Trump-Putin Meeting (Taylor's Version) | John Cena, Jesse Tyler Ferguson | Wednesday, August 13

Summary

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Episode: Trump-Putin Meeting (Taylor's Version) | John Cena, Jesse Tyler Ferguson
Air Date: August 13, 2025
Release Date: August 14, 2025

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Introduction

In the August 13, 2025, episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon aired from Studio 6B at Rockefeller Center, New York City, host Jimmy Fallon welcomes his guests—WWE superstar and actor John Cena, and Tony Award-winning actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson. The episode is infused with Fallon's trademark humor, engaging interviews, and lively performances by the legendary musical group The Roots.

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Opening Monologue

Jimmy Fallon kicks off the show with his signature monologue, addressing current events with his unique comedic flair:

• Trump-Putin Summit: Fallon humorously dissects the impending Trump-Putin meeting set in Alaska. He quips, “Trump is packing his cardigan, but Putin will be shirtless on a white horse” (02:41). He also satirizes Trump’s announcement as the newly appointed chairman of the Kennedy Center, highlighting the eclectic choice of honorees like Sylvester Stallone and Kiss.

• UFC Capitol Hill Skit: A satirical segment introduced by Fallon features "UFC on Capitol Hill," mocking the idea of political figures engaging in a cage fight. Dana White’s voiceover announces fictional matchups, such as “Congressman John the White Rhino Larson vs. Congressman John Turbo Stash Rutherford” (04:49).

• Other News Bites: Fallon briefly touches upon various topics, including Trump’s revision of Smithsonian exhibits, Dollar General’s coffee recall, Hanes' business decisions, and the overlooked National Middle Child Day (05:25).

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Musical Performance: The Roots

The Roots grace the stage, delivering an electrifying performance that sets an upbeat tone for the evening. Black Thought's opening lines, “Everyone do what it do. I'm the living definition of improving a groove” (06:16), energize the audience and showcase the band's legendary status.

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Announcements and Promotions

John Cena's Projects:

Fallon highlights John Cena's latest endeavors:

• Peacemaker Season Two: Cena stars in the much-anticipated second season of Peacemaker, premiering on August 21st on HBO Max (06:30).

• Twelfth Night at Delacorte Theater: Cena is also performing in the new production of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night at Central Park’s Delacorte Theater, running through September 14th (06:46).

Birthday Shout-Out:

A heartfelt birthday greeting is extended to the show's announcer, Steve Higgins, with Fallon exclaiming, “Happy birthday. Happy birthday. We love you, bud” (07:04).

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Fallon Book Club

Jimmy introduces the latest installment of the Fallon Book Club, engaging viewers in selecting the next read:

• Book Recommendations: Viewers submit titles such as The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett and What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown (07:09).

• Winner Announcement: Fallon announces My Friends by Fredrik Backman as the chosen book, sharing copies with the live audience and encouraging viewers to participate via Instagram (@FallonBookClub) (08:18).

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Game Segment: Wild Guess with John Cena

A highlight of the evening is the playful yet perilous game "Wild Guess," featuring Jimmy Fallon and John Cena:

• Game Mechanics: Participants take turns stating facts about themselves, guessing if they’re true or false. Correct guesses impact the opponent's standing, with humorous threats of "separating legs" and fictional shark-infested waters as stakes (09:24).

• Notable Moments:

  • Fallon falsely claims he can play “Your Body is a Wonderland” on the ukulele, leading to laughs when Cena debunks it (12:13).
  • Cena shares quirky facts, such as surviving weeks on Diet Mountain Dew, which Fallon humorously doubts (14:35).
  • The segment culminates with Fallon humorously declaring his defeat, using his safe word “labubu” (19:15).

Notable Quotes:

• Jimmy Fallon: “If I weren't a comedian, I would be a mailman” (16:06).
• John Cena: “Karma does come back around” (17:25).

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In-Depth Interview with John Cena

Following the game, Fallon engages John Cena in a comprehensive interview covering Cena’s illustrious career and future projects:

• Farewell Tour in WWE: Cena discusses his decision to retire from wrestling, reflecting on nearly 25 years with WWE and his desire to make way for younger talent (22:02). He shares insights into the emotional and physical toll of his career and his intention to leave the company in a better state.

  Quote: “I've always just been that guy. I want this tour to be not only special, it'll always be special for me” (25:26).

• Peacemaker Season Two: Cena talks about the excitement and challenges of returning to Peacemaker, hinting at surprises and new cast members without giving away spoilers (26:09).

  Quote: “Peacemaker 2 is full of surprises” (27:13).

• Reflections on WWE: Cena reminisces about his early days, the evolution of WWE, and memorable matches, expressing gratitude for the opportunities and fan support over the decades.

  Quote: “I'm grateful to say that WWE has given me almost 25 years to go out and do my thing” (22:34).

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Second Musical Performance: The Roots

As the night progresses, The Roots return to perform another engaging set, maintaining the high energy and musical excellence that fans adore.

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Guest Interview: Jesse Tyler Ferguson

The second guest, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, discusses his involvement in Broadway and his personal life:

• Twelfth Night at Delacorte Theater: Ferguson highlights the accessibility and joy of the production, emphasizing its modern take and brief runtime (29:46).

  Quote: “It's so joyous. It's so accessible. It's modern. It's an hour and 45 minutes” (34:01).

• Podcast Success: He celebrates reaching 100 episodes of his podcast Dinner's on Me, sharing anecdotes about his journey and interactions with fans (32:14).

• Family Stories: Ferguson shares a humorous story about his young son's fascination with a "dirty word" he mentioned during a performance, which turned out to be "poop" (30:25).

  Quote: “Now he thinks poop is a dirty word, which is true” (31:00).

• Wheel of Fortune Charity Event: Discusses his participation in a celebrity Wheel of Fortune segment, solving a Hamilton puzzle and interacting with fellow guests (31:41).

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Closing Remarks

Jimmy Fallon wraps up the show with final acknowledgments:

• Acknowledgment of Guests: A warm thank you to both John Cena and Jesse Tyler Ferguson for their contributions and performances.

• Final Performance: The Roots deliver a closing performance, leaving the audience energized.

• Goodnight: Fallon bids farewell to the audience, ending the episode on a high note (35:02).

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jimmy Fallon:

  • “[02:41] Trump is packing his cardigan, but Putin will be shirtless on a white horse.”
  • “[12:13] I can play your body is a wonderland on the ukulele.”
  • “[16:06] If I weren't a comedian, I would be a mailman.”
  • “[22:02] I'll be 49 next year.”
  • “[27:13] Peacemaker 2 is full of surprises.”

• John Cena:

  • “[14:35] I used to go whole weeks where all I drank was Diet Mountain Dew.”
  • “[17:25] Karma does come back around.”
  • “[25:26] I'm grateful to say that WWE has given me almost 25 years to go out and do my thing.”
  • “[26:09] Peacemaker 2 is full of surprises.”

• Jesse Tyler Ferguson:

  • “[31:24] What's the word? I said it's poop.”
  • “[32:07] I'm not taking away my shot.”

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Conclusion

This episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon masterfully blends humor, insightful interviews, and stellar performances. From Fallon’s comedic take on global politics to heartfelt conversations with seasoned actors like John Cena and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, the show offers a well-rounded and entertaining experience for its viewers.

Transcript

[Jimmy Fallon]

From Studio 6B in Rockefeller center in the heart of New York City, it's the Tonight show, starring Jimmy Fountain. Tonight, join Jimmy and his guests, John Cena, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. And featuring the legendary roots crew 2174. And now, here he is, Jimmy Bellas, man. Hot crowd tonight. Thank you very, very much. Enjoy.

Welcome, everybody. Welcome.

Welcome to the Tonight Show. Yes, thank you for watching.

Well, guys, after naming himself chairman of the Kennedy center today, President Trump announced this year's honorees, including Sylvester Stallone and the band Kiss. Sylvester Stallone makes sense. I mean, he really deserves it. And when you think about Trump's first seven months in office, the word Rocky definitely comes to mind. Makes sense. And Trump said he picked Kiss because they're one of the greatest rock and roll bands of all time and also because they wear as much makeup as he does. Other honorees include country legend George Strait and disco legend Gloria Gaynor. Trump was like, something for the Straits, something for the Gaynors. Straits and the Gaynors are happy. Meanwhile, Trump's meeting with Vladimir Putin is almost here. And today, Trump warned that Russia will face severe consequences if Putin doesn't agree to end the war. Yep, severe consequences. Putin responded, like, what? The second meeting. Get this. Trump is hosting Putin at a US Military base because it's peak tourist season in Alaska, and the options were limited. This meeting could end a war, and Alaska's like, ooh, sorry, but the Marriott conference room is all tied up with a Rotary Club salmon retreat.

What are you doing?

Well, guys, the two big stories right now are Trump and Putin's summit in Alaska and, of course, Taylor Swift announcing her new album. And we thought there's no better way to explain the summit than by breaking it down using Taylor Swift's. So for a long time, Trump would look at Putin and think, you belong with me. And when people told him to stay away from Putin, he'd just shake it off and shout, but, Daddy, I love him. But recently, they've had some bad blood. And of course, Putin has a terrible reputation. His actions in Ukraine even have Trump like, you need to calm down. Anyway, now it's August, and they're meeting in Alaska. Trump had texted Putin Florida in all caps, but Putin left him on red. So Alaska it is. It'll be cold. So Trump's packing his cardigan, but Putin will be shirtless on a white horse. Anyway, ahead of the meeting, Americans are worried that Trump isn't ready for it, since his mind is basically a giant blank space. Also, he's distracted by the Epstein scandal. He'll tell Putin it's been a cruel summer because everyone thinks I did something bad. But I swear, everyone on the island was 22, and Putin will be like, you're losing me. You're on your own, kid. We are never, ever getting back together. But, hey, that's just karma. Featuring Ice Spice.

That was helpful.

Thank you. I thought that was helpful. Thank you. Hey, did you guys see this? UFC President Dana White said that Trump's suggestion of a cage fight at the White House next year is absolutely going to happen. I feel like we're this close to having a monster truck try to jump the Lincoln Memorial. This real close. Yeah. A White House cage match might sound crazy, but they already do them somewhere else in D.C. watch this.

[Dana White]

It's UFC on Capitol Hill. Tonight's matchups are Congressman John the White Rhino Larson vs Congressman John Turbo Stash Rutherford. Then it's Congresswoman Lois the dropkick Dame Frankel vs. Congresswoman Virginia the Throat Chopper Fox. And then the main event, Congressman Clay Death Punch Higgins versus the oldest man in Congress, Norman the Kid Reynolds.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Watch as the.

[Dana White]

UFC on Capitol Hill. Don't miss it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Well, listen to this. The White House is reviewing the Smithsonian to ensure their museums align with Trump's interpretation of American history. Now, you'll know Trump rewrote everything when it says the first man to walk on the moon was Michael Jackson. Some business news. I read that Dollar General is recalling some of their instant coffee because it might contain glass. If you're affected, you can reach Dollar General customer service by picking up the phone and then hanging up on your cell. No one's there. Hey, I saw that. HA brand is being purchased for over $2 billion. Yep, Hanes is getting rid of their underwear division, or as also known, going commando. And finally, yesterday was National Middle Child Day. And of course, everyone forgot.

We have a great show. Give it up for the Roots.

[Black Thought]

Everybody do what it do. I'm the living definition of improving a groove. Use the same tool to shoot they Cooper mcu.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Check it.

What a show we have for you tonight. He stars in season two of Peacemaker, which returns Aug. 21 on HBO Max.

John Cena is here tonight.

You can see him in the new production of Twelfth Night at the Delacorte Theater in Central park now through September 14th. Jesse Tyler Ferguson is joining us as well. Shakespeare in the park it's gonna be. Also, I want to say happy, happy birthday to our announcer, Steve Higgins.

It's his birthday. Happy birthday. Happy birthday. We love you, bud.

Thanks, bud. Guys, this is exciting. Tonight we're going to announce the winner of our latest Fallon Book Club. This is where the show picks a book and we all read it together. So we asked our viewers for some recommendations. We got a bunch of great ones in. So thank you for everyone who sent in title suggestions here. I want to show a few of them right now. These are the suggestions, right? Yes. This is the Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett. Okay. This is what Will People Think by Sarah Hamden. This one is Maggie or A Man and Woman Walk into a Bar by Katie Yee. And this one is what Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown. Yeah. So these are all suggestions. None of these are the winner.

[John Cena]

Okay.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Those are all great books. What? Those are all great books. These are great books. They're on lists and things. Yeah, lists and everything. People love them. These are books that you can read. Yeah. And they got great reviews. All of them. Great reviews. Love them. Yeah. But there was one book that stuck out for me that.

[John Cena]

And it wasn't those.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No. I'm going to announce it right now. I'm very excited about this.

Big announcement.

Yeah. Tonight show secret. The Tonight Show. Yes. Uh.

[John Cena]

Oh, don't forget.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Do you remember the combination?

[John Cena]

What's that?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Do you remember the combination? Yeah, it is My Friends by Frederik Bachman.

We're all gonna read this book together.

I'll be on Instagram letting you know where I'm at with the book and what I think so far. Just go to Alan Bookclub to follow along and let me know what you think about it too.

And one more thing, everyone in tonight's audience is going home with their very own copy so we can start reading tonight. Congratulations to my friends, my Fredrik Backman. Stick around. We're doing something fun with John Cena when we come back. Everybody. Welcome back to the Tonight Show.

About to play a new game called Wild Guess. Wild Guess. But first, I'm gonna need an opponent. He's a 17 time WWE World Champion.

And talented actor who stars in PeaceMaker.

Which returns August 21st on HBO.

Max. Please welcome the one, the John Cena. That's. Look at that. That's how you do it. That is.

[John Cena]

Appreciate the tone, Loaf.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh my.

Appreciate it, Wild Guest. All right.

Thank you, Wild Guest. Thank you. John Cena. Unbelievable. Peacemaker.

[John Cena]

I'm loving this incredible production value.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you so much. You too. I didn't know you're dressed up. Real shark down here. Well, let me explain how this works. Okay, here's how this works. There is a live shark down there.

[John Cena]

There's a live shark.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's moving it. No. Sometimes it does. Yep. There you go. Yeah. Here's how John and I are going to take turns revealing facts about ourselves. And the other person has to guess if it's true or false. If you guess correctly, the floor underneath your opponent's feet will separate, slowly stretching their legs apart. If you guess incorrectly, the floor underneath your feet will separate. We keep playing until one of us can't handle the pain of our legs getting stretched out anymore.

[John Cena]

Excellent. A fun game of torture. Fantastic.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And if. And if.

And if you forfeit, you have to yell a safe word just so the shark knows you're coming. My safe word is labubu. Jon, what is your safe word?

[John Cena]

Pneumono. Ultramicroscopic silico Volcano conoist.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Okay, very good.

Of course.

I'm getting nervous.

[John Cena]

Of course.

[Jimmy Fallon]

All right. And again, as an element, an added element of danger, the loser must jump into the shark infested waters below. There's almost so much smoke, you almost can't see the shark. The smoky waters, they call it.

[John Cena]

Wild guests.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wild guests.

John, since I'm the host, I'm gonna reveal my first fact. Okay. And I won't tell you. The floor will separate. Then I'll show you the answer. The fact is, I can play your body is a wonderland on the ukul.

[John Cena]

True.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It is false. It is false. I am a fan of John Mayer. I do not know how to play really much on the ukulele, but sorry about that. I can't play your body as a wonderland on ukulele. So far, this game is awesome. I love it.

John.

I might just say leboo and jump in. All right, John, John, you were up. It's your turn. Reveal the fact, true or false, about you. And I will tell you.

[John Cena]

My fact is, my first crush was Mayim Bialika's Blossom.

[Jimmy Fallon]

She was cute. What was her best friend's name again?

[John Cena]

My best friend.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Her best friend. Was it on the show?

[John Cena]

Oh, I thought you were talking about my best friend.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, no, no. What was Blossom's best friend?

[John Cena]

Man, I was lost in a crush.

[Jimmy Fallon]

If you really had a crush, you would probably know that 6 is her best friend. So I'm gonna say that is not true. That is false.

Ah, you got me. You got me. Oh, don't tell anyone you got me.

Don't tell anyone you got me, bud.

[John Cena]

This is between us.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I am up. My fact is, I had a poster of Kenny Rogers in my college dorm room.

[John Cena]

University about 1993. Yes, yes, of course.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Of course.

[John Cena]

You have to know when to hold them.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. You have to know when to unroll it and hang it on your wall.

[John Cena]

I say. I say that's true.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Dad, be careful. Be careful.

[John Cena]

It was my dorm room.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wild guest. It was your wild gas.

Wild guests. No, I love Kenny Rogers. Didn't have a poster of him. No, I do love Kenny.

[John Cena]

This is. This is getting real right now.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Not gonna lie. Not gonna lie. Number two.

[John Cena]

I'm out here to have some fun.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. We got peacemakers out August 21st. HBO Max will get to all that.

[John Cena]

Plug is gonna bring my D back. When that. When it breaks, it's broken.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Once your voice goes up to a different octave, the game's over. All right, John, you're up. Tell me a fact about yourself.

[John Cena]

Okay.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I know you are.

[John Cena]

My fact is, I used to go whole weeks where all I drank was Diet Mountain Dew. I used to go whole weeks where all I drank was Diet Mountain Dew.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I think you're in such good shape. I don't see why you would do that to your. To your temple. Your body's. Your temple. Your body is a wonderland, as John Mayer said. Why would you do that to yourself? But the fact you said Diet Mountain Dew is interesting because you get that energy from the dew, but you don't get the cows from the dye. So do you die, Dew?

[John Cena]

What do you do?

[Jimmy Fallon]

I say it's true. I think you die. Do.

Oh, my. Wild guest. Wild Guest.

[John Cena]

It's a ridiculous game.

[Jimmy Fallon]

The name of the game is Wild Guests. Of course.

[John Cena]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, my gosh. How are you feeling?

[John Cena]

You know, I'm getting there. Shouldn't have chosen such a long, safe word. Okay, fine.

[Jimmy Fallon]

We'll figure that out.

[John Cena]

Climb that hill if we need it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Here's my fact, okay? If I weren't a comedian, I would be a mailman.

[John Cena]

Your fact is based on a hypothetical life. What kind of fact is that? If you weren't a comedian.

[Jimmy Fallon]

My fact is, if I wasn't, I would be.

[John Cena]

That's false. God, I hope that's.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, my God. Oh, my God. You're like. You're like John Claude Wild Gifts. You're like, wow. You're like Jean Claude Van Damme. This is unbelievable. This is.

Dude, you guys get John Claude Van.

[John Cena]

Damn, this hurts right about.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You guys gotta see. You guys gotta see this angle. You guys gotta see that angle. That's. That's the angle you want.

[John Cena]

Listen to the encouragement. You are not here right now.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you.

[John Cena]

That also help. Doesn't help at all.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I love this game. I could play it all night. Thanks again for being here. I appreciate it. I've always been a fan of yours. You know, we've known each other for years, and I just want to say thanks for just everything you've always done and always support and words of encouragement. You're always there for me, and I love you. All right, let's continue with the game.

[John Cena]

John, you know, you know, karma does come back around.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's the name of the shark.

[John Cena]

Okay. All right, Let me just get situated here. My fact is, I auditioned for the role of Magic Mike. Hey, check this out, dog.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I mean, I think they made a mistake. Cause I think they would have. They should have cast you in Magic Mike.

[John Cena]

I would do something, but I can't move.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Since you can do a little dance, you can do a twerk or something. Give us this something. You can't give us this little something.

[John Cena]

I'm serious. This is max effort right now.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You audition for Magic Mike. You grab.

There you go. He's grabbing the phone.

I'm gonna say true. I think you were trying to break into acting. You didn't know. And I think that you would have been great in that movie. I think you did audition for Magic Voice.

[John Cena]

Thank you so much.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, you would have been great in it. And you should be in the third one if they do it. You knew I was gonna do that, you sick sentiment.

[John Cena]

This is great.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. All right.

[John Cena]

Set the safe word again.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Mine's the laboo. I know that, but. All right, my fact is my. Just gotta.

[John Cena]

Just gotta get right.

[Jimmy Fallon]

My favorite flowers are peonies. Peonies.

[John Cena]

That's false. Cause it should be peony. That's false.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, peony. Bye, dude.

He's maxed out. He's maxed out. He did it. The ultimate champion. He did it. That means I will sacrifice myself. Labu. Boo. John Cena, everybody. We're talking to John. That's not great. Stick around. How are you doing that? Our first guest is a talented actor.

An all around stud who stars in season two of Peacemaker, which returns August 21 on HBO. Max. Everyone, please welcome John Cena.

Oh, my God.

Oh, look at that. A standing ovation. Come on, man.

[John Cena]

The audience here tonight.

[Jimmy Fallon]

How's it running?

Come on, bud.

[John Cena]

Where's that one guy who believed in me up there? Appreciate you, man. I appreciate you. That helped. I was lying in the moment. That helped.

[Jimmy Fallon]

John, this is. Welcome back. This is your 15th appearance on our show, and I want to say thank you so much. I'm honored and thankful.

[John Cena]

Wow.

[Jimmy Fallon]

15 times what haven't we done? We've done everything together. Well, that one was an interesting one.

[John Cena]

What next? You bastard.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Before we get into Peacemaker, thank you for coming dressed as Peacemaker, man.

[John Cena]

I'm excited about Peacemaker.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I know the last.

So good.

You crushed it last time.

[John Cena]

We have been waiting three years for this show to come back.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes, and it's back.

[John Cena]

The DCEU had to kind of reorganize itself. Superman came out to a tremendous success, and Peacemaker Season 2 is the follow up to that, so I'm very excited. Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You cameoed in Superman.

[John Cena]

I was there.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, bud, you were definitely there.

[John Cena]

Talking a little smack about Superman.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, it was great. It was fantastic. How did you do. How did you get that call?

[John Cena]

What, man? When James Gunn calls, you pick up. Yeah, I guess he's like, hey, pal, I need you. I don't have the time. He says, for Superman. I'm like, I'm there.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, I will do it.

[John Cena]

I'm kidding. I wouldn't even head fake him. I would just show up.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. He's a good guy, right?

[John Cena]

He's great.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Everyone loves him. I want to talk to you.

[John Cena]

Everyone loves you, man. Seriously. I told you in the hallway, us.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Us talking.

[John Cena]

It's a night off. You always, always enthusiastic. You always got crazy games. Great band, great crew, great audience.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[John Cena]

It's a fun show, dude. Love it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Thank you, buddy. I love it. Hey, can we talk about wwe? Yeah, sure, man. Oh, man, you're phenomenal in this. And you're currently on your farewell tour.

[John Cena]

Yeah, man. This is it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

How many matches do you have left?

[John Cena]

Got 11 dates left.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Now, is there any part of you wish that there was more time on the clock, or are you.

[John Cena]

Oh, of course. Every part of me. Yeah, Absolutely.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Or are you ready to close the chapter?

[John Cena]

No, my body is screaming at me to close the chapter.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It is, right?

[John Cena]

Yeah. I know I looked a little younger than I am, but I'm 48, man. I'll be 49 next year.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I've been stud.

[John Cena]

I have. I'm grateful, very grateful to say that WWE has given me almost 25 years to go out and do my thing and be invisible. And it's been fantastic.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah.

[John Cena]

But I also remember when I was a young kid back in 2000, 2002, thinking I'd never get a chance. And then when I did, I came up with, like, a young, hungry class. And I think if I hang around any longer than now, I'm just taking time away from those young guys who could be the next chance to make an impact on something.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Good way of thinking about it.

It's time, man.

[John Cena]

It's time.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I actually wanted to show everyone a clip of your first Official WWE Match 2002. When you introduce yourself as John Cena for the first time, there's going to.

[John Cena]

Be, look at the haircut.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It. Who in the hell are you?

[John Cena]

I'm John Cena. Will you tell me what is the.

[Jimmy Fallon]

One quality that you possess that makes you think that you can walk out here and come into the ring and.

[Dana White]

Face the very best in the business?

[John Cena]

Ruthless aggression.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Holy. Oh, that's what I'm talking about, man. That's what I'm talking about. That's amazing, dude.

[John Cena]

So we, in 23 years, we've seen like the timeline go from like ruthless aggression to like just happy kicking it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

What comes to mind when you look at that? Do you remember?

[John Cena]

Oh, man, like what a ride it's been? WWE moves really fast. It's like you guys, you always do shows, so very rarely do we have time to look in the rearview mirror. And now that I'm in the farewell tour, the last thing I want to do is like, start dwelling on moments that might have been in January. I'm going to look in the rear view and reflect on all this, but I want to have my feet on the ground and enjoy all the moments that the audience gives me. For these last 11. I've done a ton of stuff in my career. Yeah, I've been in front of some crazy crowds, but I've never been in front of the crowd that our current roster calls the greatest crowd in WWE history in Lyon, France. So I'm looking forward in a few weeks to actually going to be in front of all the stuff I've ever done in my career. I've had 17 championships. I've been around the world 100 times. I've never heard the so called greatest crowd in WWE history. And it's supposedly in Lyon. So even on this tail end stretch, I'm still learning, I'm still experiencing new things and I'm still grateful to be.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, I, I, I don't know how you do it. It's amazing to watch you go, it's amazing to watch you wrestle. And I, I've, I've seen you live a couple times and I will say you're just as nice of a guy off out of the ring as you are right now. This is a real John Cena, by the way.

[John Cena]

Same with you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're taking pictures with like 100 kids and then you, you take A match and you're taking more pictures after. Mike, you. You don't stop giving. You gotta take a little bit, man.

[John Cena]

We're lucky to do this. I take the moments they give me, man. And everybody's got their patience.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And some days you're impressive and I.

[John Cena]

Some days I'm a little short, but they. What I get is these awesome moments, man.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You're an inspiration to me or anyone that's around you. When you wrestle your final match, do you have an opponent in mind?

[John Cena]

No, no, I've never operated like that. It's weird because I've always just been that guy. That clip you saw was by mistake. The Undertaker was sick.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Is that right?

[John Cena]

No kidding. I've just always kind of been reliable and showing up and doing whatever I'm asked. And I really want this tour to be not only special, it'll always be special for me. Cause you guys are out there. I want it to be special for the business. I want to. My goal has always been to leave WWE better than I found it. So whoever they deem appropriate to get that energy.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yep, man.

[John Cena]

I'm cool with that.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yep. All right, good. I love that. Let's talk Peacemaker. I want to talk about peace. Peacemaker. First of all, it was such a hit, and I can't wait to see this. You know, it's been an embargo. This is so secretive. They wouldn't even show me a clip. Yeah, I know, but I can say this. That can I. The dance number in this one is different because I remember it.

[John Cena]

There's a reason I can stretch out a little bit. Yeah, I had to warm up for the dance.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That was such a fun move from the first one was such a curveball. I'm like, wait, wait, what's going on in the opening credits? You and the cast are dancing Emotionless.

[John Cena]

Just.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's the funniest thing ever. And I'm like. And now you update.

[John Cena]

It's a full resting bitch face dance number.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah, it is.

But you did it again.

[John Cena]

Yeah. Yeah. To a new song. So we got a new song and a new dance. And that's not a spoiler. That's already been out in the universe. No one's seen the new song in Dance 9.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And we can't say if there are surprises in the season. We can't say any of that.

[John Cena]

Oh, I can say there's tons of surprises. Guys, get ready. Because Peacemaker 2 is full of surprises.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It really is.

[John Cena]

Tons of surprises. Tons of candy cameos, all new cast. We got tons of Story swerves and stuff you'll never see coming. We got tons of surprises.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[John Cena]

Pay for your whole seat.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Use only the edge. Yes.

Use only the edge. Pay for your whole seat.

[John Cena]

You wanna talk about some of those surprises?

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[John Cena]

Yeah. No way.

[Jimmy Fallon]

How about this? Can I. How about this?

[John Cena]

That's what we should show em, man.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Okay.

[John Cena]

Yeah, no, no, I think we. You can show em that. Go ahead and show them that. But I think I can do you one better.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Peacemaker will go up against Peacemaker.

[John Cena]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wow.

[John Cena]

And this, this was crazy because this took three days to film. So for three days, I essentially got to play with myself.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I've done that. I've done that a few times.

[John Cena]

Yo.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It's pretty fun.

[John Cena]

For three days straight.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. I did it this week. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Yeah.

John Cena, everybody. Season two of Peacemaker premieres August 21st on HBO. Max, we'll be right back with Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Stick around.

[Black Thought]

It's no remorse when I'm blasting off like you've been asking for you see me step into place all hats is off, Hands are up in the air going back and forth I'm about ready for a classic massacre let's make it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Hotter than what's happening Africa. Our next guest is a Tony Award.

Starring in the new production of Twelfth Night at the Delacorte Theater in Central park. Now through September 14th, please welcome Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

Good night. That's how you do it. That's what a night it has been. Good night, everyone. Good night.

Amazing.

Amazing.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I was just told everyone had to roll out.

[Jimmy Fallon]

No, not everyone has to roll out. And of the Tonight Show. But I appreciate the commitment.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Let's start a tradition.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Jesse Tyler Ferguson, it's always great to see you. Welcome back to the show. You look great. Thank you. I want to say you have a milestone birthday coming up. So happy early birthday.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah. That role you just saw was done by a 50 year old.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Hey, baby.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

This is the new 50 all.

[Jimmy Fallon]

You look like a baby. Are you planning to do a big celebration?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

My husband Justin is 10 years younger than me. That's right.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

So we had a 30, 40 party 10 years ago and it was like an all nighter, you know.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And this year we're doing another joint birthday party and it's from 1 to 5pm.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That sounds like a dream.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Sound amazing.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That sounds like a dream.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I'll be in bed by 7:30. Like, oh my God, I'm so excited. Popsicles, you know.

[Jimmy Fallon]

How old are the kids now?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Are they 5 and 3?

[Jimmy Fallon]

2Ish yeah, yeah, yeah. Have your son seen you on stage before?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, my older son, Becca. I just did this show in London called Here We Are. It's a Sondheim musical. And he came to see the first act because I deemed that appropriate for him. It was fine for him to see that one, but I made the mistake of telling him that I say a dirty word in it. And he was obsessed with it. I was like, God, why did I tell him? Because now he just wants to know what the word is. And I could have gotten away with like, not. He probably wouldn't have even noticed. And like, he was obsessed with it for weeks. And like one night I woke up at like 3:30 in the morning and he was like, here. He was like, what's the dirty word?

[Jimmy Fallon]

And I was like, God, Jesus, where.

Did you come from?

He was.

God had to get in here.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And so he finally came to the show. And I say a lot in the first act. And so afterwards he was like, I didn't hear the word. And I was like, oh, yeah, I forgot. I say it in the second act. And you guys. Well, what's the word? I said it's poop. The word's poop. So now he thinks poop is a dirty word, which is true.

[Jimmy Fallon]

See, you're a good dad. Good for you for doing that. That's nice of you. Yeah. I wanna talk about this Wheel of Fortune thing. If you. Oh, gee, you remember what I'm talking about. It was a celebrity wheel of fortune. You were for charity and you're obviously a Broadway theater guy and you've won a Tony Award.

[John Cena]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And so you're amazing. And you're trying to solve the puzzle about a song lyric in the musical Hamilton. That's correct.

[John Cena]

Yeah.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Pretty popular musical.

[John Cena]

Yep.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yeah, pretty popular.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. Right in your wheelhouse. Let's see. Let's take a look at how you. Jess, you have $1,300.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I would like to solve the puzzle.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Go ahead.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I am not taking away my shot.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That is not correct.

Oh, no. Oh, my God.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

My Equity card was just taken away from me.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I'm not.

I'm doing the same thing.

Yes. I'm not taking away my shot.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I'm not throwing away my shot.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's correct.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Listen, when you're at home on your. The comfort of your own couches, everyone, it looks really easy. I am sorry.

[Jimmy Fallon]

But like, it is, right?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Like dyslexia kicks in. I just. Everything. I get sweaty. But the thing is, the thing is, Renee Elise Goldsberg, who was in the Original production of Hamilton.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Where is Angelica?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Was the original. Angelica won a Tony Award for it. Was also on that panel and realized she had not gotten that. Cue the clue.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And she was.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

She was killing herself. She's like, I can't believe she looked at me. She's like, I know what this is. And I was like, yeah, I know what it is, too. And so I. I was so excited to get it right and just be like, ha, ha.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

And then I messed it up, and it went to her, and she got it. So I just was like, look, I did it for you.

[Jimmy Fallon]

See, that's a classy. That's a classy gentleman.

[John Cena]

Yeah, you're a very.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Congratulations, by the way. Also on your podcast, Dinner's on me.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Yes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Last month, you celebrated your 100th episode.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

That's right.

[John Cena]

Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

100 episodes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yeah. It's so funny.

It's fant. Listen to it. If you like podcasts, if you like funny people and interesting people.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

But tell me if you like those.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Yes. Yes, of course. And now I want to go to Central park in New York City and go see you perform Shakespeare. Twelfth Night. This is what I'm talking about. Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

We've had, I think, five performances so far. We have about 30 more, and people are losing their minds for it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

They are.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It is a great time. It's a romp. You know what I love about this production is if you don't. If you were like, I don't Shakespeare now.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Not for me.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

You're gonna love this production. It's so joyous. It's so accessible. It's modern. It's an hour and 45 minutes.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Oh, that's perfect.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

Which is great.

[Jimmy Fallon]

And you got a great cast.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

We have. I don't know if you've heard of any of these people, but Lupita Nyong', O. Sandra oh.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Peter Dinklage. Peter Dinklage, Sandra oh.

I love.

Oh, my gosh.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I mean, it's a great cast.

[Jimmy Fallon]

I love Twelfth Night, too. Yeah.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's a great, great show. And if you haven't seen the first 11 nights, you'll still understand it.

[Jimmy Fallon]

It is not a sequel. It's not a sequel.

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

It's not a sequel. It's not the.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Have you ever performed Twelfth Night before?

[Jesse Tyler Ferguson]

I've never done Twelfth Night before, but I have done Shakespeare in the park seven times.

[Jimmy Fallon]

That's what I'm talking about. Come on. You want to see.

You want to see one of the best? Go check him out. Jesse Tyler Ferguson, everybody. Twelfth Night at the Delacour Theater. In Central park now through September 14th.

[Black Thought]

To contain the legendary. Now you can clap your hands. Your hands.

[Jimmy Fallon]

My face is John Cena, Jesse Tyler Ferguson and the Roots right there. Roots. Roots. Good night, everybody. Thank you. Get into it. Do it. Get into it.

[John Cena]

Thanks for listening to the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Don't forget to subscribe to get the.

[John Cena]

Latest episodes weekday mornings.

[Jimmy Fallon]

Wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Cena]

Watch the Tonight show starring Jimmy Fallon weeknights on NBC and streaming on Peacock.