John Cena was raised in a Catholic family in Massachusetts and attended Central Catholic High School, grounding him in the Roman Catholic tradition. Though he has rarely spoken in depth about his personal faith, he is known to have been brought up Catholic.
Quick Profile: John Cena
| Full Name | John Felix Anthony Cena |
| Date of Birth | April 23, 1977 (age 48) |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Professional Wrestler, Actor, Rapper |
| Religion | Christian (Raised Catholic) |
What religion is John Cena?
John Cena was raised in a Catholic family in West New Bury, Massachusetts, and he attended Central Catholic High School in Lawrence before transferring to Cushing Academy. These facts reflect a Catholic upbringing, which suggests early exposure to Christian values and traditions.
Cena himself has not, however, offered extensive public commentary on his personal religious beliefs or practices in recent years. While certain biographical listings refer to his religion as Christian-Catholic, these entries do not appear to be based on detailed interviews or explicit declarations from him.
In interviews, Cena has emphasized principles like service, respect, and giving back, which connect with Christian-inspired values. For example, his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation where he holds the record for the most wishes granted demonstrates a commitment to altruism and community service.
Early Life
John Felix Anthony Cena was born on April 23, 1977 in West Newbury, Massachusetts. He is one of five sons born to Carol (née Lupien) and John Joseph Cena. His maternal grandfather was baseball player Tony Lupien. As a child he was a big wrestling fan, often making championship belts out of cardboard for himself and his brothers.
Cena excelled in sports, attending Central Catholic High School in Lawrence and later Cushing Academy. He went on to Springfield College, where he was a football team captain and earned a degree in exercise physiology in 1999. After college he pursued bodybuilding and worked various jobs, including as a limousine driver and at a gym.
Wrestling Career Highlights
Cena began his professional wrestling career in 1999 and signed with WWE (then WWF) in 2001. He debuted on WWE’s main roster in 2002 on SmackDown and quickly became a top star. Cena developed the “Doctor of Thuganomics” rap persona early in his WWE run, which made him a popular villain-turned-hero by the mid-2000s. Over the next two decades he amassed an unprecedented record of championships. He is a 17-time world champion, including 14 WWE Championships and 3 World Heavyweight Championships. He also won two Royal Rumble matches and one Money in the Bank contract. Cena headlined multiple WrestleMania main events and is widely regarded as one of the greatest WWE wrestlers of all time.
Acting Career Highlights
Alongside wrestling, Cena built a successful acting career. His first starring film was The Marine (2006). He then starred in WWE-produced action films like 12 Rounds (2009) and Legendary (2010). In the mid-2010s he transitioned to mainstream cinema, appearing in comedies such as Trainwreck (2015) and Sisters (2015). He also had roles in family and animated films like Daddy’s Home, Daddy’s Home 2, and voiced a character in Ferdinand. In 2018 he starred in the hit comedy Blockers and played a lead role in Bumblebee. Recently he joined blockbuster franchises, he co-starred as Jakob Toretto in F9 (2021) and reprised it in Fast X (2023). Cena also entered the DC universe as Peacemaker, first in The Suicide Squad (2021) and then as the lead in the HBO Max series Peacemaker. These roles established him as a rising movie star beyond wrestling.
Other Ventures
Outside of wrestling and film, Cena has done many endorsements and charity work. Early in his career he appeared in ads for Gold’s Gym, and later endorsed products like the YJ Stinger energy drink and Subway sandwiches. He participated in a Gillette “Young Guns” campaign and even appeared on the box of Fruity Pebbles cereal in a playful nod during a feud with Dwayne Johnson. Cena was the pace car driver for the 2016 Daytona 500 and did commercials for Wonderful Pistachios and Honda.
Cena is also known for extensive philanthropy. He has granted over 650 wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the most wishes ever granted by one person. This world-record achievement was confirmed by Guinness in 2022. In addition, Cena supported anti-bullying and cancer awareness campaigns on WWE programming, and in 2020 he donated $1 million to the Black Lives Matter movement. He also co-wrote a children’s book called Elbow Grease (2010) to encourage kids through a story of a young boy learning about hard work.
Personal Life
Cena lives in Land O’ Lakes, Florida. He has been married twice. In 2009 he wed Elizabeth Huberdeau; they divorced in 2012. He later became engaged to fellow wrestler Nikki Bella (in 2017), but they split in 2018. In 2020 Cena married engineer Shay Shariatzadeh. The couple met on the set of his film Playing with Fire in 2019. Cena has stated he does not want children, as he prefers not to be an “absentee parent” given his career demands.
In terms of skills, Cena is known to be multilingual, he studied Mandarin Chinese starting around 2016 to help expand WWE’s international appeal. (He famously held interviews and even a freestyle rap in Mandarin while working in China.) In March 2025 Cena also revealed that he had previously battled skin cancer.
Awards and nominations
As an actor, Cena has earned a few awards and nominations. He won the 2017 CinemaCon Action Star of the Year award. He has also been nominated for Teen Choice Awards and Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards for his movie and TV roles, such as being nominated as Choice Action Movie Actor for Bumblebee (2019) and Favorite TV Host for Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? (2020). In 2022 he received Critics’ Choice Super Award and MTV Movie & TV Award nominations for his roles in The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker. These recognitions reflect his crossover success in entertainment beyond wrestling.
