Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is already a household name after 20 years in Hollywood, but that wasn’t always the case. Upon making the transition from wrestling to acting, the former WWE star said that he was advised to model his performance style after those of George Clooney and Will Smith. Before he became a movie star, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had a long and successful career in professional wrestling, during which he earned his most recognisable moniker. Twenty years later, Johnson said that he was urged to create a different persona in order to succeed in the film industry, despite the fact that he had always stubbornly refused to do so.
The Jumanji star, in a reflective mood, posted a video on Instagram of a mosaic including all of his films, which were produced for him by a hotel where he had a meeting. He reflected on the experience, saying, “I’ve never seen my movies set up like this, and it was a reminder for me to say thank you guys throughout the world, you and your families, thank you for the love, the support, the trust that I could deliver my interests. I pushed my a** out to get to Hollywood 20 years ago, and when I did, I was told, “Look, you can’t call yourself The Rock; don’t go to the gym; don’t talk about pro-wrestling. Follow in the footsteps of George Clooney and Will Smith. And I replied, “No, I’m not going to be like those people; I have to be me, and if I fail in my Hollywood career, at least I fail knowing I was me.” All these years later, because of you, I can now appreciate this [mosaic]; for that, I am eternally grateful and forever yours. Very greatly appreciated.
Johnson’s commitment to being himself was a key factor in his eventual worldwide success as an actor, although he had no idea of this at the time. The Scorpion King, an action film released in 2002 and a spin-off of The Mummy franchise, gave the Red Notice actor his first main role. Throughout the next two decades, he produced more than 50 films and established himself as an indelible cultural icon. His filmography is enormous, with prominent parts in blockbusters like Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Disney’s Moana, the action film San Andreas, and the Fast & Furious franchise.
Johnson has established himself as an unstoppable force in the worlds of action, humour, and suspense. However, the California-born actor is about to feature in one of his greatest parts to date as the emotionally complex anti-hero Black Adam in the forthcoming DC Comics epic, demonstrating his versatility. Despite widespread recognition of the character’s penchant for violence and unrelenting wrath, he has yet to be brought to life on film. Expectations for the picture are sky high, and if they’re met, Johnson may have established himself as the next big thing in the superhero genre.