Who is Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson?

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is an American actor and film producer. Born in California in 1972, Johnson enjoyed a long period as a professional wrestler with the WWF (now WWE) organization. He began wrestling under the WWF banner in 1996 and finished in 2019 when he officially announced his retirement from professional wrestling.

During his years with the WWE, Johnson attained incredible popularity playing the character ‘The Rock,’ a charismatic trash talker. During the era that Johnson was active, the WWE was incredibly successful, something Johnson is seen as being integral to.

Before wrestling, Johnson played college football for the University of Miami. He was part of the National Championship-winning team of 1991. While he was still wrestling, Johnson began acting, taking on action roles in titles such as The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King. Throughout his acting career, Johnson has been a box office hit. Johnson is now one of the most well-known faces around the world. His hard work and dedication has paid off.

Today, Johnson uses some of his earnings to help various charities. He founded the Dwayne Rock Johnson Foundation, which helps at-risk and terminally ill children, in 2006.

Life Before Wrestling

Dwayne Johnson is the son of Ata Johnson and Rocky Johnson, a former professional wrestler. Part of Johnson’s childhood was spent in New Zealand, where he played rugby. After returning to the United States, Johnson played American Football, participated in Track & Field, and wrestled at the high school level. His athletic abilities did not go unnoticed, and the University of Miami recruited Johnson to play college football.

Johnson played as a defensive tackle, often in a backup role on a squad packed with outstanding talent. After graduating, Johnson hoped to play professional football, but his hopes of making it to the NFL were dashed when he wasn’t drafted in the 1995 NFL draft. Johnson then gravitated towards professional wrestling. More on that later.

Acting, Producing, and Life after Wrestling

During a highly successful wrestling career, Johnson became one of America’s most famous athletes/entertainers. His in-ring persona, ‘The Rock,’ was a major reason for this. While he was still wrestling, Johnson began acting in some big movies. He cut his film acting teeth in roles in The Rundown (2003), The Game Plan (2007) and Get Smart (2008).

Johnson’s abilities and work ethic were noted, and he transitioned to blockbuster roles. He has acted in several of The Fast & Furious films and G.I. Joe: Retaliation. More big roles and box office success followed for Johnson. He starred in Baywatch and Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle and action films Rampage and Skyscraper. The box office success of these titles, among others, helped Johnson become one of the highest-paid actors in the world.

Johnson was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017. Along with acting, Johnson has become a successful producer. In 2013, he executive produced and starred in the HBO comedy Ballers. His Seven Bucks Productions has many projects in the works with Johnson attached to either star in or produce/co-produce. Among these titles are The King and a sequel to Big Trouble in Little China. Johnson created, starred in, and has a producer’s credit on his biographical comedy series Young Rock, which began airing on NBC in 2021.

Wrestling as The Rock

Without over-emphasizing it, Johnson had a phenomenal run during his wrestling career. Over the years, his portrayal of ‘The Rock’ earned him the love of wrestling fans and the respect of his colleagues. The decision-makers at the WWE quickly recognized his popularity.

The Rock won the WWE Championship title many times individually and was a five-time tag team Championship winner. With his star soaring, Johnson, as ‘The Rock‘, worked hard, especially around the turn of the century. He holds the record for most RAW shows main- evented – 38 in 2000, and the most SmackDown main events – 36 in 2000. The Rock also main evented 12 pay-per-views that year. The Rock was the main event headliner at the most purchased WWE PPV worldwide (WrestleMania XXVIII) and the biggest-selling PPV within the US market (WrestleMania X-Seven).

To top things off, Johnson also main-evented the highest-rated Raw and SmackDown shows in history. Professional wrestling raised Johnson’s profile, but he also put in the work to greatly increase the WWE’s global appeal and viewership. Although he has succeeded in every venture he has attempted in life, for many, Johnson will always be a pro wrestler. For many, he will always be ‘The Rock.’

Colin Morrison

A boxing fan since his teenage years, Morrison began writing about the sport in July 2016. He appreciates all styles of boxing and has nothing but respect for those who get in the ring for our entertainment. Morrison is from Scotland and can be found on Twitter @Morrie1981.

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