John Cena And Ariana DeBose Discuss Their Argylle Roles And A Possible Spinoff
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.