by James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

WWE star John Cena says filming the upcoming "12 Rounds" movie was a much better experience than filming "The Marine." Cena is not a fan of his first movie, which he says was written for Steve Austin.

Cena says he was suddenly thrust into the lead role without acting experience. He didn't feel he made a connection with the script.

"The part was originally written for Steve Austin and he was on the outs with WWE at the time," Cena told the local ABC affiliate in Philadelphia. "They were in pre-production ready to shoot the movie. I was literally thrown into the role three weeks prior."

Cena said the experience of learning how to act in front of a camera without a live audience set him up for a better experience with "12 Rounds."

"This one was planned for me and written with me in mind," Cena said. "The story was everything 'The Marine' wasn't. It was a normal everyday guy just going through one hell of a day."

Cena could pass for actor Matt Damon, and the promotional poster for Cena's new movie has the characteristics of Damon's "Bourne" trilogy. Cena says they drew from "Bourne," "Diehard," and "Speed."

Cena laughs about his role in "The Marine" where he was a superhero who was impervious to bullets. The story is different in "12 Rounds" where he feels more comfortable in the lead role.

"This one - I'm just a normal guy," he said. "More of who I am."

Cena said Hollywood is looking for the next action star and he would like to focus his acting career in that area.

He said it's not a smart move to branch outside of action right now. "I'd like to stick with good ass-kicking action movies, then maybe dive into something else," Cena said.

Link: Cena Video interview with ABC 6.

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