it. They did it
tip to tail, and I will tell you it looks great.
But I honestly, honestly say, I have the cost, and
(23:56):
the collectible Lamborghini market is thriving. I have the cost
of about a real roadster and a half into this
kit car.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
You could have just bought a brand new one.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
I could have brought two sawed one in half and
this one and a half car.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
So to be like, yeah, this is it, this is yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
But that was a lesson to be like, hey, if
you take shortcuts, you're gonna get what you pay for.
So that was my takeaway from that, and also like,
I don't regret it because I have a takeaway. And
in the process, I've met a whole lot of shady
shop owners, which are great, which allows me to feel
good about a good shop owner when I meet a
good mechanic and someone who can do honest work. So
(24:35):
there's a lot of good takeaways from that. But as
far as like statistics, boy, I got my ass whipped
on that best purchase shit.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
My wife's engagement she said, yes, we don't get to
that one too. Fame.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
How have you been able to deal with fame? Because
you're known, your global you'll known the world over and
sometime when you out with your wife you just want
to have a nice quiet evening.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
You don't get very many of those. And then John,
can I get a picture of John? Can I sign it?
Can you sign an autograph? Hey? John?
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Hey, this is my brother Facetat. Say hello to my brother.
Can you wish my wife happy birthday? It's not anniversary?
Speaker 3 (25:13):
How do you deal with that?
Speaker 2 (25:15):
So that's been a journey, and man, my wife is
tremendous with that because she understands it. And again I
just talked about the kit. You buy a kit, you
get a kit not a real one. Find out what
you want. If what I want is privacy, don't go out,
(25:37):
stay in. And if you want to go out, guess
what All this fun work that you get to do.
A lot of that job is public service and public relations.
And these people aren't coming up to me and like, yo,
I want to fight you. No one's really coming up
being like I fucking hate everybody was like yo, I
just want to say hire their candor. Sometimes might be
(25:59):
a little it's not not what I would see is,
but I don't blame them, So I try not to
blame them.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Now.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
I'm not perfect sometimes if I'm especially when I'm going
for a morning coffee, I need the coffee before I
can go, hey, what's up. But I also know that
when I leave the house for coffee, I'm leaving the house.
It's part of the work. And in wrestling travel jeez,
I wish every game was a home game. Yes, the
(26:26):
travel in sports is tough, yes, but it's part of
the work. This is part of the work. And you
know what I get to do for my job dress up,
So like dress up and be imaginative. It's not that
those moments are hard, and it's not that, and I
think overall people are aware. I'm sorry to interrupt you.
They know what's going on, right, but damn it, they're
(26:48):
shooting their shop. Life just gave them an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
They're taking it, probably never going to see Johnslena Gain.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
I would like to hope that if there's ever been
an interaction where somebody walks away gnarly from our interaction,
they understand that maybe, like, wasn't a good time to
take that opportunity.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
We're all human.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
But I also would like to think that I got
more good interactions than bad ones, because I really try
to be conscious of First of all, I would be
nowhere without that person, correct. And I'll go to places
and people are like, yo, do you want me to
stop people from coming over? I'm like, they're the reason
I can sit here, so no, because man, let's let's
get everybody. I'll say hi to eighty people and then
we can all go about our meal and everything's fine.
(27:27):
But normally people are respectful, they're excited, you know, and
it only takes a few seconds. The biggest thing is
like I'm going to the bathroom.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
That's tough. Yeah, yeah, we ain't shaking no hand don't
be daffing. Stop on a talking too. But again, people
don't know, so I literally what you mean? You don't know?
You ain't supposed to talk nobody in the bathroom.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
No, man, I know, So I'll I'll take a second.
I used to be real confrontational, but now I'll take
a second. As the business is going on, be like,
you do realize where we are?
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Right?
Speaker 2 (27:56):
No, you're in a bathroom. There's other people. We're all
doing unspeakable things. Yeah, I'm good, but can we do
that outside?
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Oh? Man, I'm sorry. I didn't know the figurea hey man?
Oh no, how you gonna reach?
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Because sometimes you get lost in the moment and a
lot of times it's like, oh, he's finally private, he's
at a time where I can approach him when it's
the worst time that And if I got to be somewhere,
like a lot of times on set, they're calling me
into work. Those days are expensive. I'll shake as many
hands as I can after they call cut because people
will come to these locations and it's great. But if
(28:37):
I got to go, I gotta go because the days
are expensive. And while they move the lights, then we
can talk. Or if I'm trying to make a flight
like that's also the worst, Like, oh my god, I
gotta run for the gate. Hey man, I've made people
like yo, keep up and you got to take your
picture while you're walking. It's only because I just don't
have the time. And I'd like to think that any
other human being can understand, like, oh shit, maybe he
(28:58):
just didn't have the time. And if they don't again,
I'm in customer service, and I lose that customer. Hopefully
I get opportunities to do good work and earn the MAC.
I'm gonna get you out of here on this one.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
I think I've read this, and it could be maybe
somebody just reported it was a lot at one point
in time that you didn't want kids.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Where are you on kids now? I don't want them.
You don't know, and I'm still there. I'm forty seven.
I don't have them. You don't want to love Johnny
So or Joanna's. That's great, and that's usually what everyone says.
And I gotta tell you it's not the easiest out there,
(29:36):
because you know, a lot of why we're here is
to reproduce. I have a certain curiosity about life, and
I also know I also know the investment that it takes,
and my biggest fear is as someone who's driven, many times,
stubborn and selfish. I try to approach the world with
kindness and curiosity, but I don't think I'm personally ready,
(30:00):
nor will I ever be, to invest the time it
needs to be a great parent, because I want to
live life for all it is and I still have
a lot to do, and I still want to do
a lot. I have a wonderful partner I do it with.
We've had open conversations about this. We share the same values.
It's a tough subject to talk about because it immediately
(30:24):
puts you in a category and we can't help but judge.
People are human nature. We're all judgmental. I'd like to
believe that I operate under the construct that everyone's okay
to live in their life, and I can tell you
this is not like a knee jerk reaction. I've thought
long and hard about this, even as my youngest age
is at like fifteen sixteen, I remember thinking about it.
(30:47):
My opinions only hit that gray area during emotionally difficult times,
and I'm very happy with where I stand. I have
a lot of joy and fulfillment in my life. And
that's pretty much where I stand on that. With that
a difficult conversation to have when your wife no, it
was actually I learned from every scenario, and I've learned
(31:13):
from my past.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
Yeah, because you had a reality show, right, I did,
and it would play.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Oh man, so that no, no, no again. I don't regret that.
I look back on that fondly because it really showed
me who I was. Okay, So when I begin, I
got knocked off the bike. That's okay, I love Love's
time to get back up and go find it again.
And in that due process, I opened with the uncomfortable conversations.
(31:38):
So those are like first and second date questions with
my now wife. Yeah, and it was great because we
both got to lean into these uncomfortable moments and address
this stuff. And now we've actually built a foundation where
whenever one of us is feeling bothered, nothing's off the table.
So we of course nobody's perfect. We have our disagreements,
but we handle them right then and there, and nothing
(32:00):
is too uncomfortable to be unapproachable. And that's like starting
off with the conversation about, hey, where do you see
family life and what is the definition of our family
and what brings you joy? And is this a bucket
that you need to fill? Those conversations have helped me,
at least personally, and her forge a path together as
a team.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
You show up, but like this is about to be
the shortest date in the world. Where are you own? So?
Speaker 2 (32:25):
But I also believe there's something else, somebody out there
for everyone. Yes, I mean there. We can see that.
The way the world is, there is a lot of
different people out there, and I think that's beautiful because
that can lead to love connection, which is good. I
guess my takewun this is if you're out there and
(32:46):
you feel alone, you're not. It may be hard to
find someone who has the same values, but they're out there,
and don't give up searching because you're not as alone
as they think you are. John and Lady, I'll do
this one nice. Thank you, I appreciate your time. Congratulations
the new movie Jackpot check.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
It out, man, Thank you so much. Thank you broke
a great at this. She is awesome.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Everyone. Make sure you go out and catch the Jackpot
is streaming globally on Prime Video.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
All my life grinding, all my life sacrifice, hustle, pare
the price. Want slice got to brother. The dice swap
all my life.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
I'd be grinding all my life, all my life, grinning
all my life.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
Sacrifice, hustle, pair the price. One slice got the brother
dis swap all my life.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
I've been grinding all my life.
Thank you for You're coming back. Part two is underway.
When you decided to say, you know what, I'm gonna
give this acting thing a try. Because Rock Wressell then
went to acting steal wrestle's periodically here and there. Bautista
did the same thing. Batista now he mainly just does acting,
and even Roman Raines he's followed in Europe. So what
(00:20):
did you have conversations with Rock? Did you have conversations
with Batista?
Speaker 2 (00:23):
I did, But I think our pastor are different, Okay.
I think especially with Dwayne he did WWE and said
I want to do act, okay. I think with Bautista
he also said I now want to do act.
Speaker 3 (00:34):
Okay.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
I got a chance to do act okay. And I
got a chance early in my career. Two thousand and
four was my first movie and it didn't go so well,
and then I did a bunch of bad movies. But
I got those chances because the WWE was opening a
studio right again, if life cracks, the door open, see
what's behind.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
So my boss was like, hey, you got to go
to Australia to make this movie? Why because we were
gonna do it with stone col and he backed out
when we film in a week, Get down there, Okay,
let's go. That got me kind of run out of
the movie business in two thousand and nine, and then
in the early like twenty ten, eleven twelve, I was
approached with very small roles and I had been playing
(01:16):
the same character on TV. Not that I was bored,
but this was a chance to be like, Hey, do
you want to make fun of yourself or do you
want to be part of this movie where you can
dress up as a different character and do different stuff.
So I didn't say I was going to go act.
I just merely said, yo, there's an opportunity in front
of me that i'd like to do. I know why
I fucked up in the past because I wanted to
(01:36):
be in the ring when I should have wanted to
be on set. Right, let's give this thing a try.
And when you give it a try, give it a try.
Respect the process, respect the long days, respect the multiple takes.
It's not live entertainment. There's not ten thousand people scream
in your name. Do this for this and do it
the best you can, and that's when things start. Good work,
(01:57):
I'm a firm believer in good work will get you
another opportunities somewhere right, and that started to happen.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
What's the hardest part about auditioning? Failing?
Speaker 2 (02:07):
It is the thing and and a lot of a
lot of the audition process they're just looking. A lot
of it is aesthetic. You know, you see a character
in your mind when you read the book, and if
the person walks in and they're the spitting image of
that character, man, they got a good chance. Anyone can
be coachable. If I'm a director, I want to think
if I'm your head coach and I see you and
(02:28):
I'm like, man, I think we're good coaching. I think
we can help this talent. It's a lot. That's a
lot of the audition process. So the shitty thing is
failing a lot like it is a business of rejection.
In baseball, you get to hit three out of ten times,
you make the Hall of Fame. Yeah, that's an f audition.
It's like god, if you land one out of one hundred.
(02:49):
For some it's one out of a thousand. Like you,
you just get rejected all the time and you're basically
being told you're not gonna and they kind of don't
tell you why. It's just you didn't get the gig.
So if you know you need to work on your
speed easy, I'll practice that. I'll get better at that.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
But just tell me that. So you're not fast enough, Yeah,
you don't get young. You'll get anything. You just don't
get the.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Start your routes. You need to work with your route.
So then you need to be able to get on
the edge. You need to get scanny. So well you say, nah,
you know, you don't know what to practice. You know,
it's it's just tough. It's tough.
Speaker 3 (03:23):
But then train wreck happens. Yep, what was that situation? Like?
Speaker 1 (03:27):
Well, I mean you like they call you, was like, okay,
we got this role, we got this roll, John, We
like for you to come down there read for it,
and uh give this thing a goll yep.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
And I sat in a room with Amy Schumer and
jud Appatow and I was prepared. We went through the
script and then life handed me an opportunity. Judd said,
put the script down and just riff, and we just did.
And and I wasn't afraid of looking silly, and I
wasn't afraid of not being funny, and I wasn't afraid
of failing because I was failing all the time anyway,
(04:00):
and I got advice from Judd behind the camera of
kind of encouraging me to what say, Amy is an angel.
She made the environment so comfortable. And then when I
got the part eventually, and they were like, yeah, it's
a sex scene, and we want you to do elaborate
and crazy stunt sex and all those lines you had,
we're probably not gonna use. We're he just gonna do
this stunt sex scene. Yeah, sure, let's do it. Be
(04:23):
naked in front of everybody. Yeah, no problem, let's do it.
So that also comes with like, well, people are gonna
laugh at me, and people are gonna make fun of
the way I look physically. Okay, man, let's go being
okay with self, you know, And okay, this is what
this profession is about. Yeah, let's do it. Let's give
it a try.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
Is it hard doing a sex scene? Oh my god,
it's the worst. Why what's so bad? A money?
Speaker 1 (04:48):
Right now?
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Did I miss up? No?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
This is the thing right now. You guys at home
think it's just us. Yeah, no, there's a whole fucking
world back here. Yes, and this is this is like
a great reduction. Nonetheless, but dude, man like catering was
right there, and like the sound tenses right there. They
started off. We start off practice. It was like a
closed set and I'm I I've come to grips of
(05:12):
like a this is who you are.
Speaker 3 (05:13):
You work every day, be the.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Best you can, fucking man, let it hang out, right.
So when that attitude literally all okay, okay, a short
story either way, it's just there are so many people
you need to make a movie. There is nothing intimate
about it, right, nothing, so like it's real embarrassing. And
(05:35):
then on top of that, to do a comedic sex scene, yeah,
where you're like making fun of yourself and and have
it they literally like try to have the most awkward
sex you possibly can, Okay, and with an audience watching that.
That's it's different. I don't want to say it sucks.
It's just it's a it's different than you all think
it is. Yes, it's different.
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ro dot co slash info. That was the movie Lebron
was in? How was Lebron on?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
Say? So?
Speaker 2 (07:11):
We never got to officially meet, but I've met him
at wweka, he's awesome. He is, he's awesome, Like, yeah,
he's a great person.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Okay, let me ask you this, which was hard of
the sex scene and train wreck or sex scene at
the Oscars.
Speaker 2 (07:28):
The Oscars because I got all the people behind the
camera of any production. But then I walk out in
front of a room of my peers, many of which
I've never met because I haven't worked my way up
to meet Right, I have the most decorated performers, producers,
directors in one room, and I'm gonna go out there
(07:50):
with my balls in the wind with an index card
covering my stuff, being like.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
Hey, guys, is this funny? Are we good? Are we
all right?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
That was?
Speaker 3 (07:58):
That was a how did they be sure to do that?
Speaker 2 (08:01):
It was funny. Jimmy, kimmeill call me personally and he's like,
I need you to come to the office. Jimmy, I'm
in between stuff, like I need some time to recharge.
And I know I'm I'm very good with boundaries and
self of like if I just give me twenty four.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
Hours and I'm back in.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I really needed some time.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
And he's like, just let me send you the bit
and he sent it on paper and I called him back.
Speaker 3 (08:21):
I'm like, when do you need to be there?
Speaker 2 (08:23):
It wasn't It wasn't a thing of like, And I
honestly thought I would be more naked, right, I expected
full dick and nuts. But it's Disney, so you gotta,
I like, put the tape on my butt crack and
get stuff. That was even more embarrassing, right, Yeah, going
out there with the taped butthole.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
That's tough. That's tough.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
But uh, as soon as soon as I read it,
and I'm so fortunate that Jimmy Kimble thought of me
and we went through it rehearsal, he was like, Man,
this is gonna this is gonna be a moment. This
is gonna be funny. And only because when I invested,
I didn't invest. I invested. I didn't be like, I'll
do it, but I gotta not do this and maybe
I will work or whatever. No, I'm like, man, I
(09:01):
want to wear my watching birkenstocks.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
So it was just.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Knowing that it's an opportunity and investing in that and
and I don't know what or if any yield that
will have the money wasn't good. It was a moment
to perform in front of my peers. But I don't
know if it got me anything, but I knew that
I wanted to do it.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
You know, then you had you did the Suicide Squad
and the Suicide Squad with Will Smith eat your Elba.
So these roles are getting bigger and bigger. So when
you get like, damn, that's Will Smith man, let's eat
your sailbook? Does that thought? Do you get starstruck when
you get.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
All the time? And I think a lot of the
a lot of the awe comes from like it's I'm
starts for talking to you. You have been able to
take something you love and make it your vocation, not
a job like what you were, what you were put
here to do. And then after that chapter closes, you
(10:00):
are now taking something you love and making it your vocation.
To me, I'm in awe of like, that's fucking super cool.
So when I'm standing next to Idris, who's been a
performer on screen for decades and operates at a high level,
I'm in awe. It's not of what his fame can
(10:20):
do for me. If you look at how I operate
on social media, I'm very hardline boundaries. I don't ever
I don't ever try to treat my relationships with people
as transactional. But damn do I have respect for people
that can take what they love and make it their vocation.
I remember meeting Kevin Hart. Kevin is a like a
fucking Tasmanian devil. Yes, that dude goes he grinds me.
(10:45):
My gearbox stops at like fifth, his goes to tenth. Yes,
and he's on the phone and doing stuff in all
right roll and he immediately snaps into Carrell. He can
fucking cry, he can buy South cut me byself, damn it.
And he was trying to give away secrets of like, no, look,
this is what you gotta do.
Speaker 3 (11:04):
You do this.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
I'm like, Kevin, I am so grateful for this information.
I mean grateful to even stand next to you. I
don't have that gear like, thank you so much for
the knowledge. And dude, your success is amazing. I just
I wouldn't be good at what you do. I know
where my limits are right, and it's it's amazing to
watch you work, dude. Right, he was the most the
(11:26):
craziest example of somebody I've seen fluent in so many levels.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
Do you do you.
Speaker 1 (11:32):
Get an off when you see people greatness, you know,
having been around lebron and you be already. You watch Jordan,
you watch Kobe, you watch that, you watch all these
great players in football. I played with John l where
Ray Lewis, and you see Tom Brady. Say, Manny, operated
do you get an awe? You like, I see exactly
why that person he or she's enjoyed the levelless success
(11:53):
that they've had.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
And the answer is always the same. It's the work.
And by the way, no compliment for the Bronx, those colors.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
And I like that.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
I like that that is, but I would just thinking,
like you from Connecticut, that's all right, be a good guess.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
I mean your cloud.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
Appreciate that. Appreciate that. The answer is always the same.
It's the work. Everyone thinks it happens overnight, and a
lot of people build this construct of like, oh, they're
just lucky. Luck is a part of life, preparation, MutS, opportunity,
that's what it is. But man, luck can get you
a minute, Luck can get you your five minutes. Luck
(12:34):
can get you one hit, single labor effort. Work allows
you to call it your vocation. And whenever someone rises
to the top of their vocation, dude.
Speaker 3 (12:46):
That is just work.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
You know, that is work, that is at a level
that it's I think that we call it luck or
or people might call it luck because they just they
might have trouble understanding how much work it takes. I'm
always in awe because, like yo, I knew how much
effort that is. That's a lot of effort.
Speaker 3 (13:04):
You know, Fast and the Furious, I mean, are you
going to be an eleven?
Speaker 2 (13:10):
I would be in The Fast and the Furious as
long as they would have me, because it's an action
movie about cars.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
Yes, and we're talking off camera. You love you love
your cars, dude.
Speaker 2 (13:21):
So that franchise I'm a fan of. To be invited
in is awesome. But I did have a pretty big
fiery wreck in the last one. I know that they
have a reputation of resurrecting characters. I hope I made it.
They didn't have a funeral for me, so I'm okay.
I'm okay, but I hope I made it. I hope
I can do the next one. We Know You Love
(13:42):
UC four got a new GT out. They got one
to twenty. Now about the four gt we go meet it.
I think I'll let those find a home.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Your new movie Jackpot? How did you prepare for this role?
Speaker 2 (13:57):
So this Every once in a while a project gets
put in your lap that it's like, WHOA, I think
if we were to shoot this tomorrow, I'd be okay.
I get to be a goofy, virtuous, self deprecating, larger
than life character who owns a fledgling protection agency. Who
(14:19):
I don't know any special skills or anything. I have
a few of my own homemade weapons, but I throw
people through walls, I lift up heavy things, and I
get to make fun of myself. And I get to
surround myself with a wonderful comedic cast and a wonderful
comic director and writer who are going to fire jokes
at other people to make fun of me.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Yeah, I can do that.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
So this is one of those ones where it wasn't
like man, I had to take six months to get
in the inside the mind of nol. Like it was like, Yo,
this is a bunch of great jokes. The script is great.
What would you do if you won the lottery and
had to make it to Sundown but everyone else with
a ticket could kill you and claim their prize. Wow,
Like it's an easy concept. To understand great cast, fun
(15:00):
action like it and not asking too much of me.
They weren't like, hey, we need you to go learn
this ancient martial arts. It's like you want to throw
people through walls and haymakers and stuff, and yeah, no,
that's fun.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
How did do you do your own stunts in this movie?
Speaker 2 (15:14):
A lot of the participation was me because the stunt
coordinators are like, Okay, it's big, he's lumbering, he's unorthodox
at times. That's how we're gonna plan our action. And
because it's an action comedy. Do you watch Jackie Chanzos, Yes,
very gifted, but he does action comedy. He's not afraid
to make fun of himself. They also knew that I
was gamed to do that stuff, so a lot of
(15:35):
the physical jokes I'm a part of as well.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
So if somebody really tried to hire you to protect them.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
The billion jackpot? How much? What cap of percentage are
we looking for? Uh?
Speaker 2 (15:47):
So I don't so chances are if they were to
meet their demise and I'm probably their protectors, So I'm
going down on a blaze of glory, I would ask
for ninety percent because I don't I don't.
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Think we're make it of debt is still dead. I
don't know they were to make it, you know. So
let me ask your question. Let's say the roles are reverse.
You want a billion.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Dollars, I think finding finding someone with a special set
of skills.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
I I don't.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
But then again I don't know, right, because if you
have someone who has is so skilled in the arts
of stealth, espionage, disposing of problems, maybe at the final minute,
you know what I'm saying, I get the ticket, it
would it would have to be someone that doesn't have
a lottery ticket. If you can't play, you can't win.
So they don't have a ticket, and they would have
(16:46):
that special set of skills. And I don't know who
that would be.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
The owning your own name ww still currently owns that.
And they get a piece of any project that you're
part of. Sure you're okay with that? So do you
like one day? Because remember they just gave DJ Dwayne Johnathan,
they just gave him the rock he had that.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
Now, yep, do you want that? You want that bestowed?
You know?
Speaker 2 (17:10):
So when you say that, like I believe, context is
the is very important in conversations. The WWE fair is
an understatement. Generous would be a better scenario. I have
such a trustworthy relationship with them over two decades. Correct,
I have a champion of the brand. I love the company.
It is my home. They are my family. Even after
(17:32):
twenty twenty five, I've already signed an extension to remain
a member of the WW family for the near, mid
and long term future. Gotcha, I don't think there'll be
a beat of my heart where WW blood doesn't come
out of that said, Without them, I don't exist. And
I fell into a weird scenario where we're for a
hot second, people were using their real names. Nowadays people
(17:55):
have real sounding names, but it's not their real name,
so they can own their real names. Fell into a
weird scenario, and WW recognizes that they're very focused on
intellectual property, as they should be. If I make a
song and somebody wants to use the time as now
on their commercial and they just steal it, well, that's
(18:17):
not exactly fair. Is a huge conversation in the movie
business about artificial intelligence. If someone scans me, takes my
face and makes two hundred movies in their own accord
without giving me anything, I don't know how fair that is.
So in the vision of fairness. Whenever the WWIP is approached,
they have to be cut in on the deal. And
(18:37):
that's not them going, that's me going, hey, I'm doing this.
Let's work out the business. A wise man once said
to me, making money is the toughest part, dividing it.
That's easy. Making it's real tough. So I always operated
under that construct. Ww has been and this since the
start of my contract. They've never tried to change my name,
(18:58):
even when they realized they made a misas think like,
they never tried to alter my being or character. They've
always given me freedom to who I want because we
trust each other. I'm not out to try to rob
them of what they've earned. And again they're not out
to try to take what's not theirs. Everybody wants to
play fair. And when I say fair, ww's terms are generous.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
You've been in the stock market, you like the investment.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
So what was some of the best advice that you've
received in some of the best advice that you've given
people to help them be able to do what you've done?
Speaker 2 (19:31):
John all over the map, But I love this, This
is great, it's great.
Speaker 3 (19:38):
Don't spend beyond your means okay, I think that is
important to Is that easier saying than done?
Speaker 2 (19:44):
Yes, yes, because of because of a lot of things.
But I'll trim it, make it easy. Don't spend what
you don't have, and try to spend less than you
have so you can save a little bit. Don't carry
because and I know there that's not a universal thing,
(20:04):
because there are many people who would advocate when the
percentage of debt is low, carrying debt's good because I
can beat the percentage in other investments. I'm just afraid
one day they're going to call the margin and I
don't have the money. So I tend to not want
to owe anyone anything. That way, all tabs are square
at the end of the business day. Don't spend more
than you have, don't carry, don't carry any bad debt,
(20:28):
and be accountable. I think that's and know who you are.
If you're someone who wants to get rich quick, there's
nothing wrong with that. Understand the math behind that. Talk
to a venture capitalists and tell them, ask them how
many of their assets fail. A venture capitalists will invest
in four hundred companies opening one survives from one. So
(20:51):
if you're at home with your hundred bucks and you
want to get rich quick. You got to take that
hundred bucks somehow, bet on four hundred companies and hope
one hits. And if you push it all into one
you are locked into that hook line and sinker. So
I think, know who you are as an investor, dude,
I try to be safe. My stuff is the most
unsexy shit you'll ever talk about it. And people always
(21:13):
are like, man, this thing's gonna smoke. It's gonna be great,
good for you. And I'm also okay with the success
of others.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
You can go with tb os huh man, this I
like this club. Can I get one of those fancy lockers here?
This is good?
Speaker 2 (21:31):
So know who you are. Yeah, And I think keeping
up with the person next to you is a bad idea.
Just always try to have a good balance sheet. Look
at your books, look at where you want to be,
and look at like look at what you spend, what
you earn, look what you spend it on. I think
getting out of the habit of spending more than you
make that right there, changes the dynamic a better thing.
(21:54):
If you have enough money to begin saving money, holy shit,
you are beating the game. If you have no debt
and can put money away.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
You're ahead.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
What's John's best purchase and his worst purchase? Worst purchase? Man,
I made a ton of bad purchases. Bad purchases would
have to be cars, A lot of a lot of
bad cars. I have lost so much money on cars.
(22:25):
And that's another thing. Be okay with your failures. I
love cars. It's a passion. I don't do it to
make money, so I lose money because it's a passion.
I bought I remember when I started making money. My
worst purchase is a because I didn't want to spring
for Lamborghini, so I bought a fake one.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
Oh my god, how do you buy a fake Lambo?
I found a way to do it. So we had
a lambou body with a board Injinese.
Speaker 2 (22:50):
At BMWV twelve and I was like, yeah, it's gonna
I was a young This is like two thousand, this
is two thousand and three. I found a company it
would do it that put a V twelve in it.
I'm like, man, it's the same thing. It looks pretty good,
like it looks great. Yeah, I'll buy it. They tried
to stiff me out of the car. I had to
ask some friends who knew how to find things to
(23:12):
go and find things. I then had to get a
title for the car, of which I did. The car
finally shows up after two years from me of waiting.
It doesn't go into gear. The motor is held together
with the timing of two Chevy V six's, so everything's confused.
Nothing runs. The car is not roadworthy, so I sent
it to a shop. This is two thousand and five.
(23:34):
I just got the keys to that car a week ago.
What a week ago? I've sent it to ten shops.
I finally found somebody to do it. They did it
tip to tail, and I will tell you it looks great.
But I honestly, honestly say, I have the cost, and
(23:56):
the collectible Lamborghini market is thriving. I have the cost
of about a real roadster and a half into this
kit car.
Speaker 3 (24:05):
You could have just bought a brand new one.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
I could have brought two sawed one in half and
this one and a half car.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
So to be like, yeah, this is it, this is yeah.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
But that was a lesson to be like, hey, if
you take shortcuts, you're gonna get what you pay for.
So that was my takeaway from that, and also like,
I don't regret it because I have a takeaway. And
in the process, I've met a whole lot of shady
shop owners, which are great, which allows me to feel
good about a good shop owner when I meet a
good mechanic and someone who can do honest work. So
(24:35):
there's a lot of good takeaways from that. But as
far as like statistics, boy, I got my ass whipped
on that best purchase shit.
Speaker 3 (24:44):
My wife's engagement she said, yes, we don't get to
that one too. Fame.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
How have you been able to deal with fame? Because
you're known, your global you'll known the world over and
sometime when you out with your wife you just want
to have a nice quiet evening.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
You don't get very many of those. And then John,
can I get a picture of John? Can I sign it?
Can you sign an autograph? Hey? John?
Speaker 1 (25:08):
Hey, this is my brother Facetat. Say hello to my brother.
Can you wish my wife happy birthday? It's not anniversary?
Speaker 3 (25:13):
How do you deal with that?
Speaker 2 (25:15):
So that's been a journey, and man, my wife is
tremendous with that because she understands it. And again I
just talked about the kit. You buy a kit, you
get a kit not a real one. Find out what
you want. If what I want is privacy, don't go out,
(25:37):
stay in. And if you want to go out, guess
what All this fun work that you get to do.
A lot of that job is public service and public relations.
And these people aren't coming up to me and like, yo,
I want to fight you. No one's really coming up
being like I fucking hate everybody was like yo, I
just want to say hire their candor. Sometimes might be
(25:59):
a little it's not not what I would see is,
but I don't blame them, So I try not to
blame them.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Now.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
I'm not perfect sometimes if I'm especially when I'm going
for a morning coffee, I need the coffee before I
can go, hey, what's up. But I also know that
when I leave the house for coffee, I'm leaving the house.
It's part of the work. And in wrestling travel jeez,
I wish every game was a home game. Yes, the
(26:26):
travel in sports is tough, yes, but it's part of
the work. This is part of the work. And you
know what I get to do for my job dress up,
So like dress up and be imaginative. It's not that
those moments are hard, and it's not that, and I
think overall people are aware. I'm sorry to interrupt you.
They know what's going on, right, but damn it, they're
(26:48):
shooting their shop. Life just gave them an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (26:50):
They're taking it, probably never going to see Johnslena Gain.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
I would like to hope that if there's ever been
an interaction where somebody walks away gnarly from our interaction,
they understand that maybe, like, wasn't a good time to
take that opportunity.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
We're all human.
Speaker 2 (27:04):
But I also would like to think that I got
more good interactions than bad ones, because I really try
to be conscious of First of all, I would be
nowhere without that person, correct. And I'll go to places
and people are like, yo, do you want me to
stop people from coming over? I'm like, they're the reason
I can sit here, so no, because man, let's let's
get everybody. I'll say hi to eighty people and then
we can all go about our meal and everything's fine.
(27:27):
But normally people are respectful, they're excited, you know, and
it only takes a few seconds. The biggest thing is
like I'm going to the bathroom.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
That's tough. Yeah, yeah, we ain't shaking no hand don't
be daffing. Stop on a talking too. But again, people
don't know, so I literally what you mean? You don't know?
You ain't supposed to talk nobody in the bathroom.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
No, man, I know, So I'll I'll take a second.
I used to be real confrontational, but now I'll take
a second. As the business is going on, be like,
you do realize where we are?
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Right?
Speaker 2 (27:56):
No, you're in a bathroom. There's other people. We're all
doing unspeakable things. Yeah, I'm good, but can we do
that outside?
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Oh? Man, I'm sorry. I didn't know the figurea hey man?
Oh no, how you gonna reach?
Speaker 2 (28:14):
Because sometimes you get lost in the moment and a
lot of times it's like, oh, he's finally private, he's
at a time where I can approach him when it's
the worst time that And if I got to be somewhere,
like a lot of times on set, they're calling me
into work. Those days are expensive. I'll shake as many
hands as I can after they call cut because people
will come to these locations and it's great. But if
(28:37):
I got to go, I gotta go because the days
are expensive. And while they move the lights, then we
can talk. Or if I'm trying to make a flight
like that's also the worst, Like, oh my god, I
gotta run for the gate. Hey man, I've made people
like yo, keep up and you got to take your
picture while you're walking. It's only because I just don't
have the time. And I'd like to think that any
other human being can understand, like, oh shit, maybe he
(28:58):
just didn't have the time. And if they don't again,
I'm in customer service, and I lose that customer. Hopefully
I get opportunities to do good work and earn the MAC.
I'm gonna get you out of here on this one.
Speaker 1 (29:08):
I think I've read this, and it could be maybe
somebody just reported it was a lot at one point
in time that you didn't want kids.
Speaker 2 (29:15):
Where are you on kids now? I don't want them.
You don't know, and I'm still there. I'm forty seven.
I don't have them. You don't want to love Johnny
So or Joanna's. That's great, and that's usually what everyone says.
And I gotta tell you it's not the easiest out there,
(29:36):
because you know, a lot of why we're here is
to reproduce. I have a certain curiosity about life, and
I also know I also know the investment that it takes,
and my biggest fear is as someone who's driven, many times,
stubborn and selfish. I try to approach the world with
kindness and curiosity, but I don't think I'm personally ready,
(30:00):
nor will I ever be, to invest the time it
needs to be a great parent, because I want to
live life for all it is and I still have
a lot to do, and I still want to do
a lot. I have a wonderful partner I do it with.
We've had open conversations about this. We share the same values.
It's a tough subject to talk about because it immediately
(30:24):
puts you in a category and we can't help but judge.
People are human nature. We're all judgmental. I'd like to
believe that I operate under the construct that everyone's okay
to live in their life, and I can tell you
this is not like a knee jerk reaction. I've thought
long and hard about this, even as my youngest age
is at like fifteen sixteen, I remember thinking about it.
(30:47):
My opinions only hit that gray area during emotionally difficult times,
and I'm very happy with where I stand. I have
a lot of joy and fulfillment in my life. And
that's pretty much where I stand on that. With that
a difficult conversation to have when your wife no, it
was actually I learned from every scenario, and I've learned
(31:13):
from my past.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
Yeah, because you had a reality show, right, I did,
and it would play.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Oh man, so that no, no, no again. I don't regret that.
I look back on that fondly because it really showed
me who I was. Okay, So when I begin, I
got knocked off the bike. That's okay, I love Love's
time to get back up and go find it again.
And in that due process, I opened with the uncomfortable conversations.
(31:38):
So those are like first and second date questions with
my now wife. Yeah, and it was great because we
both got to lean into these uncomfortable moments and address
this stuff. And now we've actually built a foundation where
whenever one of us is feeling bothered, nothing's off the table.
So we of course nobody's perfect. We have our disagreements,
but we handle them right then and there, and nothing
(32:00):
is too uncomfortable to be unapproachable. And that's like starting
off with the conversation about, hey, where do you see
family life and what is the definition of our family
and what brings you joy? And is this a bucket
that you need to fill? Those conversations have helped me,
at least personally, and her forge a path together as
a team.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
You show up, but like this is about to be
the shortest date in the world. Where are you own? So?
Speaker 2 (32:25):
But I also believe there's something else, somebody out there
for everyone. Yes, I mean there. We can see that.
The way the world is, there is a lot of
different people out there, and I think that's beautiful because
that can lead to love connection, which is good. I
guess my takewun this is if you're out there and
(32:46):
you feel alone, you're not. It may be hard to
find someone who has the same values, but they're out there,
and don't give up searching because you're not as alone
as they think you are. John and Lady, I'll do
this one nice. Thank you, I appreciate your time. Congratulations
the new movie Jackpot check.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
It out, man, Thank you so much. Thank you broke
a great at this. She is awesome.
Speaker 1 (33:09):
Everyone. Make sure you go out and catch the Jackpot
is streaming globally on Prime Video.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
All my life grinding, all my life sacrifice, hustle, pare
the price. Want slice got to brother. The dice swap
all my life.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
I'd be grinding all my life, all my life, grinning
all my life.
Speaker 3 (33:28):
Sacrifice, hustle, pair the price. One slice got the brother
dis swap all my life.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
I've been grinding all my life.
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