Shariatzadeh’s reaction was exactly the calming force Cena needed as he undertook many of Matchbox the Movie’s wild stunts—all of which director Sam Hargrave felt confident he could.

“Normally, when Hollywood will say, ‘No, a stunt person’s gonna do that,’ because of Sam’s fluency, I got to face a lot of my fears,” Cena shared, “and do a lot of things that I’m uncomfortable with.”

Namely, Hargrave, a longtime stunt coordinator, helped him confront his fear of heights, which Cena believed stemmed from his years as a wrestler, knowing that each fall would be painful.