John Cena is opening up like never before. In a revealing “Life in Pictures” interview, the WWE icon took fans on an emotional journey through his life and career, reflecting on the defining moments that shaped him, from his childhood dream of becoming a wrestler, to his missteps in early Hollywood, to his deeply personal farewell tour. With his signature honesty and humor, Cena touched on career lows, unexpected comebacks, and the impact of giving back through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“I’ve been wanting to do this my whole life,” Cena said while reflecting on a childhood photo of himself proudly holding a hand-drawn championship belt. As a kid, he said pro wrestling seemed like a “mystical thing,” so much so that he had to move to California to chase his dream, despite a wrestling school being just 35 minutes from where he grew up.

Looking back at his 2006 film debut The Marine, Cena admitted he was not focused on acting. “I wasn’t there to be The Marine. I was there to put more people in a WWE arena,” he said. “You can see it in the work… I just wanted to go back to the ring.” He said his lack of presence on set caught up with him. “I got run out of the movie business in like, 2009 for doing bad movies where I wasn’t present.”

It was not until 2015’s Trainwreck that he found his second chance in Hollywood. He credited Amy Schumer and Judd Apatow with creating a safe space for him to embrace his comedic side. “They created an environment for me to swing big,” Cena said. “They were welcoming enough to be like, ‘yeah, you can bring all those nuances to this weird character.’”

On a more heartfelt note, Cena talked about his long-standing work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. As the all-time leader in wishes granted, he shared a personal way he includes the children in his matches. “I’ll ask him for advice, like, ‘oh, you should do this move,’ and I’ll just go put it in the match,” he revealed. “No one in the audience knows… but it will affect both of us on a plane that’s indescribable.”

He also reflected on his role as a merman in Barbie and how it reminded him not to take life so seriously. “I got to reunite with a friend. I got to be part of something great… Gosh, don’t take yourself too seriously. You know, be who you are. Be authentic,” he said.

Even something as personal as hair loss was fair game. Cena said the WWE crowd keeps him in check. “When I’m trying to hide my hair loss, the audience is just bringing it to light of like ‘you’re going bald,’” he joked. “They pushed me into going to see what my options were. So I ended up getting the transplant in last November.”

Now on his “The Last Time is Now” farewell tour, Cena says it is about honoring a promise to leave the business gracefully. “I should be as graceful exiting the business or try to be as I was excited to enter,” he said. “I openly, in print, made a promise to be like when I’m a step slower, I will go… I would hate to take a dream away from a kid like me.” At 48, Cena says it is simply time. Instead of quietly walking away, he wanted to give fans “closure.”

Cena's final run appears to be building toward one last battle with a familiar foe: Brock Lesnar. After Lesnar’s shocking return at SummerSlam, the stage may be set for Cena’s last match to be a showdown fans will never forget.