John Cena And Ariana DeBose Discuss Their Argylle Roles And A Possible Spinoff - Exclusive Interview
WWE-star-turned-actor John Cena and Broadway-star-turned-Oscar-winning actress Ariana DeBose play two of the more intriguing characters in "Argylle," the new spy thriller from "Kingsman" director Matthew Vaughn. Cena and Debose respectively play Wyatt and Keira, two associates of fictional spy Aubrey Argylle (Henry Cavill) who is the subject of a series of best-selling novels written by Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard). Wyatt is Argylle's "muscle," while Keira acts as the team's field tech expert. But as the movie's labyrinthine twists unfold, reality and fiction collide in entirely unexpected ways.
Cena is not just arguably the greatest WWE wrestler of all time, but he's one of a handful of the sport's superstars — including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Dave Bautista — who have crossed over to Hollywood and become legitimate and even acclaimed box office draws. Not surprisingly, Cena has done plenty of action (the two latest "Fast and Furious" films), starred in war thrillers ("The Wall"), and played a superhero ("Peacemaker"), but he's also shown a flair for comedy in movies like "Blockers."
DeBose, meanwhile, rose through the ranks in the theater world with shows like "Hamilton" and "Summer" before landing a best supporting actress Oscar — along with several other awards — for her performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg's 2021 version of "West Side Story." While their roles in "Argylle" are relatively brief, they're important additions to the story — and if Vaughn's plans for a full-on "Argylle" franchise come to life, they could very well return. "I do know Matthew Vaughn has a plan," says Cena in our exclusive Looper interview. "And I hope he's able to execute that plan."
John Cena's WWE approach to his role
You've both had lead roles in movies. When you take a smaller role, how do you make the most of that? How do you make the most of a limited screen time?
John Cena: I think everybody's got a different perspective.
Ariana DeBose: For me, it's not about screen time. It's not about the quantity that's there. I don't care how many lines I have. It's more about the quality of the role or the director I get to work with. What sandbox am I playing in? So I never look at anything in regards to size, because to be honest, there are no small parts. Every part matters in the context of storytelling.
Cena: Yeah. I take a philosophy from WWE. I've been the first match, I've been the middle match, I've been the main event, and I've been everything in between. I think knowing what your objective is and knowing where you fall in the scope of the show in WWE terms helps. Just do the best you can with what you're given and realize that the world does not revolve around you. So if you can make your presence and your opportunity impactful without going into business for yourself, so to speak, that's a good day for everybody. The director's going to have a great time on the cut and edit, you're gracious enough to the other performers, and you understand the scope of field and the entire story. You don't have to overreach. You don't have to always try to add, add, add. Just do well with what you have and do the best with what you have and be coachable.
John, I read in the production notes, you were talking about how much you really wanted to work with Matthew.
Cena: Yes.
So the experience in your head, how did it match up to the experience in real life?
Cena: Just like seeing "Argylle," when I read the script, the experience in my head, the expectations are exceeded when I see the movie. Matthew is a rare individual and I am so attached to his passion for filmmaking, and then after meeting him, his acumen, his business acumen, he sees stuff from a different floor and it's great to get him spinning [the] web because it's like everything that comes out of his mouth is something you can use and apply to your life. He's a great person to know and a great person to work with.
More adventures to come?
For you, Ariana, we've seen you just in the last couple of years playing Anita in "West Side Story," playing an astronaut in "I.S.S.," and now doing this, the tech brains of the operation. Coming into the bulk of your film career in the last couple of years, is that a win for you to go from one really diverse role to another?
DeBose: Yeah, absolutely. Even when I was exclusively working in theater, which I did for 10 years, the name of my game was always to challenge yourself. Versatility is key. I don't like doing the same thing twice, so if I can take that kind of philosophy and apply it into working in this genre, then I'm a happy camper. I think it's great to keep surprising yourself, because if you're surprising yourself, you're certainly surprising your audience.
There's currently a book out there, "Argylle," which is a novel (allegedly written by the "real" Elly Conway) about some of these characters. Now, would it be interesting to see a movie about Argylle and Wyatt and Keira having their own adventure?
Cena: I hope the world says yes, and that's going to mean them going to see "Argylle" and enjoying "Argylle." I do know Matthew Vaughn has a plan, and I hope he's able to execute that plan. I think he's got more than a movie in his mind, so I hope audiences around the world enjoy "Argylle" and I hope we can get the band back together.
DeBose: Yeah. It would be fun.
"Argylle" opens in theaters on Friday, February 2.