John Cena has made the transition from being a pro wrestling legend to being an actor quite gracefully. Comedy is really in his wheelhouse, as is seen in his exceptional turn as the series lead in Peacemaker, James Gunn’s DC TV project.
In a hilarious bit between Cena and Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel, Cena had to hide his nude body from audience view, as he and Kimmel debated the merits of a “streaker” segment at such a classy awards show. Eventually, Cena entered, stage right, and methodically shuffled along, with only the card containing the Best Costume Design Academy Award winner to cover his nether regions.
As the list of nominees was being read, the Oscars crew rushed in for a quick-change pit stop to wrap Cena in a toga of sorts. Hell of a job by all involved in that!
Ultimately, Poor Things costume designer Holly Waddington took home the golden statue. Let’s give her name some more shine here with a fancy graphic from The Academy.
Poor Things certainly had a unique aesthetic, and the variety of costumes Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter wore throughout the film contributed to the stylized, purposefully over-the-top vibe that director Yorgos Lanthimos was going for.
Cena’s grand gesture of nudity was designed to emphasize just how important costume design is. It’s easy to overlook the many artists who work behind the scenes in the entertainment industry, and this was such a funny and effective way of doing that. Interestingly enough, though, I am more liable to remember the stunt by Cena itself than any other costume designer who was in this loaded category for the year.
It’s really a strong Oscars lineup, but I have a feeling Oppenheimer is going to clean up most of the major awards later in the evening. To this point, Cena’s nakedness is the biggest highlight as far as all the other shenanigans happening between award announcements.
