John Cena made a name for himself as a professional wrestler. After signing to the WWE in 2001, he went on to become a 17-time world champion, holding the most recognized world titles in the league's history. In 2015, John had a breakout role in Trainwreck, allowing his acting career to blossom. But, fans of the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana recognized him on screen long before his semi-awkward role in Amy Schumer's comedy.
John made a cameo in the fourth and final season of Hannah Montana in 2010. He played himself in a dream sequence with Jackson Stewart, the older brother of the pop star played by Miley Cyrus. Jackson was played by Jason Earles, who rose to fame on the show. Recently, fans are reflecting on a photo of John and Jason and are collectively freaking out that the two actors are the same age.
John was born on April 23, 1977, while Jason was born on April 26, 1977 – making the two both 48. And, even more interesting to fans, they were born only three days apart. One user wrote to X: "How are they [the] same age? One is a kid and the other is an adult." Another wrote on Reddit: "That's actually insane. I had to Google to confirm that they're both in fact the same age." Despite the perceived age difference, John and Jason are staunchly Gen X.
On Hannah Montana, Jason played Miley's 16-year-old brother. But, when he got the role, he was 29. The show, which ran from 2006 to 2011, was beloved by teens and tweens, with a movie version of the show – Hannah Montana: The Movie – coming out in 2009. Along with Jason and Miley, the cast included Miley's real life dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, as well as Emily Osment and Mitchel Musso.
"The original Jackson was the worst," Jason said of his character on an episode of the Magical Rewind podcast in March. "He was so introverted, and he didn't know how to handle his sister's success. And so his way of coping with the world was talking with an orangutan hand puppet. It was awful…funny, [but] just really stupid."
Before the show premiered, Jason had minor roles on Malcolm in the Middle, MADtv, and America Pie. His success on the show parlayed into other Disney productions. Jason appeared in the Disney Channel Original Movies Kickin' It and Dadnapped. Recently, he starred in Disney+'s show, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
"Before being on Hannah [Montana], I was an extra, a stand-in, and a substitute teacher," Jason told the Night School podcast in May. "Hannah [Montana] paid significantly more than those jobs."
While on Hannah Montana, Jason was married to his ex-wife, Jennifer Earles. The two divorced in 2013, but share their son, Noah. In 2017, he married Katie Drysen. In recent years, Jason has turned to stand up comedy, performing at Westside Comedy Theater in Santa Monica, California.