While the Oscar Awards ceremony this year was not devoid of entertaining stuff, it was John Cena‘s fully naked appearance on the stage that stole the show. The actor appeared on the stage with nothing but an envelope covering his private parts and Birkenstocks on his feet.
The risqué move raised eyebrows and sparked discussions, but was sure to make the audience giggle as well. The wrestler-actor is known for his diverse roles and bold persona, and he did full justice to the image as he joined Jimmy Kimmel onstage for an homage to the infamous 1974 Oscars streaker. Here’s what went behind the idea of presenting Cena almost entirely naked, and its execution.
“He Looked Like A Ken Doll Upfront”: Walt Disney Television Executive VP Rob Mills Reveals The Making Of John Cena’s Act
The audience at the Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles this year was amused when John Cena walked almost naked onto the stage to present the Academy Award for Best Costume Design. The actor walked on the stage wearing nothing but a pair of Birkenstocks as he strategically covered his private parts with only the category’s envelope.
Walt Disney Television executive VP Rob Mills revealed the planning behind Cena’s on-stage nudity, and how they ensured compliance with Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules. Speaking to Variety, Mills revealed that the actor’s front resembled a ‘Ken doll’ from the recent blockbuster ‘Barbie‘.
“We made sure that, for all intents and purposes, he looked like a Ken doll up front,” Rob Mills told Variety. He said that “Cena’s crack was covered in the back and then the envelope was Velcro-ed on there so it wouldn’t fall. But beyond that, he was naked.”
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“What Happens If He Drops That Card?”: Producers Voice The Potential Risks They Had In Mind
As per Rob Mills, “a bulge cannot be showing, and you can’t show crack” if the act obeys the Federal Communications Commission’s rules about what can be shown on live television. “It was also, ‘What happens if he drops that card?’ ”
He also revealed that the exact amount of skin on display became a point of negotiation between ABC producers and the FCC. “There was a lot of reticence of not just a fine from the FCC, but potential complaints,” the producer said.
“I think at the end we all got to a spot where we were comfortable, S&P [standards and practices] was comfortable, and it didn’t compromise the comedy a bit,” McNearney, an executive producer of the Oscars ceremony and ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’, said.
“I was very thankful that we didn’t have to send [Cena] out there in tighty whities, which I’m sure legal would have preferred,” she added.
Though risky, the act worked wonders on the Oscars stage, and would potentially go down in history as one of the iconic moments that John Cena pulled off successfully.
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