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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 20 december 2018
With 'Bumblebee,' John Cena finds his stride in Hollywood

LOS ANGELES (AP) — John never watch playback. I
Cena doesn't believe in never give feedback. I take
ego. How could he when feedback."
he's used to tens of thou- It's something of a director's
sands of WWE fans chant- dream to have someone
ing "John Cena sucks" ev- so open to constructive
ery time he walks out to the criticism.
ring? "I love him. He is so coach-
It's a philosophy that's able. He would do anything
helped him survive both I asked him. And I'm saying
the demands of profes- anything," said "Blockers"
sional wrestling, where he director Kay Cannon. "If
was never supposed to be there was a time where he
a success, and now Hol- felt like he didn't give what
lywood, where he's made I wanted, he would text or
a miraculous comeback call or check-in and apolo-
from some terrible films in gize, like, 'I'm so sorry, I'll do
the earlier 2000s. In the past better next time.' He's very
three years, Cena has be- much an athlete."
come a reliable highlight His biggest learning curve
of whatever project he's in films thus far has been
in, whether as a boyfriend adapting to performing
who bares it all in "Train- without an immediate au-
wreck," as an overprotec- dience of thousands in
tive father to a teenager This Dec. 9, 2018 photo shows WWE star-turned-actor John Cena posing for a portrait at the Four front of him.
in this year's "Blockers," or Seasons Hotel to promote his film "Bumblebee" in Los Angeles. "I just started telling direc-
even as a military man with Associated Press tors, 'Hey don't be afraid
some great one-liners in a to tell me to turn it down.
big budget Transformers the weight of negative re- And now there's "Bumble- wanted to do something in You're going to have to do
movie like "Bumblebee," views, he learned from it. bee," his biggest and, at 97 the movie." that because of the world
which hits theaters Friday. "My heart wasn't in them. I percent on Rotten Toma- He and director Travis I come from,'" he said. "Tell
"I'm not afraid to fall on my wanted to be somewhere toes, highest-rated movie Knight settled on Agent me I suck and tell me what
face, I'm not afraid to look else. I did those movies yet. Burns, who might have the you need."
ridiculous," Cena said on a because it was good for Cena wasn't looking for a dressings of a cartoon vil- It's not uncommon, he said,
recent afternoon in Los An- a business model," Cena franchise, or an action film lain, but also has some sur- for a director to come from
geles. "My ego lies with the said. "What I learned from to do when the script for prises, and humor up his behind the monitor and
moviegoer...I want to en- that is do what you love." "Bumblebee" came across sleeve. Steinfeld marveled say, "You're at a 10, I need
tertain folks. I want to make And he got his chance with his desk. He didn't even at how prepared Cena you to be at a 1."
people happy." the 2015 Amy Schumer re- care much about Trans- was every day and his "in- "I'm humble and vulnerable
And Cena is finally achiev- lationship comedy "Train- formers. But then he read fectious energy." enough to say I'm still learn-
ing that goal in films after a wreck," which, following a it and found a sweet story In all of his films, Cena con- ing," Cena said.
rocky start. Up until a few divorce, he found he "total- about a misfit teenage girl siders himself at the service One person he's learned
years ago, Cena's Rotten ly related to." That breakout (played by Hailee Stein- of the story and the direc- a lot from is Jackie Chan,
Tomatoes scores for forget- role as the sort-of boyfriend feld) and a robot that was tor. who he is co-starring with
table and generically-titled of Schumer's character put more E.T. than Michael Bay, "I became successful in in a 2019 action film from
action pics like "12 Rounds," him on the map as not only and decided it was some- WWE by always learning Scott Waugh.
''The Marine" and "Legend- novelty casting, but a veri- thing he wanted to do. and evolving. I believe that "I firmly believe he's a ro-
ary" barely broke 30 per- table talent as well, leading "I was like 'I'll be Bumble- the people around me are bot because he does not
cent. But ever the athlete, to roles in "Sisters," ''Daddy's bee's spare tire, I don't smarter than me," he said. know the word stop," Cena
he didn't crumble under Home 2" and "Blockers." even care,'" Cena said. "I "Same thing in movies. I said.q

Poetry readers were in the mood for 'Kindness' in 2018

Associated Press shoes."
NEW YORK (AP) — Poet- The 66-year-old Nye said in
ry readers this year have a statement that she was
been in the mood for kind- inspired to write the poem
ness. after she was robbed on
The Academy of American a bus in Colombia and a
Poets announced Wednes- man she remembered as
day that Naomi Shihab an "Indian in a white pon-
Nye's "Kindness" was the cho" was murdered.
most popular work on po- She praised a passing
ets.org this year. stranger who asked what
More than 250,000 peo- happened and was thank-
ple in 2018 clicked on the ful to have her pencil and
poem, which features such notebook, and to be alive.
lines as "It is only kindness Nye's books include "Trans- In this Nov. 18, 2011, file photo, poet Naomi Nye speaks with students at Episcopal High School in
that makes sense anymore, fer" and "Red Suitcase."q Baton Rouge, La., reading from some of her published pieces. Associated Press
only kindness that ties your