Dwayne Douglas Johnson is an American actor, former football player, and professional wrestler.
Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known by his wrestling nickname, The Rock, was born on May 2, 1972 in Hayward City, California. He is the son of Ata Johnson and Rocky Johnson (Wayde Douglas Bowles) who was also a professional wrestler.
Johnson spent his childhood in New Zealand due to the travels of his professional wrestler father, then he returned to America with his family during high school.
While he was in high school, he signed up for the school’s football team and quickly became one of the team’s best players. In 1991, he joined the Miami Hurricanes’ first team as a defenseman. Johnson, who was also attending school at the same time, graduated from Miami University, Department of Psychology in 1995.
He won the NCAA national championship with the University of Miami in 1991 and graduated in 1995. When NFL teams did not select him, he signed with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League, but was released after two months. Johnson decided to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather Peter Maivia and his father Rocky Johnson by becoming a professional wrestler. He gained fame in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), now known as WWE, from 1996 to 2004.
He became the first wrestler in history to achieve stardom after both his grandfather and father. Two years after joining WWF, he won the WWF Championship. His interviews and promotions made him one of the most popular wrestlers in the company’s history.
During his youth, Johnson had the opportunity to interact with some of wrestling’s biggest stars, from Andre the Giant to Hossein “The Iron Sheik” Vaziri. These individuals were friends and colleagues of his father and frequent travel companions for the family, allowing Johnson to learn from the top wrestlers in the industry.
After making his WWE debut in 1996 under the name Rocky Maivia, back when it was still known as the World Wrestling Federation, Johnson initially faced challenges in establishing himself as a professional wrestler. Audiences didn’t connect with the uninspiring hero character of Maivia, which emphasized Johnson’s heritage but lacked a distinctive personality.
“The Rock” has a total of 16 WWF/E championships, including nine WWE World Heavyweight Championships (WWF/E Championship and WCW/World Heavyweight Championship), two WWF Intercontinental Championships, and WWF Tag Team Championship. He is also the sixth WWF/E Triple Crown Champion and the winner of Royal Rumble 2000. He left wrestling in 2004 to pursue an acting career but returned to WWE in 2011. The Rock agreed to wrestle John Cena at WrestleMania 28. They also teamed up at Survivor Series 2011, facing The Miz and R-Truth.
Johnson’s autobiography, “The Rock Says,” written by Joe Layden, was published in 2000 and debuted at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list, staying there for several weeks.
In 2001, “The Rock” played the antagonist in the sequel to the popular film The Mummy, portraying a character called The Scorpion King. Although the role was minor, it was memorable enough to warrant a standalone film in 2002.
The spin-off movie, directed by Chuck Russell and featuring Kelly Hu and Michael Clarke Duncan, had a modest budget of $60 million but grossed $180 million at the box office. This film was a significant milestone for Johnson as it marked his first leading role, demonstrating his ability to draw audiences from both the wrestling and non-wrestling communities.
Johnson’s first major acting role was in 2002’s The Scorpion King, for which he earned $5,500,000, the highest salary for a debut role at the time.
Between 2003 and 2010, Johnson starred in 13 films, many of which were moderately successful. Notable highlights included Gridiron Gang and Walking Tall. He also ventured into experimental projects that showcased his acting talent as well as his physical prowess. These included roles in films like Doom, a big-screen adaptation of the popular video game, and Southland Tales, an ambitious film by Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly.
“The Rock” has since appeared in many blockbuster films, including The Rundown, Be Cool, Walking Tall, Gridiron Gang, The Game Plan, Get Smart, Race to Witch Mountain, Planet 51, Tooth Fairy, Doom, Why Did I Get Married Too?, The Other Guys, and Faster. He joined the Fast and Furious franchise as Luke Hobbs in the fifth film and became a regular cast member. Johnson, now a sought-after action film star, appeared in Hercules (2014), San Andreas (2015), Central Intelligence (2016), Baywatch (2017), and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). In 2018, he starred in the disaster film Skyscraper.
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