Actor Frank Grillo, known for his roles in the Captain America and The Purge franchises, admitted he was completely unfamiliar with his Peacemaker co-star John Cena before joining the show’s second season. Grillo revealed that he had to ask his son for help to understand who the WWE superstar-turned-actor was.
Frank Grillo’s Unfamiliar Co-Star
Frank Grillo, who plays Rick Flag Sr. in the upcoming second season of the DC series Peacemaker, shared that he had never seen the show and did not recognize John Cena when he was offered the role. To get up to speed, he turned to his son for information.
Speaking about the conversation, Grillo said his son’s response was blunt:
“But I had never seen Peacemaker. I didn’t know who the f*** John Cena was. I asked my son, ‘Is John Cena a big wrestler?’ He goes, ‘You’re stupid.’”
Since then, Grillo has familiarized himself with Cena’s background in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). His perspective on the Peacemaker star changed dramatically after seeing him in action.
“He’s one of those bulls that you see out in the meadow where it’s just muscle, on top of muscle, on top of muscle,” Grillo described. “Then I watched Cena doing his thing in the WWE and these guys are defying gravity, at 280 pounds. And so he’s a scary man.”
Grillo’s Road to Peacemaker
Grillo’s journey to joining the Peacemaker cast began with the show’s creator, James Gunn. Gunn, who personally reached out to Grillo after being a longtime admirer of his work, initially cast him in the animated series Creature Commandos before offering him the role in Peacemaker.
The actor faced some logistical challenges, as he was already filming the series Tulsa King at the time. However, he was able to make the schedule work. He also had to tackle a unique requirement for the show: participating in the now-famous opening credits dance sequence.
“Like, I don’t dance. I’m a serious actor,” Grillo recalled telling Gunn. “And James said, ‘What do you mean? You’re on the show, don’t be stupid, you’re dancing.’”
Understanding Rick Flag Sr.
While many are quick to label his character as a villain, Grillo offered a different perspective on Rick Flag Sr., the father of Joel Kinnaman’s character from the 2021 film The Suicide Squad.
“People are going, ‘Oh, you’re the villain,’ and I’m like, no, Flag is not the villain. He’s an antagonist in this world of Peacemaker, but Peacemaker does a lot more fu**ed up things than Flag’s ever gonna do.”
This distinction suggests a complex dynamic will unfold between his character and Cena’s Peacemaker in the new season.
John Cena’s Storied Career
For those in the know, Frank Grillo’s son was right to be surprised by his father’s question. John Cena is not just a “big wrestler” but one of the most accomplished performers in WWE history.
John Cena is a record 17-time world champion in WWE, holding the most recognized world title reigns in the promotion’s history. His accolades include 14 WWE Championship reigns and three World Heavyweight Championship wins. He is a two-time Royal Rumble winner and a one-time Money in the Bank ladder match winner.
Cena has also built a successful acting career. He starred in the 2021 film The Suicide Squad, which led to his own HBO Max spin-off series, Peacemaker. His other notable films include Bumblebee, F9: The Fast Saga, and comedies like Trainwreck and Blockers.
Cena is also renowned for his extensive charity work, having granted over 650 wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the most in the organization’s history.
Grillo also shared that during the Peacemaker Season 2 premiere event, James Gunn told him he was working on another project that would feature a larger role for Grillo. While details remain unknown, the actor expressed his enthusiasm for being part of Gunn’s vision for the DC Universe.
Also Read: Peacemaker Season 2 Almost Brought Back a Fallen Hero from Season 1
Credits: IMDb
