John Cena had an unexpectedly awkward realization on TV this week when he learned he was exactly the same age as Jason Earles during the filming of Hannah Montana.
Although Cena first built his reputation in WWE, he has also gone on to establish himself in film and television. One of his earlier scripted-TV appearances came through Miley Cyrus’ Disney Channel series, and he has continued to stay busy on screen in the years since, including recent and upcoming projects such as Netflix’s Little Brother and Apple TV’s Matchbox The Movie.
During Wednesday’s (June 17) edition of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the conversation turned to Cena’s early acting work and, specifically, his guest spot on Hannah Montana.
He appeared in the show’s fourth season in 2010, showing up as himself in a dream sequence alongside Jackson Stewart, the character played by Earles.
Fallon brought up the scene, prompting Cena to look back on the experience fondly. He called it ‘fantastic’ and explained that he didn’t get the opportunity to work with Cyrus because she ‘wasn’t there’, adding that he instead worked with ‘some kid’.
The punchline, of course, is that Earles was not actually younger than Cena at all. Both men were 33 when that episode was made, and they were born just three days apart in April 1977.
Once Fallon pointed that out, Cena was clearly caught off guard and said: “Shut up. Are you serious? That’s impossible. I wasn’t aware until right now.”
The two actors were even born in the same week. Cena’s birthday is April 23, 1977, while Earles was born on April 26, 1977.
The Hannah Montana episode featuring Cena, “Love That Lets Go,” aired in September 2010 as part of the show’s final season.
Viewers online were just as stunned by the age reveal, with many saying they had never realized the two were contemporaries while watching the Disney series.
“How are they the same age? One is a kid and the other is an adult,” one person penned on X, while a second added: “That’s actually insane. I had to Google to confirm that they’re both in fact the same age.”
A third remarked: “”Hold on! He was 30 playing a high school kid in Hannah Montana!!”
Another said: “They look like father and son, how are they same age?,” and a fifth quipped: “This does not sit well with me.”
Outside of the viral age discovery, Cena is also in a new chapter professionally after stepping away from WWE in-ring competition at the end of 2025. WWE’s farewell tour gave way to his first post-retirement appearances in 2026, with Cena shifting more fully back toward acting and hosting duties.
In comments to Yahoo! Entertainment, he reflected on that transition, saying: “This is a thing that a lot of folks go through, and it’s a normal progression in life. It’s closing a chapter, continuing to be curious and finding that second mountain to climb.
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years it is you can’t please everyone.”