A nearly naked John Cena pulled off one of the most memorable jokes at the 96th Academy Awards, and backstage photos reveal how he did it.
The wrestler and actor made his hosting debut during Sunday's ceremony in a clip that referenced the wrestler who broke into the show in 1974. After Oscar host Jimmy Kimmel struggled to persuade Cena to recreate At the event, the “Peacemaker” star preached the importance of wardrobe while shyly holding a giant envelope against his crotch.
“Costumes are important,” he told the Dolby Theater audience. “They are so important, maybe the most important thing there is.”
Backstage photos captured by The Times confirmed that Cena wore more than just a pair of Birkenstock sandals while presenting the costume design category. “The Suicide Squad” star also wore a skin-tone modest garment (often worn in sex scenes in movies and television) to hide her bare butt and groin from the public and ABC censors.
John Cena, right, dressed in nude underwear, waiting backstage at the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Cena's brief but memorable moment at the Oscars ended with him wearing a curtain-like robe to present the Oscar to “Poor Things” designer Holly Waddington.
Times columnist Glenn Whipp wrote in Sunday's live blog that Cena's joke was unrehearsed. Clearly, with a strong Twitter reactions and new GIF Inspired by the moment, it seems that Cena's gamble with almost no clothes paid off.
John Cena, right, prepares backstage to present the costume design award at the 96th Academy Awards.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Other highlights from Sunday's ceremony include the return of the five-host format, Ryan Gosling's electrifying performance in “I'm Just Ken” and political statements from “Zone of Interest” director Jonathan Glazer and documentary filmmaker from “20 Days in Mariupol”, Mstyslav Chernov.
The 96th Academy Awards aired live on ABC. “Oppenheimer” was the big winner of the night, taking home seven awards, including best picture.
