John Cena: I like that Jakob can be tough, but also understand children's feelings

Although he joined the Fast and the Furious saga only in the ninth sequel, John Cena perfectly fit into the story and showed that he is "the right man in the right place", Namely, in addition to being a wrestler, actor and rapper, Cena is also a great lover of cars, especially rare and "high-end" cars, i.e. high-performance cars.

And besides cars, he also likes to make children smile, and last year the versatile wrestler became a world record holder in fulfilling children's wishes through the "Make -A Wish" Foundation. It is about the wishes of girls and boys who have been diagnosed with severe, often incurable diseases, and Cena is one of the most sought-after people to meet and, of course, one of those who tries to fulfill every wish as soon as possible.

Jakob Toretto, Dom and Mia's "lost" brother, the main anti-hero of F9: The Fast Saga, 2021, former agent of Cipher, the main villain from the eighth part of this film series, is just like that - "stressful" and at the same time sensitive. Jakob, played by John Cena, has an important role in the new sequel in which the Toretto family is threatened, so Dom calls him for help and gives him the task of looking after his son, Little B.

How would you describe Jakob’s relationship with his nephew, Little B?

In the new part of the Fast and Furious saga, we are a little torn. Everyone has their own responsibility, so it coincided that Jakob and Little B spend a lot of time together. Since my character is still new to the saga, there is a lot of room for him to develop, so he becomes a cool uncle very quickly and fully indulges in that role. I like that Jakob is strong, able to beat someone up, but at the same time understand how a child feels at a given moment. I must say that Leo Abelo Perry was phenomenal as Little B.

But not everything went smoothly in the relationship with Little B. Little Brian stands up to Jakob, doesn't he?

Yes, there are also conflicts between us. I play a weird uncle who probably shows up now and then so Little B doesn't really know me. Therefore, there are a number of scenes in the film where we don't know what or how to say something to each other, but when we finally "break the ice", our relationship is based on boundless trust.

Jakob and his sister Mia Toretto have a great action scene. What was it like working with Jordana Brewster?

I enjoyed shooting that scene. She performed a number of stunts on her own. She is my sister and I know very well how strong she is! And just like Mia, Jordana Brewster is a strong woman who can take care of herself. She is in great shape and did a great job with all the tasks the director set her.

How would you rate the collaboration with director Louis Leterrier, who stepped in as a replacement for Justin Lin?

His ability to adapt so quickly in such a short amount of time is remarkable. I don't know if recording with someone else would even be possible. I'm sure that each of us actors had a moment when we asked ourselves: "What are we going to do now?". And that's where Louis comes in, who immediately adapts to the situation and finds a solution. He respected the franchise and was excited to create something new. He worked well with the whole family on the project, jumped in and did a great job. Everything went smoothly - he is a man who is a pleasure to work with: he is patient, empathetic and understands what the audience wants to see on the big and small screens. He was really dedicated to the project.

Portuguese actress Daniela Melchior is a new member of the cast of The Fast and the Furious... How was it working with her on different project?

Yes, my co-star from The Suicide Squad, 2021, Daniela, joined us. She is wonderful, extremely talented and beautiful, and she had the opportunity to show it all in the tenth installment of The Fast and the Furious. I am happy that she is with us and that now even more people will have the opportunity to see her talent.

And finally, we definitely have to look back at the cars in the movie. What can you say about them?

Well, I think the Fast and Furious franchise does a great job of choosing cars that complement a certain character. Namely, the Charger perfectly reflects Dom, and the same can be said for the others, such as the golden Lamborghini driven by Roman. I have a 1966 Chevrolet El Camino that looks like something out of Mad Max. It has four cannons that shoot grenades which is pretty cool.

This article was provided by KINO FILM.HR