“That, for me, would be a dream.”
“This is all surreal,” he admits toBINGEhosts Derek Lawrence and Chanelle Berlin Johnson.
“It’s a dream come true, and it’s such a life-changing opportunity.
Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures
I really hope everyone sees the movie and thinks my contribution did justice to the legacy that isFast.”
“John was the first meeting that I had.
I thought it was going to be way tougher, but he made it very, very easy.
He left, and I called Vin and said, ‘You got to meet with him.’
We’re good?'
Sometimes you just get lucky.”
But he did have a few things going for him in portraying theF9antagonist.
“This movie is a success without me Fastis going to beFast.
It’s not going to be, nor does it need to be, the John Cena show.
“Jakob’s future is uncertain, and that’s completely up to the audience,” admits Cena.
“The one thing thatFastdoes extremely well is listen to their fans.
I think’justice for Han’is a great example of that.
It would be such a waste of time and energy, planting expectations that could ultimately just be letdown.
And we’re just talking like two human beings, but inside.
One, it’s the first time I’ve ever met Vin Diesel, so this is crazy.
And then afterwards he’s… Not afterwards.
Literally remember seeing the cross for the first time.
I’m like, “What going on?”
I couldn’t imagine.
Welcome back to EW’s BINGE of The Fast Saga.
Full transcripts of which are available on ew.com.
I’m Derek Lawrence a.k.a the guy who went as Dominic Toretto for two straight Halloweens.
Chanelle, we’ve made it.
It’s finally time to talk F9.
I mean, we talked in the… And they’d done it again here.
A long lost Toretto.
What could be wilder?
I don’t know.
Maybe we can get Bow Wow for a special episode.
That would really just be the icing on top of the cake, wouldn’t it?
Oh, I think so.
That’s a special one.
I mean, a surprise for people that he’s back in F9.
It would be really nice and it’s crazy to listen to that.
I just Marvel that we’ve been able to do this with all of these people.
We know the world, what’s going on.
Not everyone maybe feels comfortable immediately going into a movie theater.
Even I will say this movie has already made $300 million around the world.
So, plenty of people have already seen it.
So, shout out to our listeners not in the US.
Thank you for listening and stay tuned for more we have coming.
As I just teased, don’t worry.
I’m not going to say who yet, but you’re in for a couple of treats.
So, keep tuning in.
So, the movie is brand new.
Because of the adventure, the family also finds out that Han is still alive.
So, we know we’re going to see how that unravels.
And we also know that for some reason because of all this, they end up going to space.
So, some huge things coming in F9.
So, stick around to see how that unfolds as well.
Lots of secrets, twists and turns.
Huge, huge adventure in F9.
I mean, last week I complimented you on how much you pack into these summaries of each movie.
And this one is like, “All right, yeah.”
You’re like, “I’m going to keep this simple.
I’m not getting into the details.”
So, even well done, Chanelle.
Even with not so much to work with, you still managed to work with a lot.
So just imagine what we don’t know yet.
So, it’s possible for you to definitely go back to past episodes.
F9 has come up on every single one.
So, there’s been plenty of hints dropped.
I mean, Justin Lin declared F9 the best Fast movie yet.
So, he really truly believes that, so we can’t wait to see if he’s right.
I mean, I hope he is.
That’s a bold statement though to make when you’ve put Fast 5 into the world.
So I’ll just leave it at.
Let’s now ride into our interview with John Cena.
No awards this week.
We’ll be back with our special episode and we’ll do that then.
So, now, John Cena himself.
John, welcome to our BINGE of Fast.
There’s going to be so many, but I brought them on.
I bring the power of invisibility to Fast.
There was so much other superhero stuff going on in the last few films.
So, we needed that invisibility added to the franchise.
As I said, really excited to talk to you about F9.
We’re excited for it.
What’s it been like for you?
Kind of the wait for this.
The trailer drops, everyone’s like, “Oh my God.
He’s played Dom’s brother, another Toretto.”
And then it’s like, “Oh, no.
You have to wait for another 16 months or whatever.”
And in it, you find out that Han is back and that Dom Toretto has a brother.
And then we grab and hold onto the e-brake and now we’re in a stop-down.
This movie is about family.
This is a blockbuster movie.
It gets people from all different walks of life together to be entertained and go on a zany adventure.
He lives his life a quarter mile at a time.
For those 10 seconds or less, he’s free.
How would you sum up F9 in 10 seconds or less?
Delivers on everything that you’d want out of a cinema experience.
It needs to be seen in theaters.
And I’m so glad we can go back and see it in theaters.
We’ve been waiting since…
I mean, even more than two Super Bowls ago.
Since the minute we knew this was coming.
I actually ended up…
I interviewed you for Blockers back in March, 2018.
And we were talking and I told you there was a Fast & Furious joke in Blockers.
And I had told you…
I was like, “I can’t not now picture you in a Fast & Furious movie.
I need that to happen.”
Now, here we are.
You’ve made a Fast & Furious movie.
Not only have you made one, you are a Toretto.
What’s it like knowing that dream came true?
And what a great parody that was.
This is all surreal, man.
It’s a dream come true.
And it’s such a life-changing opportunity.
I’ve never had anything like this.
To be invited in a legacy body of work that is already tremendously successful and the world already anticipates.
And that’s a testament to the cast and crew that have spent 20 years forging this legacy.
I don’t take that lightly.
So, what was your relationship to the Fast franchise before?
Were you seeing the movies and dreaming of being in it?
So, it’s weird.
I was drawn initially to the first one in Tokyo Drift because I’m a car freak.
To me, that’s what one in three kind of signified.
Because as a viewer, you think one was a movie.
So, you’re kind of thinking like, “Okay, is this it?”
This is the end.
This is how it’s going to end.
I’m more partial to the ones that focused around cars.
And I always get giddy when they showcase cars in any Fast movie.
Even Tyrese’s poor choice of a Lamborghini in the ice.
Stuff like that is really fun for me to see.
Did you get to participate… Vin told us they always audition the cars.
But for somebody to be like, “Hey, man.
You’re going to be in F9 and here’s the keys to a car.”
[inaudible 00:13:55] and drove it and attempt to drive the wheels off.
What was your reaction to it?
So, I was scheduled to Vin for a conversation, and I met him.
And we just started talking man.
And we’re just talking like two human beings, but inside.
One, it’s the first time I’ve ever met Vin Diesel, so this is crazy.
And then afterwards he’s… Not afterwards.
And I never expected anything more than to sit down and talk with the dude whom I admire.
I admire his body of work.
I think the film sends wonderful messages.
He’s entertained the world for 20 years.
And then from that to where we are now, it’s crazy.
It’s Dom Toretto.
I literally remember seeing the cross for the first time.
I’m like, “What’s going on?”
I couldn’t imagine.
What’s it like when…
I think even in that video and he said it since.
He kind of referenced Paul.
When you hear him say something like that, kind of what does that mean to you?
I mean, it’s really difficult to conceptualize something like that.
I never had the chance to meet Paul.
It’s not lost on me.
The invite itself comes with expectations.
There wasn’t before, but immediately it’s like, “Okay, man.
And there are now tremendous expectations set on your shoulders.
It’s very difficult to conceptualize.
That’s double whammy of sort of pressure and also faith in you.
The last name alone is going to let viewers around the world ask questions.
It’s already teed up.
I get to be a Toretto.
It couldn’t be more perfect, but once again, it also comes with tremendous expectations.
I remember talking to Justin when the trailer came out and he’s like, “Yeah.”
I was like, ‘Who’s going to be a Toretto?'”
This isn’t like a spin-off film where I’m a Toretto by myself.
I got to sit with the people that created this and have been heavily involved in crafting it.
So, in that regard, it wasn’t really challenging.
It was more fun to explore the dynamic between brother versus brother, to talk about possibly the backstories.
I couldn’t have been in a better situation creatively.
I mean, Vin’s someone who really is…
He thinks a lot about these characters.
I mean, you mentioned his garage and kind of like helping him get in the mindset of Dom.
So, I’m sure he had a lot of thoughts about these brothers in this relationship.
Like I said, Vin has all the wisdom accrued of two decades worth of investing into this.
I completely understand his perspective and his methods because for 20 years, I’m John Cena.
And you do need a chance…
There is a normal human being…
There’s a person underneath every persona.
You do need a chance to kind of just get up to speed as that persona.
And we all have our different methods, but Dom is somebody so universally recognized.
Ball cap, jorts, and a T-shirt, I know what that’s like.
So, I totally get the perspective and the process and all that.
What do we think reconciliations and families are like?
Why do people do this?
That’s kind of where I got my 10,000 hours.
I’m still very much a rookie in this.
It completely made me better.
What is that like?
No, I never would.
And action in film is so much different than live action performance.
In film, not only… And that’s a long performance in WWE.
I also take every professional’s word for what I can and can’t accomplish.
I’m working with people who make what’s onscreen look like the mythical seem every day.
So when they say, “Hey, we’re going to do this and we need you.
I completely trust all second unit, all stunt performers.
In fact, they’re literally the best.What they do is unbelievable.
So, it’s two very different attitudes.
Did they have tips and stuff for you or, I don’t know, advice?
Every day onset and when we got to hang out off set, when the cameras weren’t rolling.
And this is, obviously, pre-pandemic.
Those were the most special times because everyone in the…
I’m the new guy, so I’m just kind of eyes and ears open.
And even when we’re hanging out…
I mean, I love conversation.
So, I really held those moments close and there’s a bunch of different personalities on set.
And I think that’s what the common goal that everyone shares.
We’ve been watching him for 20 years.
As you were preparing just on your own, what were your thoughts in that way?
So, like I said, creativity is an open process.
It’s kind of like making soup.
Everybody has their own recipe.
Mine was to take chances and not be afraid, and then listen to the feedback I was given.
And then they say, “Cut.”
And if Vin or Justin or whomever comes over and be like, “Okay, great.
Could you try this?
Or what do you think about something like this?”
I wouldn’t marry myself to that one concept just because it was my perspective.
I think there’s a lot to be learned in life looking at similar instances from different perspectives.
And I got to hand it to Justin, Vin, and everyone else.
They allowed me that room to take those chances.
So, it was their encouragement to be like, “Just go for it.”
And that same sort of environment, that same sort of protective environment is in Fast.
They allow you to go for it, but they also…
It’s open dialogue of like, “Hey, this was my perspective.
There’s a lot of open conversation about what we’re trying to achieve.
For this, you also talked about…
I know in the past we’ve talked about you get to play good guy roles and stuff.
How does that work for you?
That’s a great question and a great perspective.
I’ve told the live action story of good versus evil for a long time.
They’re universally accepted of like, “What does this person think they’re doing?”
And they’re the only ones that can’t see that and everyone else can.
And that was a good place to start.
And then kind of working backwards to provide what I thought was needed to be a good antagonist.
I kind of appreciated that.
Obviously, he doesn’t view himself that way.
And by the end, he’s not either.
So, first of all, what a cool perspective on a nine film character arc.
And I think that’s what’s really special about Fast.
If you’ve never seen a Fast movie before, you could go to F9 and be blown away.
And you won’t be scratching your head about like, “I don’t get it.
What are they doing?”
Have they written this tale all along?”
And I think the juxtaposition between personalities between Dom and Jakob is extremely important.
To me, the subtext of Dom’s greatest obstacle is his past.
I think that there’s something huge there and there’s something that can be taken away from Hackman.
A lot of stuff that holds us back in life is our inability to jump.
Which he says kind of mind blowing.
They know these characters so well.
Vin, Michelle, Jordana.
So, what’s it like kind of working opposite them in that way?
And, like I said, obviously it sounds like they were really helpful.
They were tremendously helpful and easy because I’m not starting from scratch.
And everyone was super helpful, man.
At the same time with that too, there’s obviously another Toretto sibling.
Jordana Brewster is in F9.
Mia can be that midpoint.
She has a different form of presentation and is invested in loving so much in the family.
I don’t know, she’s so needed and so wonderful.
And it was a pleasure working with her.
The fans were all excited and wondering like, “Oh, she’s going to be back.”
I feel like when the trailer came out and it’s like, “Oh.”
That moment of Letty revealing that Jakob is Dom’s brother.
Very great dramatic moment in the trailer, the pause that we get.
But what would you say?
Obviously, everyone’s like, “Man, this guy is obsessed with family.
How have we never heard about this long lost brother?”
How would you kind of tee that up for them?
They don’t necessarily have to have your last name.
They’re the people that you love, are loyal to you, you’re loyal to them.
When you watch the first Fast, this is a film that literally heralded inclusivity and diversity.
They were really early adapters to those philosophies and it wasn’t forced.
It’s super organic because of the nature of street racing culture.
It brings everyone together.
To me, that’s a super important concept of the film.
So, with F9 and Suicide Squad and Vacation Friends, you got a lot lined up right now.
And people seeing you all in these big projects.
What are you feeling, I guess, right now on the cusp of all of these releases?
That’s an interesting perspective.
And I really just have a go at do the best I can with every opportunity.
I think my past work speaks for itself.
I’m very passionate and dedicated to things I choose to apply myself to.
We go through a lot more hardship than we have high points.
And then I’ll go from there.
The Rock shows up in Fast 5 and you’re just like… His intro is legendary.
I watch it every time.
I’ve died laughing.
I’m so pumped.
Jason Statham for seven, Charlize Theron for eight.
It’s like this new jolt.
Did you kind of look at it that way too?
Obviously, you’re coming in and you’re like, “I’m part of the family.
This is their thing.
They’ve been here.”
Well, I mean… Yeah, I think so.
Like I said, this movie is a success without me.
So, I think understanding that and having a great understanding of Fast is going to be Fast.
It’s not going to be nor does it need to be the John Cena show.
That really allows me to contribute to Fast the best I can.
I really looked at this opportunity, not trying to change the world because the world isn’t broken.
I’m trying to add to it.
And then hopefully everybody enjoys.
And you’re staring down at Vin as Dom on set.
What was that… Take us back to that moment.
Think of the thing you’re the most passionate about.
Think of the thing you’re the most dedicated to.
Think of the show or the form of entertainment, music, or whatever.
Think of the pinnacle of that.
That just doesn’t happen.
It doesn’t happen.
It was surreal, man.
From our perspective, I can just tell you just seeing it even in the trailer.
It’s awesome, and it makes total sense and it just felt right seeing.
We get a tiny view of you and Charlize Theron’s character.
That was a very special experience.
She is tremendously gifted and as a person who is on another level in the aspects of performance.
Being able to work with someone like that… And just being around her when she does her thing makes me better.
That’s how good she is.
I just have to sit there and shut up and let her perform.
And by me being associated with that performance, it makes me better.
And also in doing so, I could learn a tremendous amount from watching her perform.
What a luxury that was.
It’s kind of insane.
Charlize Theron, Helen Mirren and Kurt Russell are in this movie on top of everyone else.”
It’s real insanity.
And what I love about Charlize in this movie is she knows the movie she’s in.
You know what I mean?
She’s like, “I’m in this action movie.
And this is how I fit into it.”
Which is, obviously, the sign of a great actor.
You mentioned coming face-to-face with the Rock in your WWE kind of comparison.
The one thing that Fast does extremely well is they listen to their fans.
I think “justice for Han” is a great example of that.
They listen to the global fan base.
So, there’s no way for me to even start.
I just want to enjoy them now.
And for me, the now is…
I’ve had to wait patiently as we all have.
F9 is finally coming out in theaters, and this thing finally is real.
I mean, you mentioned the fans and…
So, are you nervous at all at how people will react to Jakob?
Because obviously this is…
He’s coming into the family and causing some trouble.
So, I learned from a very wise man a long time ago.
I’ve had some fortunate circumstances, but I’ve also had a lot of setbacks.
He asked me two questions.
He said, “Did you do the absolute best you could?”
And my answer was, yes.
He said, “Did you promote the absolute best you could?”
I said my answer was yes.
He said, “Well, what else can you do?”
I’ve given everything to the lens, absolutely everything.
I love the movie.
And that’s why I’m sitting here talking to you today.
So, I’ve done my best.
That makes a lot of sense.
And you mentioned early on you being a big Tokyo Drift fan.
Han’s coming back too?”
For you as a big Tokyo Drift fan, that had to blow your mind.
It’s a really fun ride.
And once again, I relate everything to WWE.
There’s always somebody who tries to get information beforehand.
It’s why we have the match.
And especially because we’ve been this patient.
It’s been a long time.
So, we’re so close and I just don’t want to steal anybody’s moment.
And if you know the franchise, it’s a super fun ride, man.
That’s a moment.
Did you get to spend time with Sung Kang because he’s huge into cars also?
So, have you talked to him about that and what you guys can get into from here?
Even just hanging out.
He’s kind, he listens, he’s empathetic, he offers support, and he loves cars.
So, it was really good to interact with him.
It was only brief.
And once you find out all that stuff, you’re even more glad that he’s back.
Like, yeah, man.
Absolutely justice for Han.
That was a multi-layered approach.
And the more you get to know him, I think the more you appreciate it.
I’ve been telling people about…
I’m watching the live stream from the Super Bowl.
And first off, they reveal you’re Dom’s brother.
I lose my mind.
And then you said Han comes in just snacking.
And I literally like…
I had my headphones and I stand up.
That moment just at the trailer.
And then when they drop the second trailer, I watched it thinking like, “Okay.
Are they going to give away too much?”
But the second trailer is just as riveting, just as exciting, just as charged.
There’s still so much movie left.
There’s still so much movie left.
Getting excited just talking to you about it.
I’m just not doing movies again.”
Let’s just throw this out.
I’ve been given a second chance at the movies who the hell gets a first chance?
What’s going on?
Like I said, I’ll have a lot more failures than successes.
So, then I began to look at like, “Why am I doing this?
Why am I drawn to this?
Why do I now have passion for this as well as WWE?”
I love to tell stories.
I don’t want to go into the octagon.
It is like a mini Fast movie.
To our disposal, we use the greatest tools we can to make the most mythical come to life.
And that’s what I enjoy.
I just did it for the wrong reasons.
And I did it for what I felt was the right reasons.
I wanted to be in the ring.
That I felt I was gaining my 10,000 hours.
So, I felt at home.
And then I have to be drawn to these sets to… Man, I just wanted to be there.
And now, physically, I’m a little different.
Mentally, I’m certainly a lot more wise.
I understand why it takes so long to hang that light.
And I respect it because it’s supposed to look a certain way.
And when you watch it on screen, it does feel a certain way.
And I’ve been part of a lot of bad movies.
So, when you give a shot to rush the process, well, you get what you get.
And I remembered being like, “Yo, we’re never doing movies again, are we?”
And he was like, “You’re right.”
And here we are, an overnight sensation that’s taken us 20 years.
Kind of going off what we were just talking about.
Again, not to keep referencing.
I feel like we had just a great Blockers conversation, why it keeps coming back up.
Man, I hope I never move past it.
I think that’s… Perspective is everything.
That means something I’ve done in my life has affected you and it stuck with you.
And that’s why I love the memes, and I love… That character took me 20 years to evolve.
Now, the Dom Toretto arc cycle of life.
And that’s what we attempt to do as entertainers.
We tell story after story, after story and hope something sticks.
And it took about 10 years for that to matriculate.
And even now, people still bring back the relationship, but I nevermind it.
I hope I never shake it.
It’s part of me.
It’s part of who I am.
So, I believe that we don’t find opportunity.
I believe opportunity finds us and you just have to be prepared and be brave enough to take it.
Fast found me at the right time of my life.
There’s also that side to me as well.
It was really cool.
Essentially, I got four brothers.
I can snag little bits and pieces from F9 and put my regular life in there.
And you want that first experience to give you everything you miss about the movies.
Flat out, straight up, it delivers.
I will say I’ve still been…
I wish we could have found a pound or something for F9.
You know what I mean?
A 2 Fast 2 Furious or Fate of the Furious throw in situation.
I kept brainstorming on my end, but I never landed on anything.
So, I can also be mad about it in that way.
Well, maybe someday we’ll talk again about another one that’ll have a different title.
I’ve been joking.
I didn’t come up with that.
I feel like Fast 10 has to be like “FasTen Your Seat Belts”.
That’s just like sitting there.
That’s a layup, right?
Let’s put that out into the universe and hopefully Justin brings home.
Well, John, thank you so much for taking the time.
We love nothing more than talking about this movie.
So, we really appreciate.
Thanks again John Cena for joining us and digging deep.
And it was fun.
It was like you could tell.. Chanelle, you said earlier, we’re geeks about this.
You get the feeling that this isn’t just a job for John.
He’s a Fast fan.
He said the first and the third ones are his favorites.
So, you got to respect that.
So, it’s nice to geek out with another geek.
Yeah, it’s beautiful.
And he’s a perfect example of that.
And so, it’s wonderful to be able to talk about it.
So thanks to John.
We’re getting so, so close to the end of the BINGE road.
So, we hope you stay strapped in for the ride.
Rate us, tell us what you think, share it with your friends and family.
you might find us on twitter @derekjlawrence or me @chanelleberlin.
Also, head to ew.com for complete coverage of the Fast Saga and full episode transcripts.
This episode was hosted and produced by Derek Lawrence and Chanelle Berlin Johnson.
Produced, edited, and mixed by Samee Junio and executive produced by Carly Usdin and Shana Naomi Krochmal.
And until next time, salud mi familia.
