John Cena is just warming up on the mic.
“A guy walks into a bar,” cracks the former pro wrestler, “and he breaks his face.” Cue crickets from his Blockers costar Leslie Mann, 45. “You don’t get it?” Cena, 40, asks. “I’m practicing my dad jokes!”
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Not yet a parent himself, Cena, thankfully, is still able to put his corny comedy chops to good use in their new flick. Pals through their bestie daughters, the duo stop at nothing to squash their kids’ quest to lose their virginities on prom night.
Cena, engaged to Nikki Bella, and Mann, mom of actresses Maude, 20, and Iris, 15 (with husband Judd Apatow), sit down for a quickie with Us.
Us Weekly: Let’s go back in time: What were you like in high school?
Leslie Mann: I went to a new school, so I was alone for a good part of ninth grade, eating lunch in the library. Then I slowly made a ton of friends. I had a good time, for the most part!
John Cena: I was an idiot. In an assembly, I got up in all my glory to tell a joke. That son of a b-tch bombed. The headmaster was beet red. He pointed at me and then his office. It was made clear my comedy was in poor taste.
Us: How was your prom?
LM: I had a pink lamé strapless dress and super crazy bleached hair! And I went with this really cute boy Jeff Thomason. He wound up becoming a football player and won Super Bowl XXXI [in 1997 with the Green Bay Packers].
JC: I went to boarding school, so I lived with these people every day for nine months. I chose to work instead. I was paid minimum wage to do campus beautification.
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LM: You probably made $18 that night?
JC: Yeah, I should have gone to prom.
Us: What advice would you give your teenage self now?
JC: Live a little bit!
LM: Yeah, I didn’t do that. I’d say date more boys. I only had just the one boyfriend.
Us: Ever c–kblock?
JC: I probably did and didn’t know. I was the dude who talked to someone who was already with someone.
LM: I dated the same stupid guy in high school. I wish somebody would have got in the way!
Us: Leslie, would you describe yourself as an overprotective mom?
LM: Probably. But also progressive, understanding and open. They know I’m their mother first and I’m always going to make sure they’re safe. But I’m there for them whenever they want to talk to me. There isn’t anything they can do that would surprise me. I’ve done everything! I feel like they’re smart when it comes to boys. I have faith they’ll make good choices.
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Us: How do you think you’ll fare as a parent, John?
JC: I think I’ll be snoopy. I will want to know what they’re going through so I can be like, “Hey, one time, this happened to me and this is how I messed it up. Don’t let that happen.” I’ll also be protective because I can see the forest through the trees and be like, “You’re doing it wrong.” But that’s so going to backfire.
LM: Yes, it will. You can try, though! It takes five billion times of telling your kids something before they can actually register it!
Blockers is now in theaters.
With reporting by Emily Marcus.
