John Cena

Cena started wrestling in 1999, signed with WWE in 2001, and came up through its developmental system before debuting on SmackDown in 2002 as a brash heel rapper. By the mid-2000s he'd become the company's franchise player, running the longest continuous heroic character arc in WWE history from 2003 to 2025. He racked up 17 world championships - 14 WWE titles, three World Heavyweight - plus two Royal Rumbles and a shelf of other hardware, making him the promotion's most decorated wrestler even as his full-time run drew heat for perceived over-exposure. He shifted to part-time in 2017 and retired in 2025, but by then he'd already moved into acting: starting with The Marine in 2006, then breaking through in Trainwreck, Blockers, and The Suicide Squad, and landing the lead in Peacemaker. Somewhere in the middle he released a rap album that hit No. 15 and granted over 650 Make-A-Wish requests, more than anyone in the foundation's history.