Despite pressure to pick John Cena instead, SZA stood firm on casting Ben Stiller in her “Drive” video and later thanked him for saying yes.
SZA refused to budge when her team pushed for John Cena instead of Ben Stiller to star in her “Saturn”-era music video for “Drive,” insisting the role was meant for the comedy icon and no one else.
The Grammy-winning singer revealed on The Severance Podcast with Ben Stiller & Adam Scott that she was unwavering in her vision for the December video,
“Saturn” features the Zoolander actor lip-syncing behind the wheel before stepping out to perform a string of awkward, offbeat dance moves.
“I can’t thank you enough. I can’t even believe you said yes,” SZA told Stiller during the podcast. “Full transparency, right, they tried to get me to concede to John Cena and I was like, ‘No.’”
“I love John Cena; shout-out to fine-ass John Cena. I was like, ‘No, I need my Ben, please.’ I can’t even believe you said yes. They were like, ‘No, no, no, it’s too far-fetched, it’s never gonna happen.’ And I was like, ‘OK, well, I can’t see it any other way.’”
SZA said her admiration for Stiller runs deep, calling him a lifelong source of happiness and creativity. “You’ve brought me so much joy and inspiration my entire f###### life,” she said.
Stiller, who directed and produced Apple TV+’s Severance, responded with a laugh, saying, “So happy that John Cena didn’t get it.”
Their collaboration came after a playful exchange on social media in May 2023, when SZA publicly demanded the second season of Severance “right the f### now.” Stiller replied, “Ok ok got it,” prompting SZA to walk it back and tell him to take his time. That online moment eventually led to her guest appearance on the show’s companion podcast.