Earlier this year, Dave Bautista said that he didn’t want to get lumped into the likes of other wrestlers-turned-actors, like John Cena or Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Now Cena has responded to the statement.
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Speaking to Esquire in a recent interview, Cena was asked about the comments, which essentially boiled down to Bautista seeming to not want to work with either Cena or Johnson in films. Cena said that while he may be sad to hear the comments, he understood the reason behind it.
I figured a visual reference might help. I’d just prefer not to be lumped in. Nothing personal. ??♂️ #DreamChaser https://t.co/JFHAaw053F pic.twitter.com/djKZBylIuT
— Dave Bautista (@DaveBautista) June 26, 2021
“I’m super sad about that because Dave Bautista is an unbelievably gifted actor,” Cena said. “He’s done some amazing work. But I think when someone makes a statement like that, I think the important thing is to try and look at things from their perspective. Dave has worked so hard on his craft and he is so dedicated to his characters. And really wants to put forth a body of work that gives him his own identity. I 100 percent understand that.”
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Cena went on to say that Bautista was one of the nicest “and most generous guys you’ll ever meet,” and said that the two had no beef whatsoever. “He really just wants to be identified and recognized for his work. And I cannot fault him for that,” Cena said. “I applaud him for it. To be brave enough to say something like that kind of allows him to go forth on his own and I appreciate that.”
