‘Barbie’: John Cena’s Manager Didn’t Want Him To Take Kenmaid Role, But Actor Insisted: “Every Opportunity Is An Opportunity”

“Barbie” fans already know the story: John Cena bumped into Margot Robbie while out to dinner in London while she was shooting Greta Gerwig‘s film, and she offered him a role in the movie. And Cena agreed, leading to the creation of the one and only Kenmaid. But THR reports that Kenmaid almost didn’t happen because Cena’s manager didn’t want him to do the cameo.

READ MORE: Oscars Deliver Diverse Noms As ‘Barbie’ Snubs Set Social Media On Fire

True, Kenmaid is a very minor role in a movie full of bit roles like that one, but Cena’s agency thought the part would take over opportunities from him. Cena disagreed. “[They’re] just going on what they know. And what they know is, ‘This entity, this commodity gravitates towards these things, we should stay in this lane,’” Cena said in an interview on “The Howard Stern Show.” “But I’m not a commodity. I’m a human being, and I operate under the construct of every opportunity is an opportunity.”

And to be fair: a cameo in “Barbie” is a great opportunity for the wrestler-turned-actor, albeit a small one. Kenmaid pops up only three times in Gerwig’s film, but they’re highly meme-able appearances, and Cena received positive fanfare for them.  

Still, Kenmaid is a far cry from the roles he usually plays, like Dom’s brother Jakob in the recent “Fast And Furious” movies, “The Suicide Squad” and “Peacemaker,” or other similar action fare. But diversification of one’s portfolio is part of staying on top of things, isn’t it? Cena recounted how he met Robbie by chance and how she offered him Kenmaid. “‘We’ll make you a mermaid. You’ll be in it for half a day.’ Yeah, sure,” he said. “But I think the perspective from an agency standpoint was, ‘This is beneath you,’ which, I get that. But also to the agency’s credit, immediately they acquiesced, and I was like, ‘No we’re going to do it,’ but all they can do is offer their guidance. They’re not ultimately making the choice.”

Cena appreciated their manager’s input, but he had already made up his mind. “Their guidance is, ‘Hey, truly, trickle-down economics from this might take you out of these lead leap slots.’ And I get all that,” Cena continued. “I’ve always operated under the philosophy of good work gets you another chance.”

Of course, being in a cultural sensation like “Barbie,” even if only for a cameo, looks like a stroke of genius in retrospect for Cena. Gerwig’s film was much bigger than any of the other movies Cena was in from 2023; or “Argylle” for that matter, which isn’t doing well since it hit theaters last month. So the lesson here may be this: when opportunity knocks, like a mermaid cameo, never say no.