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Dwayne Johnson (I)

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• 22 wins & 77 nominations

Rock On: The Life and Times of Dwayne Johnson

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• 292 episodes

• 159 episodes

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• Dwayne Johnson
• 37 episodes

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Personal details

• Dwayne 'The Rock' Johmsom
• 6′ 5″ (1.96 m)
• May 2 , 1972
• Hayward, California, USA
• Spouses Lauren Hashian August 18, 2019 - present (2 children)
• Children Tiana Johnson
• Parents Ata Johnson
• Relatives Peter Fanene Maivia (Grandparent)
• Other works Features in Wyclef Jean 's song/video "It Doesn't Matter".
• 1 Print Biography
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• 10 Interviews
• 44 Articles
• 5 Pictorials
• 28 Magazine Cover Photos

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• Trivia Although he has lived in the United States for most of his life, he has Samoan citizenship as his mother is Samoan. He has often stated in interviews he is proud of his Samoan heritage and feels honored to be a Samoan.
• Quotes Finally...The Rock...has come back to [whatever city he's in at the time]
• Trademarks Wrestling finisher: The People's Elbow
• The People's Champion
• The Brahma Bull
• The Great One
• Salaries Black Adam ( 2022 ) $22,500,000 + producer fee
• How old is Dwayne Johnson?
• When was Dwayne Johnson born?
• Where was Dwayne Johnson born?

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Dwayne Johnson Biography Facts, Childhood, Career, Life

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is a retired pro wrestler in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). One of the most popular wrestlers of the 21st century, the American-Canadian whose sturdy body and enormous muscles, earned him the moniker/ring name ‘The Rock’ is, by all means, the most loved and popular wrestler to have graced the WWE rings. Johnson currently has a very successful career aside wrestling, but still in the entertainment realm. This Dwayne Johnson biography facts, childhood, career and personal life present in details, the background, life and profile of the great entertainer.

Before his retirement from the wrestling scene, Johnson who has always been an entertainer since he was a teenager doubles as an actor who featured in several blockbuster Hollywood movies. Globally, fans would have no hard time in identifying Johnson who many believe is more popular as an actor than a wrestler.

In WWE, Dwayne Johnson’s reputation is solid as that of a ‘rock’. Whenever the super star steps into the ring, fans can’t just turn their eyes away. Johnson holds the record for the highest-rated WWE Raw and WWE Smackdown programs in the history of the WWE. In the WrestleMania XXVIII, the 28th annual WWE WrestleMania pay-per-view event, Dwayne Johnson who was one of the centre-figures in the fight made the event the most bought WWE pay-per-view event globally.

No doubt, Dwayne Johnson is a superstar. In this article, we go through the formative years of the astute wrestler and how he rose to become one of the most popular and recognized stars in the WWE and Hollywood.

Table of Contents

Dwayne Johnson Biography Quick Facts, Age

Outlined below are some biography quick facts you should know about the American-Canadian retired pro-wrestler.

• Full Name: Dwayne Douglas Johnson
• Nicknames: The Rock; Rocky Maivia; Flex Kavana
• Born: May 2, 1972
• Age 52 years
• Zodiac Sign: Taurus
• Place of Birth: Hayward, California
• Nationality/Citizenship: American, Canadian
• Residence: Miami, Florida
• Height: 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
• Weight: 118 kg (260 Ib)
• Education: Shepherd Glen Elementary School, Hamden Middle School, Freedom High School, University of Miami
• Parents: Rocky Johnson (father); Ata Johnson (mother)
• Siblings:   Curtis Bowles (brother), Wanda Bowles (sister)
• Marital Status: Married
• Wife: Lauren Hashian (married 2019)
• Children: Simone Alexandra Johnson (daughter), Tiana Gia Johnson (daughter), Jasmine Johnson (daughter)
• Occupation: Actor, Investor, Producer, retired Pro Wrestler
• Weight/Division: Welterweight
• Career: Professional Wrestling (1996–2004, 2011–2019); Acting (1999–date); American Football (1990–1995)

Dwayne Johnson Childhood/Early Life & Family Background

Dwayne Johnson was born on 2nd May 1972 to his father, Wayde Johnson, who was a professional wrestler widely known as Rocky Johnson, and his mother, Ata Johnson, who is of Samoan origin. While growing up, Dwayne Johnson lived with his mother’s family in New Zealand where he schooled at Richmond Road Primary School. Soon Johnson moved to the United States to be with his father who was constantly on the move as a result of his wrestling lifestyle. Johnson throughout the duration of his formative years lived in 38 of the 50 states in the US.

Johnson loved wrestling and his father, Rocky taught him some of his moves. Johnson once practised one of such moves, the sleeper hold move on a school buddy, who subsequently became unconscious. His father, Rocky had to revive the kid. His home was a sort of the venue for his school buddies who wanted to spar with Johnson. Johnson will mimic TV hosts and interview his fellow wrestlers, who were his school mates. There he got better at his showmanship where he made utterances meant to destabilize his opponent.

When he was 13 years old, his father took him to the gym. Johnson began exercising at the bench press. After a couple of times at the bench press, he went on to the unloaded bar, where he easily pushed 20-pounds. But he couldn’t push 45 pounds. This left him sad and thus spurred him to practice harder at the bench press. Though Johnson was disciplined in the gym, he still was a bit of a nuisance who got into fights and got arrested. In high school, Dwayne who already had a really intimidating figure got into fights which he won, leaving his opponents unconscious. He once intimidated a teacher with his physical structure after he used the teacher’s bathroom and was scolded by his teacher. The next day Johnson apologized to the teacher who was surprised and appreciated Johnson’s gestures and thus invited him to play football.

Dwayne Johnson Football Career

Johnson’s top performance in high school football earned him a scholarship. He played for the Miami Hurricanes but suffered numerous injuries and was thus replaced. After he graduated from the University of Miami in 1995, he went on to sign with Canadian Football League team,  Calgary Stampeders. He was removed from the team after just two months in the regular season.

Dwayne Johnson Professional Wrestling Career

United states wrestling association (uswa).

Following a dismal football career, Johnson decided to try wrestling out. He fought in tryout matches. He went on to fight in various house show fights. He went on to use the ring name Flex Kavana and won the USWA World Tag Team Championship.

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/WWE)

Johnson signed a contract with WWE and debuted in the WWE with Rocky Maivia as his ring name and was hyped as the first third-generation wrestler in the WWE. He was given the nickname The Blue Chipper. In November 1996, he debuted in the WWE in the Monday Night Raw as part of Marc Mero’s team.

In February 1997, he won the Intercontinental Championship, and thus went defended the title. Fans slowly began to turn against Johnson. In April 1997, Owen Hart claims his Intercontinental Championship belt. In August 1997, he lashed out at the spectators who booed him and refused to be called Rocky Maivia, but chose to go by ‘The Rock’. He then switched on to insulting the WWE organizers as well as fans. He went on to reclaim his international championship title. He defeated wrestler Farooq which sparked a feud between him and The Nation, whose leader was Farooq. He also had feuds would Triple H, which saw the two of them fight in a ladder match which he lost. The Rock had his eyes set on something big, the WWF title, which was vacant. He defeated Mankind to claim the title and had a fight against Mankind in the pay-per-view Rock Bottom: In Your House, which saw him narrowly defend his title. He eventually lost his title to Mankind. He went on to defeat Big Show to claim the WWF Championship, which was snatched from him by Stone Cold Steve Austin in the WrestleMania XV.

His popularity kept on growing. In 1999, he and Mankind teamed up to form The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection and won the WWF Tag Team Championship, which they eventually lost to Big Show and Undertaker. In January 2000, after he was defeated by Triple H, he eventually returned in top form to defeat his long time rival to claim the WWF Championship for the fourth time. In May, he lost the title to Triple H but rebounded back in June to claim the title for the fifth time. After a series of titles defence, he lost his title to Kurt Angle in October. In December he teamed up with Undertaker to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. His next championship win was the WCW championship, which he won for the first time in August 2001. He eventually lost his title to Chris Jericho and won the WWF Tag Team Championship with the latter. In November 2001, he lost his WWF Tag Team Championship but re-claimed his WCW title. He, however, was defeated by Chris Jericho.

In 2002, The Rock did not seal any significant title. Between 2003 to 2004, he fought in several fights which settled several feuds such as the WrestleMania XIX against Stone Cold Steve Austin. Following his contract expiration with the WWE in 2004, he went on into acting full time but appeared in WWE events such as the induction of his father into WWE Hall of Fame. In February 2011, The Rock appeared as the host of the WrestleMania XXVII and hurled insults at WWE wrestler, John Cena. With support from Miz and Riley, Cena attacked The Rock. When he came to restart the main wrestling bout, he helped Miz defeat Cena. The pair thus agreed to fight in the next edition of WrestleMania.

In November 2011, he and Cena formed a team to defeat the Awesome Truth team, made up of wrestlers, R-Truth and The Miz. In the WrestleMania XXVIII, The Rock prevailed over Cena. After several attempts to claim the WWE championship, he defeated CM Punk to win the championship in January 2013. In April 2013, John Cena defeated The Rock to win the WWE championship. The Rock who suffered injury could not challenge Cena for a rematch as a result of surgery to repair torn tendons.

The Rock also made several appearances in various WWE events not as a headliner but as a surprise appearance. He appeared in the WrestleMania 30 and the Royal Rumble in 2015. He subsequently continued to make periodic performance in the WrestleMania and other WWE events. In August 2019, he announced his retirement from wrestling, but appeared in the 20th Anniversary of the SmackDown in October, making his final appearance in the WWE so far.

Dwayne Johnson Acting Career

Since he debuted in acting in an episode of the ‘That Wrestling Show’ where he acted as his father, Johnson has gone on to feature in several movies. He featured in movies such as The Mummy Returns , Scorpion King , Walking Tall , So Cool and many more while wrestling. During his retirement from wrestling after 2004, he featured in more films and established a reputation for himself as an actor who brings to life struggling franchises such as G.I. Joe: Retaliation . The Fast & Furious 6 , which he featured in, generated $789 million.

In 2013, according to Forbes, Johnson’s movies generated as much as $1.3 billion. His Fast & Furious character, Hobbs has been replicated in several movies in terms of strength, will power and perseverance. In recent years, Johnson is known for his role in Jumanji: The Next Level , Central Intelligence , The Skyscraper and Rampage . In 2020, a movie he featured in titled, Jungle Cruise , will be released. The sequel of the blockbuster Fast & Furious franchise, Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga, in which fellow WWE wrestler, John Cena featured will be released in May 2020.

Dwayne Johnson Personal Life, Relationships & Trivia

Johnson got married to Dany Garcia in May 1997 and divorced her on amicable terms in June 2007. He and Garcia have one child. In August 2019, he got married to his long time girlfriend and mother of two of his children, Lauren Hashian, in Hawaii.

Johnson is a third-generation wrestler. His father Rocky Johnson, was a member of the first WWE black tag team champions. His mother who is of Samoa origin, is the daughter of Peter Maivia, a professional wrestler. In February 2020, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s daughter, Simon Johnson and his ex-wife Dany Garcia signed with the WWE and commenced training at the WWE Performance Center. Simon Johnson is well on her way to becoming the families fourth-generation wrestler.

In 2008, Johnson inducted his father and grandfather into the WWE Hall of Fame. On 16 January 2020, WWE in a statement said that Dwayne Johnson’s father, the WWE Hall of Famer, Rocky Johnson, passed away at the age of 72.

Johnson who is known for spending huge amounts of time at the gym is an American and Canadian citizen.

In 2004, late Malietoa Tanumafili II conferred to Johnson, the Seiuli, an acknowledgement of his Samoan descent.

SEE MORE: Biography facts and profile of famous professional wrestlers

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Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and His Impressive Wrestling Family Tree

The WWE champion turned Hollywood leading man is just one of many relatives who used the ring as a springboard to stardom.

As the popular wrestling personality "The Rock," Johnson famously feuded with wrestler Steve Austin and won the WWE Heavyweight title numerous times. His success in the ring eventually enabled him to transition to Hollywood action hero, but he's not the only one in his family to rise to WWE fame. The first third-generation Superstar in WWE history, Johnson is a member of a sprawling family of grapplers that includes numerous uncles and cousins and even his oldest daughter, Simone . Here are a few of the many relatives who have thrived in the arena of scripted combat, colorful costumes and outlandish stage personas:

'High Chief' Peter Maivia

The dynasty started with the tenure of Johnson's American Samoa-born grandfather, who began wrestling in the 1960s as Prince Peter Maivia before settling in as the " High Chief ." Showcasing his eye-catching tribal tattoos, Maivia became a champion and fan favorite in New Zealand, Hawaii and the mainland United States, until cancer ended his Hall of Fame career and claimed his life at age 45. While technically not part of the Anoa'i lineage that produced most of the wrestling stars of the family, Maivia was considered an extended member as a "blood brother" of its patriarch, Reverend Amituana'i Anoa'i.

The Wild Samoans

The sons of Amituana'i Anoa'i, Afa and Sika Anoa'i played their ethnicity to the hilt as The Wild Samoans , their "savage" behavior including displays in which they ate raw fish and bit opponents. They were also among the most formidable duos of their era, thrice claiming the World Tag Team championship over a three-year period in the early 1980s. The brothers began pursuing separate paths by the end of the decade, Sika pressing forward with a solo career and Afa focusing on managing and running his Wild Samoan Training Center, though they reunited for induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Pro Wrestling Hall in 2012.

Rocky 'Soul Man' Johnson

Rocky Johnson learned the tools of the trade under Maivia before marrying the High Chief's daughter, a union that brought him into the family and produced its most famous champion. But the muscular " Soul Man " was a star in his own right, pairing with Tony Atlas in the "Soul Patrol" to become the first Black tag team champions in the WWE. Johnson later trained his son and became part of the act that shaped his rise to prominence, Johnson repaying the efforts by inducting the Soul Man into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008.

Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka

Hailing from Fiji, Snuka entered into the Anoa'i family by way of marriage to his second wife, Sharon. He emerged as one of pro wrestling's biggest stars of the 1980s, his high-flying "Superfly Splash" countering the sheer mass of giants like Hulk Hogan , and later became a headliner in the Eastern Championship Wrestling organization. Snuka was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996 and saw his legacy continued by way of two offspring's entries into the world of pro wrestling, though he remained haunted by questions about his alleged involvement in a girlfriend's death until his own passing in 2017.

Despite descending from the same bloodlines as uncles Afa and Sika, Rodney Anoa'i styled himself as a Japanese sumo wrestler under the moniker of Yokozuna . But the results were otherwise the same, as the near 600-pound behemoth quickly pushed aside the biggest names in the sport en route to toppling Bret Hart and Hogan in title matches. Yokozuna also teamed with Owen Hart to become a two-time tag team champion, but the massive girth that made him a wrestling star also fueled a health-related descent, and the Hall of Famer died from a pulmonary edema at age 34.

Fatu/Rikishi

Another nephew and protege of the Wild Samoans, Solofa Fatu went by his last name in the early 1990s and teamed with cousin Samu to form the Headshrinkers. But he achieved greater heights of fame after resurfacing at the end of the decade as Rikishi , the bleached-blonde, 425-pound monster known for his alliance with the Too Cool duo and his delivery of the disgusting-as-it-sounds "Stinkface" move. For all the theatrics, Rikishi was a force to be reckoned with over a lengthy career that brought three tag team crowns and an intercontinental championship, leading to his own WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2015.

Jamal/Umaga

Following older brothers Rikishi and Tama into the ring, Eddie Fatu made a tepid entry to the WWE as Jamal, one-half of the 3-Minute Warning duo, before returning with a bang in 2006 as the terrifying Umaga. The 350-pound "Samoan Bulldozer" ran up an eight-month winning streak that culminated with a loss to champion John Cena , and he remained a top draw as he twice claimed the intercontinental championship. Sadly, the ride came to an end after Umaga failed a second drug test in 2009, leading to his release from the WWE, and he was dead a few months later from a heart attack.

Roman Reigns

The younger of Sika Anoa'i's two pro wrestling sons, Leati Anoa'i initially pursued a career in football that stalled after stints in the NFL and CFL. But he hit the ground running in the WWE as Roman Reigns, first as one of the three members of The Shield, before emerging as an individual superstar. Using his devastating "Superman punch," the agile 265-pounder has been crowned the WWE's United States, Intercontinental and Universal champion, among other accolades. And while he hasn't always earned a warm reception from audiences, Reigns turned more fans in his favor with his return in 2019 from a battle with leukemia.

Football also loomed large in the early lives of Rikishi's twin sons Jonathan and Joshua Fatu, who played together at the University of West Alabama. But they were ready when it came time to trade in the pads for tasseled costumes and tribal costumes, and they arrived in the WWE in 2010 under the respective names of Jimmy and Jey Uso. Initially billed as "heels" — wrestling's bad guys — the Usos rose in popularity thanks to energetic showings that included performances of the traditional Samoan Siva Tau war dance. They also joined cousins Johnson and Reigns as titleholders, becoming the first duo to win tag team crowns in both the Raw and Smackdown divisions.

Born in Australia to a cousin of the High Chief and a German mother, Savelina Fanene was drawn to basketball before becoming a plus-size model. However, all roads lead back to the family business, and she quickly worked her way up the WWE's development ladder to make a splash as Nia Jax in 2015. At 6 feet and 270-odd pounds, Jax has fulfilled her destiny as an overpowering force in the women's field and yet another champion of the family tree, claiming the Raw women's title in 2018 and a tag team triumph with Shayna Baszler in 2020.

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• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Biography

Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson Biography

May 2, 1972 • Hayward, California

Professional wrestler, actor

Although Dwayne Johnson is not a superhero out of a comic book, he does have an alter ego. By day he is a somewhat mild-mannered husband and father. But at night when he steps into the ring, he becomes the chair-flinging, wisecracking wrestler known as The Rock. In the late 1990s the charismatic Johnson, with his exotic good looks and signature eyebrow arch, helped make World Wrestling Smackdowns a part of must-see TV. By the mid-2000s, he had such a following that he was dividing his time between the mat and the big screen. Some observers felt that Hollywood had found its next big-budget action idol, and many predicted that Johnson would have no problem filling the shoes of America's favorite muscleman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was now busy in his new role as governor of California.

Third generation wrestler

Johnson is a third-generation wrestler. His mother's father, Peter "High Chief" Maivia, was a professional wrestler of Samoan descent whose heritage served as the basis for his ring persona. Samoa is an island nation located in the South Pacific, and Maivia played the part of an island native, wearing his hair long, wrestling barefoot, and sporting traditional tattoos over most of his body. While on the wrestling circuit he became acquainted with an up-and-coming African American wrestler named Rocky Johnson. During a visit with Maiva's family, Johnson met High Chief's daughter, Ata. The two eventually married, and on May 2, 1972, the couple had a son, whom they named Dwayne Douglas Johnson.

Johnson was born in Hayward, California, but he grew up all over the country, since the family moved around to accommodate Rocky Johnson's wrestling career. Because of the family's frequent moves, young Dwayne had a difficult time making friends. He was also teased by other children about his father's profession, and about his size—even as a youngster, Johnson was bigger than average. As a result, he had a quick temper, and as Johnson admitted to Samantha Miller of People, he was even arrested several times for fighting. "It was all youth and stupidity," he explained. In the mid-1980s, however, the Johnsons settled down long enough for Dwayne to begin attending Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where an interest in sports helped calm the young man down.

"My work, my goal, my life, it's like a treadmill. And there's no stop-button on my treadmill. Once I get on, I just keep going."

At Freedom High, Johnson boxed and ran track, but he pursued football with a vengeance, hoping to win a scholarship in order to become the first member of his family to go to college. He was a standout star, and by his senior year he was named to USA Today 's high school All-American team. Before graduation Johnson was recruited by several colleges, but he chose to head to Florida to attend the University of Miami, where he played defensive tackle. He soon became known for his talents on the gridiron, but was also known for his crazy antics. During one game against San Diego in 1992, millions of people watched on television as he raced around the field chasing the opponent's mascot, a man in a giant Aztec warrior costume.

Johnson's future in football looked bright until he suffered a back injury during his senior year. He was so depressed that he cut classes and his grade point average (GPA) dropped to a dangerously low 0.7. Not only was he sitting on the bench, he was also on academic probation. Johnson pulled himself together, thanks in part to his future wife, Dany Garcia, a business major he met while in Miami. Garcia encouraged him to hit the books, and in 1995 he graduated with a degree in criminology and a respectable 2.9 GPA.

Enter Rocky Maivia

Because of his injury, Johnson was not picked to play for the National Football League (NFL) during the 1995 draft, but he still pinned his hopes on a career in pro football. When he was offered a contract by the Calgary Stampeders, he signed on the dotted line and headed to Canada. Life in Canada was miserable. Johnson saw little field action and was paid less than $200 per week to be a practice-squad player. He rented a tiny, dingy apartment and slept on a mattress he found near a local dumpster. His salary left little room for food, so Johnson took to attending every Stampeder meeting, even though he didn't have to, because he knew sandwiches would be served. He was determined to stick it out, but in an abrupt move, Johnson was let go by the football franchise to make room for a former NFL player. "That was hard," he told Zondra Hughes of Ebony. "I was supposed to be reaping the fruits of my labor, and there I was in Canada having to start all over again."

Johnson returned to Florida where both his parents and Dany Garcia lived, and immediately approached his father with a proposal: he wanted to be trained as a wrestler. His decision was made partially out of necessity, but Johnson also had a real love of the sport. After all, he had seen his first wrestling match when he was three weeks old, and when he was six years old his father had taught him such basic moves as the headlock and the armlock. Rocky Johnson, however, had his doubts. He knew that the life of a wrestler was not an easy one and he wanted to spare his son the tough road he had walked. Rocky finally relented, and for the next few months kept the would-be sparrer on a grueling training schedule.

When he felt prepared enough, Johnson contacted a colleague of his grandfather's, who helped open the door for a tryout with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in Corpus Christi, Texas. Although promoters were impressed enough to sign a contract with him, Johnson still had to pay his initial dues by spending some time in Memphis, Tennessee, performing in the WWF second-tier system, the Unites States Wrestling Alliance. During the summer of 1996 Johnson wrestled in promotional matches using the name Flex Kavana, and earned about $40 per night. In August he was given his second professional tryout, this time pitted against a well-known wrestler named Owen Hart. He did so well that he was transferred to Connecticut where the WWF headquarters and training facility were located.

On November 16, 1996, just one year after hitting a low point in Canada, Johnson made his professional wrestling debut at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He performed under the name of Rocky Maivia, a nod to both his father and grandfather. The WWF event was called the Survivor's Series, and Johnson, as Rocky Maivia, was considered to be a "good guy" or, in wrestling terminology, a "babyface." His "bad guy" opponent, or the "heel" in the match, was Paul Levesque, more commonly known as Triple H.

The Rock is unveiled

Johnson quickly became a hit with wrestling crowds, and in February of 1997 he captured his first WWF championship, making him, at age twenty-four, the youngest wrestler to win a belt. But just a few months later Rocky was being booed during matches. Apparently the fickle audience members were becoming much more interested in rooting for the "bad guys," and in a business where image is everything, Johnson had some rethinking to do. In mid-1997, after suffering a knee injury, he took some time off to recuperate, to marry his longtime girlfriend Dany Garcia, and to strategize.

Wrestling in the late 1990s was not the world of wrestling Johnson's father had inhabited. In 1979 the regional federations that existed throughout the United States had been consolidated into a single organization known as the World Wrestling Federation, and by the mid-1980s pro wrestling had evolved from an athletic sport into a form of high-energy entertainment. Wrestlers now admitted that their moves were choreographed and that the outcomes of the matches were pre-determined. Wrestling had become big business, attracting millions of fans and earning millions of dollars for promoters and the main attractions, the wrestlers.

Johnson and WWF writers and producers worked long and hard to come up with just the right image for the handsome, six-foot-four-inch, 270-pound newcomer. What finally emerged was a character named The Rock, who would transform the world of wrestling. According to Johnson, who spoke with Sona Charaipotra of People, "The Rock is Dwayne Johnson with the volume turned all the way up." Wearing black boots, black briefs, and with a tattoo of a Brahma bull on his twenty-two-inch bicep, The Rock was touted as part of the Nation of Domination, a league of "bad boy" wrestlers. He also became a formidable force both inside and outside the ring, especially when he glared at opponents and the press with a menacing lift of his right eyebrow.

When The Rock was unveiled on August 11, 1997, in Jackson, Mississippi, the crowd went wild, and over the next several years fans stood in line to catch the next installment in his wrestling storyline. Producers pitted him against various characters in mock grudge matches, and The Rock won, then lost, then regained his federation championship several times. Along the way, Johnson became perhaps the most popular wrestler in the history of the sport. He was known as The People's Champion, and his signature eyebrow move even took on a name—The People's Eyebrow. In addition, The Rock became a merchandising gold mine. His image appeared on T-shirts, posters, and Halloween masks; and there were Rock action figures and video games. By the 2000s, according to Gillian Flynn of Entertainment Weekly, the WWF was bringing in $120 million in merchandise sales per year, thanks solely to Johnson.

Pins down the big screen

Johnson's appeal was not limited to wrestling fans, although he is credited with almost doubling the WWF's female fan base, thanks in large part to his movie-star good looks. He was so popular that in 2000, when he published his autobiography, The Rock Says, the book stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for an astonishing twenty weeks. Johnson drew record crowds at book signings, and began popping up on television, both to promote his book and to take on small acting roles. He made several appearances on the late-night comedy program Saturday Night Live, and was featured on such TV shows as DAG, Star Trek: Voyager, and That '70's Show. The next logical step was the big screen.

In 2001 Johnson appeared briefly in the summer blockbuster The Mummy Returns, for which he was paid, in Hollywood terms, a paltry $500,000. Although he was given only minutes of screen time, producers were impressed enough that they built a movie around Johnson's Mummy character, called The Scorpion King. The film, which was released in 2002, is an action-adventure movie set in ancient Egypt. Johnson plays Mathayus, a desert warrior who is determined to save his people from an evil conqueror named Memnon. If he succeeds, he will take his rightful place as the Scorpion King. Although the movie was definitely not high drama, considering that Johnson's character spent most of his time swinging a sword and slashing his enemies, the would-be actor took his role seriously. In fact, he worked closely with an acting coach throughout the shooting of the film.

When The Scorpion King hit theaters in April of 2002, it made more than $36 million during its opening weekend. Critics discussed the digitized action sequences and compared the movie to The Mummy, but most focused on Johnson and his million-dollar performance ($5 million, to be exact). In various reviews he was called a big-screen champ and the new face of Hollywood action. As Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly put it, "The Rock commands the screen as naturally as he does the ring."

The most electrifying man in sports

By the mid-2000s, Johnson was a full-fledged movie star. In 2004 he made his dramatic debut in Walking Tall, playing Chris Vaughn, a club-wielding sheriff who battles drug dealers and con artists who threaten to take over his peaceful Washington town. There were also several other movies in the pipeline, including two comedies, Be Cool (2004), a sequel to the 1995 hit Get Shorty, and Instant Karma, slated to open in 2005.

Although busy with his many film roles, Johnson still managed to maintain his hectic wrestling schedule. This meant that between filming he was still out on the road, performing and promoting for more than two hundred days a year. Such a demanding schedule was hard on family life, especially considering that Johnson and Dany had their first child, daughter Simone Alexandra, in 2001. Even on the road, however, Johnson claims that he finds the time to call Dany every day, and he still retains close ties to his mother. As Hughes commented, "The Rock is a mama's boy." But The Rock is also a very determined man who has pumped-up plans for the future. As he told Hughes, "I want to do more in the WWF. I want to do more in the movie industry. Ultimately, I want to be the most electrifying man in sports entertainment, period."

For More Information

Johnson, Dwayne, with Joe Layden. The Rock Says … The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment. New York: Regan Books, 2000.

Periodicals

Charaipotra, Sona. "The Rock Sounds Off." People (April 19, 2004): p. 30.

Flynn, Gillian. "Rock of Ages: Wrestler, Actor, Action Hero?" Entertainment Weekly (May 3, 2002): pp. 10–12.

Gleiberman, Owen. "Rock Formation: The Scorpion King, a Bare-Bones Prequel to the Mummy Movies, Gives The Rock a Solid Step toward Stardom." Entertainment Weekly (April 26, 2003): pp. 117–118.

Gostin, Nicki. "Newsmakers: Interview with The Rock." Newsweek (April 12, 2004): p. 71.

Hughes, Zondra. "The Rock Talks about Race, Wrestling, and Women." Ebony (July 2001): p. 32.

Leyner, Mark. "The Rock is an Onion." Time (April 29, 2002): p. 81.

Miller, Samantha. "Bigger, Boulder: Scorpion King's The Rock, a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson, Wrestles with Fatherhood, Fame—and Flab?." People (May 6, 2002): pp. 109+.

The Rock Official Web site. http://www.therock.com (accessed on July 6, 2004).

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How Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson went from WWE wrestler to Hollywood's box-office champ

After the global box-office success of "Furious 7," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson returns to theaters this weekend in "San Andreas," another high-octane adrenaline rush which sees Johnson saving lives as a first responder at the expense of the largest earthquake of all time.

Though the film has been getting mixed reviews , estimates are predicting the film will have an opening north of $40 million .

Sinc e 2002's "The Scorpion King," The Rock has become a box-office king proving he could win over audiences as a single dad in "Tooth Fairy" or as a heavy-hitting action star in "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," and the "Fast and Furious" saga. His movies combined have made over $5.2 billion worldwide . 

But before he was rocking the box office, he was just a wrestler, best known for his signature move "The People's Elbow."

Frank Pallotta and Mallory Schlossberg contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Before he was "The Rock," Dwayne Johnson was born May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California.

Source: Biography

Wrestling is in Johnson's blood. His father, Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson, was a member of the first African-American tag-team champions and his grandfather, Peter Maivia, was one of the first Samoan wrestlers.

Source: YouTube

Johnson didn't go straight to wrestling. His first sport was football. After starring in high school he played in college for the Miami Hurricanes. Over his tenure at the school, Johnson started just once but appeared in 39 games and had 77 tackles, and he was a part of the 1991 national championship team.

Source: ESPN

The University of Miami was also where he met first wife, Dany Garcia. The two separated after 10 years but have stayed close. "Since our divorce, we've become pretty good at working together, and we are also raising our beautiful 11-year-old daughter, Simone," Johnson has said.

Source: Huffington Post

If it wasn't for serious injuries to both his shoulders and back, Johnson could have perhaps continued his football career in the NFL.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter  

Instead he ended up playing in the Canadian Football League, making just $250 a week and eventually getting cut. "The dreams I had, they're dashed," he recalled later. "There is no more football. My relationship was crushed. That was my absolute worst time."

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

After Johnson stepped away from football, he looked into the family business of wrestling. After spending time in the WWE's minor leagues, he debuted on TV at the 1996 Survivor Series. His wrestling name was "Rocky Maivia," which combined the names of his father and grandfather.

The first third-generation wrestler in WWE history, Johnson is considered by many to be one of the greatest to ever enter the ring.

Source:  WWE ,  Bleacher Report

During his many years at the WWE, Johnson created and became known for signature moves like "The People's Elbow" and "The Rock Bottom."

Johnson proved his prowess in the ring by winning the WWE heavyweight title six times and securing the tag-team title five times.

His popularity as a wrestler put Johnson on Hollywood's radar. This included getting a call from New York about hosting "Saturday Night Live." After he was asked to host, Johnson says, "I fell out of my chair."

Source: YouTube ,  YouTube

The wrestler's stint on "SNL" (as seen below playing the monkey-human hybrid Papa Peepers) was a ratings success. Most importantly, the gig showed Hollywood that Johnson wasn't just another wrestler — he could really act.

Johnson made his feature film debut in 2001's "The Mummy Returns," playing a villainous ruler. He reprised the role in "The Scorpion King." He made $5.5 million, the most any actor has made for a first leading role.

Source: MTV

Despite the large paycheck, it wasn't until "The Rundown" in 2003 people began to see Johnson as a legitimate action hero. "The Rock has a flair for action and comedy," Rolling Stone wrote. "He's a real movie star."

Source: Rolling Stone

The film also included a brief cameo by Arnold Schwarzenegger, which many critics like Roger Ebert saw as the passing of the action-movie torch. "Whether The Rock will rival Schwarzenegger's long run as an action hero is hard to say," Ebert wrote. "But on the basis of 'The Rundown,' he has a good chance."

Source: Roger Ebert.com

As Johnson's film career began to take off, he dropped "The Rock" from his name. "'The Rock' was a name, a character I created in TV," he said. "When I made the transition into film, I knew eventually I was going to be billed as my given name."

Source:  Los Angeles Times

He showed his range by acting in family films like 2007's "The Game Plan" and comedies like "The Other Guys" in 2010. "I felt there were bigger and better opportunities," Johnson said. "I also felt there was franchise potential, hopefully multiple franchises in every genre — whether drama or comedy or action-comedy."

Johnson finally found his franchise when he appeared in the fifth installment of the popular "Fast and the Furious" series, "Fast Five," alongside Vin Diesel. "I’ve known Vin for a long time and we’ve always talked about doing something together," Johnson said. "This felt like the right opportunity to create a formidable adversary for him."

Source: Screenrant

"Fast Five" was also an opportunity for Johnson to work again with Universal, the studio where he started his career. "They were the first studio to believe in me when I was making the transition ... into acting and helping me create opportunities," Johnson said.

Source: Collider

The film went on to make $676 million worldwide. Johnson appeared in 2013's sequel "Fast & Furious 6," and he is set to reprised his role again in this spring's "Furious 7,” which is now one of four films to make over $1.5 billion.

Source: Box Office Mojo

Since then Johnson has appeared in two more sequels, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" and "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island."

Throughout Johnson's career, the one thing separating him from many is his work ethic. The actor put on "12 to 15 pounds of muscle" for 2013's "Pain and Gain." Between himself and costar Mark Wahlberg, the actors were eating 17 meals a day.

Source: Yahoo  

In a recent interview with "Muscle and Fitness" magazine, Johnson explained his current diet consists of seven meals a day — four of which consist of cod.

Source: Muscle and Fitness

Even though Johnson's acting career is going strong, he has returned to the ring for events like Wrestlemania. "I'm back, not for money, not because I like being on the road, but because I love the business," he said.

Source:  Huffington Post

One of these events was WWE's Royal Rumble. Johnson had teased that he was going to appear at the event, and then he showed up in the middle of a wrestling match to help Roman Reigns win the prize.

Sources: The Independent , Twitter ,  WWE

Johnson's next big film out this weekend is earthquake movie, "San Andreas," in which he plays a first responder. The film has been referred to as "the West Coast version of 'The Day After Tomorrow.'"

Source: Entertainment Weekly

In addition, Johnson will take his talents to TV with coming HBO series "Ballers," which will follow current and retired football players. Johnson will definitely empathize with these characters, given his initial football career.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Now that you've seen Dwayne Johnson's career trajectory ...

Check out the career of another Hollywood tough guy, Mark Wahlberg >

• Main content

Dwayne Johnson Biography: The Rock of Success

He is the most bankable star in Hollywood – an action hero with a massive, ripped physique who has impeccable comedic timing and a never ending supply of charm. He is also one of the greatest wrestling superstars to ever emerge from the stables of the WWE and the only third generation wrestling star in history. The story of Dwayne Johnson – the Rock – is a tale of dedication, grit and old fashioned hard work. In this week’s Biographics we chart the rise and rise of 2016’s Sexiest Man Alive – Dwayne Johnson.

Formative Years

Dwayne Douglas Johnson was born on May 2nd, 1972 in Hayward County, California. His mother Ata was of Samoan origin, while his father, Wayde, was a Black Nova Scotia. Wayde earned his living as a professional wrestler under the name of ‘Rocky Johnson’. To further entrench the wrestling gene in his blood, Dwayne’s material grandfather had also been a professional wrestler. Promoted as High Chief Peter Maivia, he was the first Samoan wrestler to break into the big time. A generation later, Rocky became the first black champion to conquer the state wrestling scene.

Rocky hustled as a wrestler, taking on bouts wherever he could in order to support his family. Times were tough with the family moving from state to state to keep pace with the wrestling venues. In fact, during Dwayne’s formative years, the family of three lived in 38 of the 50 states as they became entrenched in the gypsy wrestling lifestyle.

The only time Dwayne got to see his dad was when he went on the road with him. He cherished these times and quickly fell in love with everything to do with professional wrestling. His dad taught him some basic moves, including the sleeper hold. When he was eleven, Dwayne was ‘playing’ wrestling one school lunchtime when he put the sleeper hold on a schoolmate. The kid immediately passed out. Unfortunately, Rocky hadn’t shown his son how to bring someone out of the sleeper hold. The ambulance and the police were called and Rocky had to come down to revive the student.

The Johnson house became a hangout for Dwayne’s school-mates, who knew that they were going to have to go several rounds with their host. Dwayne would turn these events into mock TV shows, where he would pretend to interview the wrestlers. He would even interview himself as he portrayed the bad guy. His showmanship was immediately evident as he came out with all sorts of outrageous pronouncements against his intended victims.

Dwayne excelled in a number of sports. Physically he was miles ahead of his classmates. He had his first weights workout when he was thirteen, but he’d been tagging along with his dad to the gym since he was 5 years old. As he sat quietly on a bench and watched proudly as Rocky pounded out set after set with gargantuan weights, Dwayne breathed in the gym atmosphere and marveled at the sight of huge men doing seemingly impossible things with massive loads of iron.

While other dads took their kids to the playground, Rocky took Dwayne to some of the most hardcore gyms in the country. It was here that the future superstar learned that there was no replacement for pure, gut wrenching hard work.

A Love Affair with Iron is Born

At the age of eight, Rocky allowed Dwayne to participate in sports. He tried baseball, soccer, martial arts and gymnastics. What he was really longing to do was to start lifting weights, but he’d have to wait a few more years for that. Finally, on his 13th birthday, his dad took him to a local gym for his first ever weights workout. An obvious place to start was the bench press, which he’d studied for years as his dad and others pressed massive amounts of steel from their chest.

Rocky had his son start with an unloaded bar. He pumped out 10 reps with no problem, so Rocky added a 20-pound plate to each end. This time Dwayne pushed out 8 easy reps. Impressed, Rocky asked his son if he wanted to try the 45 pounders. Dwayne nodded his head. His dad stood behind him and lifted the bar off the supports – and Dwayne got buried under the 135-pound weight.

He felt embarrassed and ashamed – as if he had let his dad down. That feeling fuelled an intense desire to get better at the bench press and within a few years he would be bench pressing 400 pounds.

Between the ages of 14 and 15, Dwayne excelled in the gym. By the time he entered high school he had grown to a towering 6 foot 3 inches and tipped the scales at 225 pounds. His imposing physicality gave him a great deal of self-confidence, which sometimes bordered on arrogance. Eve though he had developed a healthy dose of self-discipline in the gym, his unstable home life, that saw his father constantly travelling, left him directionless when he wasn’t pounding the weights. As a result, he started getting into trouble. It came to a head when he was fifteen and got arrested for check fraud. His parents had to come to collect him from the place station. When he looked at his mother and father he realized that, despite living from paycheck to paycheck, he was the biggest source of stress in their lives. In that moment he vowed that he would never cause problems for his folks again.

Although that was the last time Dwayne got arrested, it wasn’t the last time he caused worry for Rocky and Ata. In fact, the very next day at school he got into a fight and knocked the other kid out. It earned him a two-week suspension. Upon returning to school he decided that the student’s bathroom was not good enough for him and so he decided to use the teacher’s one. When asked to leave he was rude to the teacher and tried to intimidate him with his physical presence.

That night Dwayne felt pangs of guilt at the way he had treated the teacher. So, the next day, he marched into the teacher’s class and holding out his hand, said that he wanted to apologise for the way he had acted the day before. The teacher stared at Dwayne’s hand for a moment then grabbed it and told Dwayne that he appreciated the apology. Then, still holding the boy’s hand, he said. “I want you to play football for me.”

Football Star

Football proved to be a positive outlet for Dwayne’s frustrations and aggressions, providing him with a renewed sense of focus. Under the watchful eye of coach Jody Cwick, he steadily improved, both as a student and as an athlete. By the time he was a high school senior he was ranked as one of the top 10 defensive tackles in the country and was offered a scholarship to the University of Miami, the No.1 college team in the United States.

At Miami, Dwayne’s combination of size, strength and athleticism coupled with his strong work ethic made him a standout from the very beginning. Practices were going great and he was primed to be the only freshman to play on the Varsity team. But then tragedy struck.

On the last day of practice with pads, he crashed to the ground under the full weight of his shoulder. It was dislocated and a number of ligaments were torn. That night he had reconstruction surgery and was told that he’d need a year to recover. He was put before the season had even begun.

“Success isn’t always about ‘Greatness’, it’s about consistency. Consistent, hard work gains success. Greatness will come.”

Dwayne fell into a deep depression, not even bothering to go to class. Then, without even attempting any of his mid-terms, he hopped on a flight and returned home, which at that time was in Tampa, Florida. After a couple of weeks he got a call from Miami’s head coach, Dennis Erickson. He told Dwayne that he wanted him back at school in two days. He wanted to talk to him.

When they met up, Erickson was furious with Johnson. He told him that he had embarrassed himself and the team. Erickson had trusted him with a position of responsibility and leadership and he had completely let him down. Erickson then placed Dwayne under academic probation. He was to attend every class, every practice and every game – sitting on the sideline. However, to get into daily practice he had to get the signatures of every one of his professors attesting that he had been to class that day. If he didn’t, he would lose his scholarship.

Dwayne dug deep and did what had to be done. He eventually became academic captain and in his junior year was pre-season All-American. He graduated from Miami University in 1995 with a Bachelor of General Studies in criminology and physiology.

It was at the University of Miami that Dwayne met Dany Garcia, his future wife. They were married in 1997 and divorced 10 years later.

After a year’s injury recovery, Dwayne wasn’t quite a fast or as mobile on the football field. He was circuit from the team and replaced by Warren Sapp.

After graduation from Miami Dwayne went to Calgary, Canada as a practice squad player for the Stampeders. Things were tough for him in Canada. He had hardly any money and few prospects. But things got worse when he was cut from the Stampeders squad after just two months.

A Wrestler Like His Dad

Arriving back at his parents’ tiny apartment in Tampa, Dwayne was now at rock bottom. His football career was effectively over. He needed to look in another direction. He dug deep and realized that all of his life his passion had been professional wrestling. If he never turned his hand to it, he would forever be unfulfilled. And if he was going to step into that world, now was the time.

His mother and girlfriend encouraged him to go for it, but Dwayne’s dad had major reservations. Rocky knew firsthand just how tough the life of a wrestler was and he wanted more for his son. Yet, he vowed to stand behind his son, so long as he put 11% effort into becoming successful.

Rocky now became Dwayne’s full-time wrestling coach. From the start, though, he taught him much more than wrestling moves. He taught him how to be a showman. After a few months of intensive work, Rocky felt his son was ready to take the next step. He got in touch with a former wrestler named Pat Patterson who was now a talent agent. Patterson came to check out what Dwayne looked like in the ring. Impressed he arranged for a signing with the WWE. Dwayne was put into the minor leagues and was given the name ‘Rocky Maivia’ in homage to both his father and grandfather. He started wrestling in small arenas for $20 a pop, but it didn’t take long before he got his break.

The 1996 WWE Survivor series was televised live on TV from Madison Square Garden – and the new kid on the block was ‘Rocky Maivia.’ He made an immediate impression, establishing himself as a rising WWE star by becoming the last man standing. Rocky Maivia took on a charismatic, in your face persona which proved to be too loud and arrogant for many die-hard WWE fans. His character was rejected for being too tacky and fans came to see Rocky Maivia as an extremely unlikable character. When he wrestled the stadium would be littered with signs reading ‘Rocky Sucks’ and ‘Die Rocky, Die.’ But his perseverance and the constant refining of his character eventually won the fans over.

Fans came to appreciate that Rocky’s narcissism was tongue in cheek, much in the mold of Muhammad Ali and they began to enjoy his over the top sense of humor. When he shortened his name to ‘The Rock’, the fans embraced it and, within a year, he had transformed the wrestler everyone loved to hate to the ‘people’s champ.’

Dominating the WWE

Throughout 1997 and 1998 the Rock had ongoing battles with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H and Mankind. Throughout 1999 the WWF championship belt passed between The Rock and Mankind several times during a series of epic encounters. Then towards the end of ‘99, the two teamed up to become the Rock ‘n Sock Connection and going on to win the tag team championship three times. The Rock and Mankind also performed comedy skits on WWE live telecasts. One of them was a take-off of This is Your Life in which Mankind interviewed people from the Rock’s past. The segment drew an 8.4 Nielsen rating, one of the highest ever for a WWE segment.

“Blood, Sweat and Respect. First Two You Give, Last One You Earn”

In 2001, the Rock was suspended indefinitely during the airing of Raw is War. He used the suspension as an opportunity to move into the acting arena. Still, he would return again and again to the wrestling ring. In 2011 he was the host of Wrestlemania 2011. He spent a large part of the promo build up  insulting and taunting John Cena, who he had already been calling out on social media. A feud developed between the two which continued for another two years.

When he finally stepped away from the wrestling ring in 2016 The Rock had established himself as one of the great pro wrestlers of all time. Hulk Hogan, himself a dominating WWE figure, referred to him as ‘the biggest superstar in the business’, a sentiment which was echoed by John Cena. One of his many catch-phrases, ‘lay the smackdown’, inspired the title of television’s second longest running TV series, Smackdown!

The Rock has also entrenched himself in the WWE record books. He was the first wrestler to win the WWF / WWE championship seven times. And his intercontinental championship reign of 265 days is the longest in the modern era.

A New Career Beckons

Dwayne’s huge popularity as a WWE character allowed him to cross over into mainstream media. His first acting job was in a 1999 episode of That 70’s Show in which played his own father. In 2000, he appeared in Star Trek: Voyager as an alien wrestler. His first movie appearance was a small role in 2001’s The Mummy Returns. The movie was a smash hit, leading to a reprisal of his role, this time as the lead, in The Scorpion King. Johnson was paid $5.5 million for the role, earning him a spot in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest paid actor in a debut, despite it actually being his second movie.

The Scorpion King established Johnson as a bona fide star. With his comedic talents clearly established through his wrestling career, his next film, the action comedy The Rundown was a natural next step. This was followed up with a remake of the true story of kick-ass sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall. This role cemented Johnson’s position as the ultimate hard as nails action hero with a heart of gold.

Over the next few years, Dwayne skipped between comedies and action movies with such films as Be Cool, Doom, Tooth Fairy (a film which was originally written for one of the Rock’s heroes, Arnold Schwarzenegger) and The Fast and The Furious franchise. His debut in Fast and Furious came in the fifth movie, after fans demanded to see a showdown between Johnson and Vin Diesel. The movie was the most successful in the entire franchise, making more than $86 million on its opening weekend. This remains the biggest opening for any Johnson movie.

Dwayne has interspersed his movie roles with appearances on a number of TV shows, many of them aimed at a pre-teen audience. He appeared in episodes of Cory in the House and The Wizards of Waverly Place and was the host of the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards in 2009. That year he also appeared several times on Saturday Night Live where he introduced his Rock Obama character, a morphing of President Obama with the Incredible Hulk.

By the end of the 2000’s, Johnson had developed a reputation as a bankable star who could not only carry a new movie, but also had a proven record of being able to revive franchises that were getting tired. He became known as a very busy actor, with at least a couple of new movies coming out each year.

In 2013, Johnson starred in a couple of true life-based movie, Pain and Gain and Empire State. He also announced that year that he was to executive produce and star in an HBO TV series set in the world of professional football called Ballers. In December, 2013, Forbes magazine named Johnson as the highest paid actor of the year, with earnings of $1.3 billion.

“I Like To Use The Hard Times in The Past, To Motivate Me Today”

Ballers, which debuted on HBO in June 2015, proved to be a huge success. Johnson, who plays Spencer Strathmore, a retired NFL player who has gone on to a career as a financial planner for current NFL players, received props for his charm and depth. As of 2018, the show is into its fourth season.

In 2014, Johnson played the title character in Hercules. For this role he stepped up his already grueling workout and nutrition protocol in order to get as impressively muscular as possible. He followed this up with the huge disaster hit San Andreas, before switching back to comedy with Central Intelligence, alongside Kevin Hart.

2016 saw Johnson teaming with Zac Efron for a feature movie version of the classic beach and babes TV series Baywatch. The two hulky actors created a lot of pre-release buzz with their epic beach workouts in which Johnson would present Efron with gut-busting physical challenges. The movie, however, was a box office disappointment.

Johnson finished out 2016 by learning that he had been voted People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.

The next big project was a remake of the Robin Williams classic Jumanji. Johnson, along with co-stars Jack Black and Kevin Hart, brought a new, updated angle to the story that resonated with fans. The movie has so far brought in $829 million on a $90 million budget.

The Rock’s Anchor

Throughout his life Dwayne has had one constant that has kept him grounded and which he credits as the basis of everything that he has achieved; the gym. From those earliest days when he would sit and watch his father dominate the weights in the 1970’s, the sights, smells and sounds of working out became an integral part of his being.

Dwayne’s workout intensity and dedication have been an inspiration to millions. He hits the gym at 4 o’clock every morning, training for up to 2 hours with heavy basic compound moves, interspersed with cardio to keep his body fat percentage into the single digits. He is a favorite with the bodybuilding community, appearing as a guest host at the 2016 Mr. Olympia competition.

Since 2014, Dwayne has been living in Southwest Ranches in Florida. His first child, Simone, was born in 2001, while he was still married to her mother, Dany. In 2015 his second daughter, Jasmine was born to his girlfriend of 9 years, Lauren Hashian.

Dwayne Johnson has risen from humble beginnings to establish himself as the most bankable movie star of the 21st century. In the process he has brought back to mainstream entertainment the sort of alpha male persona that has been so absent for so long. He has become the people’s champion once again.

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Dwayne Johnson looks unrecognizable as he transforms into MMA icon in ‘The Smashing Machine’

Dwayne Johnson is nearly unrecognizable in the first look at his upcoming A24 drama “The Smashing Machine,” directed by Benny Safdie and co-starring his “Jungle Cruise” screen partner Emily Blunt.

The film casts Johnson as legendary MMA fighter Mark Kerr, who struggled with addiction and his marriage while becoming an icon of the sport. Blunt is starring as Dawn Staples, Kerr’s wife. The film is currently in production.

While Johnson looks typically ripped as Kerr in “The Smashing Machine” first look, he also appears to be sporting some facial prosthetics to help him transform into the MMA legend.

Kerr was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion and World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner. Over the course of his career, he won over two dozen MMA titles.

“The Smashing Machine” marks the solo feature directorial debut of Safdie, who collaborated with his brother Josh on A24’s indie hits such as “Good Time” and “Uncut Gems.”

Benny acted alongside Blunt in Christopher Nolan’s “Opppenheimer.”

Johnson and Safdie first connected on the project in 2019 but fell out of touch and put the film on hold due to the pandemic.

Years later, Johnson and Blunt were on the phone when Blunt revealed she had just watched the 2002 documentary “The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr” and encouraged Johnson: “You  must  make this movie.”

Johnson  previously told  Variety  that he was partially attracted to “The Smashing Machine” because “Benny wants to create, and continues to push the envelope when it comes to stories that are raw and real, characters that are authentic and at times uncomfortable and arresting.

“I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past. I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.”

Johnson and Dany Garcia’s Seven Bucks Productions are producing the film alongside Safdie’s Out for the Count banner, Eli Bush and David Koplan.

A24 has not yet announced a release date for “The Smashing Machine.”

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Dwayne Johnson's Unrecognizable Transformation Into A UFC Fighter Revealed In The Smashing Machine Image

• Dwayne Johnson undergoes a dramatic transformation to portray former UFC fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine .
• Johnson physically prepares for the role by showcasing his wrestling skills in a recent training post.
• The Smashing Machine marks a significant shift for both Johnson and director Benny Safdie into a more dramatic genre.

A first-look image for The Smashing Machine reveals a nearly unrecognizable Dwayne Johnson in the lead role. In the upcoming A24 film, Johnson plays former UFC fighter Mark Kerr, in a movie that explores his life and wrestling career. The biopic is directed by Benny Safdie, who is best known for directing films with his brother Josh Safdie, including Uncut Gems and Good Time .

Now, a new image from A24 shows Johnson in the ring for the role. According to A24’s post, the photo is a “ First look at Benny Safdie’s THE SMASHING MACHINE starring @TheRock and Emily Blunt. ”

The image is shot from a distance, with the camera placed outside the ropes of a boxing ring. Johnson, shirtless, sits in the ring. The Rock appears to be in peak shape for the role , sporting gigantic, toned muscles. In the shot, it looks like Mark Kerr is being approached by his coaches. Johnson sports a head of dark hair, and his skin is glowing with what is likely sweat. Though the image is clearly Johnson, he is almost hard to recognize in this shot given this extreme transformation.

The Smashing Machine Is A Career Shift (& Not Just for Johnson)

Johnson is primarily known as an action star.

The Smashing Machine is an opportunity for Benny Safdie to establish his own voice.

This image from The Smashing Machine comes after a recent training post from Johnson , showing his preparation for the role. In the video, Johnson was seen throwing punches and practicing pinning people down in the ring. Though the actor got his start in entertainment through wrestling, Johnson still claimed that The Smashing Machine was one of his hardest challenges yet . He expressed excitement towards audiences getting to see the journey he will go on.

Looking at Johnson’s career , The Smashing Machine does represent a massive shift into a dramatic role. Since going into acting, the majority of his parts have been in goofy comedies and action films, or films that may overlap the two. To Hollywood audiences, Johnson has been a bumbling father in The Game Plan , the voice of a charismatic demigod in Moana , or the action star of Black Adam , not a struggling MMA fighter grappling with hardship in his career. As a result, Johnson will have to create a new image of himself in The Smashing Machine .

The Rocks 8 Funniest Movie Scenes, Ranked

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is known for his action roles, but he also displays comedic talent, showcasing impeccable timing alongside his physicality.

Johnson is not the only one stepping out of his comfort zone for The Smashing Machine . The A24 film will also be Safdie’s first solo directorial effort after his notable break with brother and once-directing partner Josh Safdie with whom he was known as the Safdie Brothers . The Smashing Machine is an opportunity for Benny Safdie to establish his own voice.

The Smashing Machine is expected to release in 2025.

Source: A24

The Smashing Machine

The Smashing Machine is a biographical sports drama by director Benny Safdie. Dwayne Johnson stars as MMA fighter Mark Kerr and will explore his life and career in the mixed martial arts circuit.

Director Benny Safdie

Studio(s) Out for the Count, Seven Bucks Productions

Distributor(s) A24

Cast Dwayne Johnson

Rating Not Yet Rated

Genres Biography, Drama, Sports

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is unrecognizable following transformation for new project — see photo

The former wwe champ is stepping into his latest role with a newly oscar-nominated actress.

The first look at A24's The Smashing Machine , a biopic on the life of former UFC/MMA champion Mark Kerr, has arrived with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in the lead role. It is based on the 2002 HBO documentary of the same name.

The 52-year-old former WWE star turned actor-cum-entrpreneur plays the role of Mark Kerr, who was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, and a PRIDE FC competitor.

The studio has released a first look at the project with a still from the film in which The Rock is seen sitting by the side of the ring, being pumped up by his trainer.

While he's in the background, the foreground is being taken up by a pair of legs in white sparkly heels, presumably belonging to the film's female lead, Oppenheimer and The Fall Guy star Emily Blunt .

The actors reunite after their turn together in 2021's Jungle Cruise , with The Rock sporting a brand new look for the film, covering up his distinctive tattoos and sporting a full head of black hair, with the subtle transformations completely diverging from his usually identifiable screen persona.

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The film has just started production and will be helmed by Uncut Gems and Heaven Knows What director Benny Safdie, who also acted alongside Emily in last year's Oppenheimer .

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Fans were stunned with the film's first look, leaving social media responses like: "Is that you, Rock? Nice work by the prosthetics and makeup team," and: "That's some crazy transformation!!! Wow," as well as: "Rock looks cool with hair."

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The actor has been sharing several videos from his training sessions for the role, including a recent one where he was joined by Mark himself, showing his gratitude for the former fighter and the legacy he'd created.

"My training camp became complete when the man himself, Mark Kerr trained with us," The Rock captioned his latest post. "He's still a [expletive] machine, that can close the distance with scary speed and power." 

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"I'll forever be grateful to the core for his invaluable knowledge he's been gracious enough to pass onto me and especially for the brotherhood we share. Locking up with Mark, and feeling his press and power – it's no surprise he was an NCAA, UFC & VALE TUDO Heavyweight Champion."

He added: "That's the A side to success. The B side tells a whole other story. Thank you everyone for all your incredible support thru this intense process and journey. Production begins filming this week."

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The film concerns Mark's rise and fall in his career specifically in the year 2000, documenting his struggles with addiction and relationships while emerging as a champion in the ring. Emily plays his wife Dawn Staples who tries to find her own place in his life.

The Moana actor also documented his journey to the Cannes Film Festival, where he will be possibly meeting with potential buyers for the A24 project alongside Benny, who wrote the script for The Smashing Machine as well. While a release date has not yet been announced, it is expected to arrive in 2025.

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