But what do you really know about this insanely muscly actor? Here are some fun, surprising, and plain bizarre facts about him that you absolutely have to catch up on.
A Descendant to a Family of Wrestlers
It's no secret that The Rock is a former wrestler, but did you know that he actually comes from a dynasty of them? He may have been the only one to become a celebrity, but still. Johnson is a third-generation wrestler, after his father and grandfather. The Rock's father, Rocky Johnson was his own kind of famous, too, due to being one of the first black wrestlers to win the WWE tag team championship.
Johnson even inducted his father and grandfather into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008. That's what we call family pride.
He Lived in 38 U.S. States!
Some kids are constantly forced to move due to one of their parents' military careers; and The Rock was a lot like that, due to his father's wrestling career. As a child, Dwayne actually lived in 38 different U.S. states! That's like, about 2/3 of the United States.
He also lived in New Zealand for a while with his mom's family. This meant changing schools often, and who knows, maybe that's what gave him his versatile and adaptive nature, allowing him to switch careers smoothly later in his life.
He Invented a Word
OK, get this: the word "smackdown" actually entered the Merriam-Webster dictionary thanks to no other than The Rock himself. As a beloved wrestler, Johnson was known among fans for his catchphrases, one of which was "lay the smackdown" (we can only assume this meant something along the lines of "crush your wrestling opponent").
Anyway, long story short – by 2007, the Merriam-Webster dictionary had already included the word "smackdown," and it's all thanks to The Rock.
He Once Saved a Life
We weren't too surprised to find out that The Rock had once saved a life. The really crazy bit, though, is that it was his mom's! And no, we're not mixing up one of Johnson's blockbusters with real life.
When the famous actor was only 15 years old, his family was going through a rough patch financially and lost their home. As a result, his mom tried to take her own life by stopping their car in the middle of the highway; but young, brave Dwayne stopped her from going through with the act and brought her back to her senses.
Pizza Lover
Looking at The Rock, you'd expect him to be a man that sticks to his diet. Like, honestly, how can one maintain such an amazing physique without being under a strict culinary regime?
Well, apparently, even The Rock makes exceptions every now and then, to get a taste of life's less healthy delights. His personal favorites are peanut butter, pizza, and coke. All classics!
Who's Your Daddy
Did you know that The Rock's first-ever movie role was playing his own father? Yep, that's right. The year was 1999, and young Dwayne was at the very beginning of his yet-to-be-a-roaring-success acting career.
Johnson played his wrestler father, Rocky, in an episode of no other than the hit series "That 70's Show". How cool is that? Obviously, that tiny little guest role helped pave the way for him – just look at everything that came afterward!
A Troubled Youth
Johnson didn't have the easiest childhood, to say the least. Among other things, he stopped his own mother from taking her own life and had to move around constantly due to his dad's job – and that's just the tip of the iceberg.
So it's no wonder that as a teenager, he would occasionally get arrested for getting into fights and even stealing. But hey, we're firm believers in people's right to make amends; and Johnson has definitely changed his way since.
An Aspiring FBI Agent
That might sound counterintuitive for someone who had encounters with the law as a teenage boy, but Johnson had actually dreamt of becoming an FBI or CIA agent at one point. That's also what drove him to enroll in criminology and physiology studies at the University of Miami.
However, when he found out he'd have to get a law degree as well, he decided to give up on his childhood dream. Well, we're not career experts, but we think things worked out pretty well for him after all.
He Almost Had a Professional Football Career
The Rock's original dream – after understanding he's not going to be an FBI agent, that is – wasn't wrestling; it was playing professional football. He went into football in high school and discovered his great talent for the sport, then went on to get a full football scholarship to the University of Miami, where he was told by the coach he had a pretty good chance of getting to the NFL.
We already know things didn't work out that great with football eventually, but hey, it was all for the best.
An Undercover Cop?
If we haven't established that yet, Johnson was no ordinary teenager. Yes, he notoriously got into numerous fights and got into various troubles with the police, but that’s not the only thing that made him a misfit among his peers.
It turns out that his unordinary body inspired quite the strange theories among his schoolmates. For example, some of them were positive that Johnson was an undercover cop. Go figure!
No Teacher's Pet
Do you know how some people are the teacher's favorites? Well, The Rock was the exact opposite. After having been suspended from school for two weeks, Johnson returned angry, and let's just say that his anger management skills weren't optimal back then.
When a teacher caught him using the teachers' bathroom and scolded him for it, he threatened her as a response (which worked, because let's face it, the guy is huge). But there's a happy ending to this episode: Johnson apologized to the teacher, and she was even the one to get him into football later.
Johnson vs. Diesel
The Rock has made huge progress with his ability to stay away from trouble ever since his teenage years. But even though he doesn't go around and hit people anymore (or so we hope), that doesn't mean he doesn't take part in his fair share of disputes.
One of those was his well-known feud with no other than his "Fast and Furious" costar, Vin Diesel. Things got so bad between the two, that they wouldn't agree to participate in a scene together in the eighth installment of the movie series. But they say they're all good now.
The Rock Is Scared of Spiders
We know you'd never expect The Rock to be scared of something tiny as a spider. If anything, spiders should be scared of him.
But hey, fear isn't a rational thing, and so, Johnson used to fear spiders. But the man decided to beat his Arachnophobia in 2007 when Ellen DeGeneres invited him on her show. Facing his fear on the show has actually solved it.
Scared of Roller Coasters
We don't know about you, but roller coasters scare us to death. Like, honestly, why would people pay to ride those hellish, stomach-twirling things?!
Well, we know a lot of people who like roller coasters, but at least The Rock is on our team. We have to admit we didn't expect someone this big and strong to be as scared of them as we are, but it turns out that the former wrestler is afraid of roller coasters, too. You're safe with us, Dwayne.
A Citizen of the Great White North
In his day-to-day, The Rock is 100% American. However, the famous actor actually has dual citizenship! Johnson's father was originally from Canada, and in 2009, out of respect for his dad, he officially became a Canadian citizen himself, too.
We think having more than one citizenship is super cool, but prefer that Johnson stays in the U.S with us, his biggest fans, for now.
Love and Marriage
The Rock knows love is no walk in the park. After all, the man went through a divorce and then remarried. His first marriage, in 1997, was to Dany Garcia. The couple had one child together before finally divorcing in 2001.
But we have to hand it to Johnson for being pretty much a serial monogamist. He could've fooled around, but instead, he started another serious relationship with Lauren Hashian shortly after. They had two children together and finally married in 2019.
He Enjoys Country Music?
Johnson has confessed to being crazy about country music (hey, don't judge). It turns out that the actor's infatuation with this genre started when he was a Nashville teenager.
In college, Johnson would sing country songs on the bus of his football team. Hey, we're still waiting for The Rock's first country single to drop. We wouldn't be surprised if music will be his third career! Stranger things have happened.
A First Aid Inspiration
Other than physically saving his mother's life, it turns out that The Rock has also indirectly saved the life of a child he's never met.
After watching Johnson perform compression in the movie "San Andreas," a 10-year-old saved his little brother's life after he almost drowned in a swimming pull. He gave his brother compression, just like he saw Johnson doing in the movie, and incredibly, it worked!
Roman Reigns Is His Cousin
As Johnson comes from a family of wrestlers, it might not come as such a shock to find out that he has a wrestler cousin, too. And that cousin is no other than super-successful WWE wrestler, Roman Reigns.
Well, they're actually second cousins, but no need to be petty. Also, they played brothers in the 2019 spin-off to "Fast and Furious" called "Hobbs and Shaw."
Under Armour Contract
Johnson is not only a former wrestler and a famous movie star – but he's also a pretty good businessman, and his lucrative contract with Under Armour proves it. The Rock collaborates with the brand to make clothes and shoes under "Project Rock," which is highly popular among fans.
When the Project Rock 1 sneakers were launched in 2018, they sold out in one day. Now we want to get ourselves a pair, too.
Guinness Record Holder
The Rock used to hold a World Guinness Record, but it wasn't the one you'd imagine. He actually held the world record for most selfies! Yes, we're not kidding. When his movie "San Andreas" premiered in 2015, he took no less than 105 selfies in 3 minutes.
Even though someone else had already broken Johnson's record since we still think that's super impressive. And a bit weird. But mostly impressive.
His Former Stunt Double Was His Cousin
It can be hard to find someone who looks like someone which such a unique stature. This is why, for 15 whole years, The Rock's stunt double was… his own cousin!
Distant cousin, OK, but still. They may not be brothers, but one can definitely be confused since they look so much alike. The cousin/stuntman's name is Tanoai Reed, and he and Johnson are related through their great-grandfather. We're all for collaborating with family!
The Rock Has His Own Gym
Well, that one's not much of a surprise: who would be a better gym owner than The Rock? The guy is literally all muscle. We're not sure exactly how frequently he exercises, but we bet it's a lot.
When Johnson interviewed for GQ magazine, he shared that he owns a private gym, but that's not even the most intriguing bit. Apparently, The Rock's gym is located in an incredibly bad neighborhood in California. Like, bullet-proof-vest bad. Why? We're not really sure. Maybe it has something to do with his childhood.
Entry-Level Salary: 5.5 Million
Only someone as famous and popular as The Rock could get this much money for his first-ever film role. When he came in for a cameo in "The Mummy Returns" in 2001, he obviously made a great impression, since the producers decided to give him his first starring role in the 2002 spin-off, "The Scorpion King," and pay him 5.5 million dollars for it.
This may not be a lot if you compare it to Johnson's current salaries, but for a beginner, that's quite a crazy number. Not that we're jealous or anything.
His Wrestling Makeover
The Rock ended up being a highly successful wrestler, as we all know. But when Johnson made his WWF debut in 1996, under his previous wrestling name, "Rocky Maivia," he experienced a rather rocky (pun intended) start.
Back then, the wrestling industry was all about bad-boy figures, and Johnson came across as a good guy, which didn't really help his reputation. Johnson only rose to fame when he changed his kindhearted image and rebranded himself as The Rock.
He Eats 7 Meals a Day
Judging by his looks, we wouldn't be surprised if he eats even 10; but 7 seems to be his magic number. Johnson actually eats seven meals and ten pounds of food on a daily basis.
Among Dwayne's favorites to combine in those numerous meals are healthy classics like eggs, fish, broccoli, rice, and potatoes. Johnson's strict, nutritious diet helps him both maintain his incredible physique and power through his intense lifestyle as a movie star.
He Dealt With Depression
As a young man, The Rock struggled with depression. It all started when he was cut from the Canadian Football League team he was a part of when he was 23 years old. Depression took over, and Johnson wouldn't leave his parents' house for a while.
On an episode of Oprah's "Master Class," Dwayne spoke about his past struggle, saying that he wished he had someone who could reassure him things were going to be okay.
Johnson vs. Jones
The Rock is literally the epitome of the "Fast and Furious" franchise, but it turns out that his role in this hit film series was originally meant for Tommy Lees Jones.
Fellow Fast and Furious actor, Vin Diesel, revealed that it was actually a fan that suggested having The Rock join the cast. And indeed, Johnson became a prefect Luke Hobbs, even though the role was initially written for Jones.
SNL Host
One of The Rock's most memorable and remarkable media appearances was his gig as Saturday Night Live host back in 2000.
Back then, Johnson was pretty much only known to the general public as a wrestler, and no one really knew about his acting skills. But his first time hosting SNL was such a success that they even invited him back five other times! In fact, The Rock is the only athlete to have been asked back to host SNL so many times.
Introducing the X-Box
Did you know that in 2001, Johnson was the one to first introduce the then-new-and-exciting gaming console? But he didn't do it alone – The Rock introduced the Microsoft development with Bill Gates himself.
The two of them actually had pretty great chemistry together! In the classic video, The Rock is shown constantly speaking about himself in the third person, paralleling the qualities of the X-Box to his. We like it.
Star Trek Cameo
He had a somewhat random cameo in a "Star Trek: Voyager" episode. He played a gladiatorial contender named The Champion, baring suspicious similarity to his real-life nickname.
The Champion and The Rock didn't only resemble in name – they were also quite similar in physical gestures, one of which was the character's "The People's Elbow," a reference to The Rock's "The People's Eyebrow." The episode was the most viewed episode in the entire season, so "the people" seemed to have liked it.
An Early Bloomer
The Rock was an early bloomer. At the tender age of 14, Johnson got frisky with an 18-year-old girl! That's some impressive stuff. In The Rock's bestselling autobiography "The Rock Says," he depicts his first time quite explicitly (just in case you're interested in all the details).
According to Johnson, he's always been into older women, and they've always been into him. Just for the record, at the time, sweet little Dwayne believed the girl was the love of his life. Aww.
His First Wrestling Name
Get this: The Rock's very first wrestling name was… Flex Kavana. We're not sure when and where he used it exactly, since as far as we know, he started his WWF career as Rocky Maivia; but Flex probably came a tiny bit before that.
We heard some people say Flex Kavana was a rather ridiculous name for a professional wrestler, but far be it from us to judge. We'll still love Johnson no matter what nickname he chooses.
He Stole "Jabroni"
The Rock is known for his distinctive words and catchphrases, one of which is "jabroni." But did you know that Johnson actually borrowed this word from another famous wrestler?
As Johnson himself revealed to the Esquire, wrestler Iron Sheik was the first to use this word, only he did so backstage. At some point, The Rock decided to take the word for himself and started saying it on TV. The rest is history.
He Once Wrestled in an Empty Arena
A wrestling match with zero crowd kind of sounds like missing the point. Like, isn't the roaring of the amped-up viewers the whole thing? But The Rock challenged this convention by wrestling in an empty arena during the halftime show of the 1999 Super Bowl.
The unconventional match was against Mick Foley's Mankind persona, and it was pretty damn awesome regardless of the no-crowd issue. Look it up and see for yourselves.
The Rock and Martha Stewart
No – they were never a romantic item (although that could've made an interesting fun fact). They have, however, made a cookie cake together as part of Martha's show (only slightly less bizarre than the previous option, you have to admit).
Other than making a cake together, the two also discussed Johnson's diet, and he shared his habit of eating at least one, if not two steaks a day. We're utterly speechless.
A Political Activist
2000 was definitely The Rock's most notably political year, as he took part both in the Democratic and Republican conventions representing the WWF.
Basically, most of Johnson's job there was getting people to vote; but at the Republican convention, he also got on stage and talked, not without saying some of his iconic catchphrases. Personally, we like our athletes socially involved.
XFL Pioneer
The Rock was the one chosen to introduce the first XFL game ever to take place. As part of his introductory speech, right before the game, Johnson made sure to talk trash about the NFL (because, why not, right?), condemning NFL for deciding L.A. doesn't need to have its own football team. He basically declared that he was done with NFL.
We're not sure if we agree, but, well you gotta appreciate the audacity.
An R&B Singer?
Well, we wouldn't go that far, but he did record that one song. The song, called "It Doesn't Matter" was a collab with popular rapper-singer Wyclef Jean, and it was included in the artist's album called "The Ecleftic: 2 Sides II Book."
Honestly, we're not sure if The Rock's performance here is as mind-blowing as his other work, but… well, just have a listen and tell us what you think.
He Had a Breast Reduction
Yes, not only women get those. It turns out that Johnson was even bulkier in that past than he is now, as impossible as it may seem.
Not long after he officially left his wrestling days behind, starting a serious acting career, he had the male version of a breast reduction surgery to minimize the size of his pecs in a way that would provide him a slightly less wrestle-ish type of look.
His Ex Still Manages Him
Not the "take out the trash" kind of management – the other kind. Not many people can continue working with their ex-wife, and have her as their manager of all things, but The Rock is undoubtedly not all people.
The two got divorced in 2007 but got into a different kind of partnership in 2012. And it seems to be working out great for them! Not to mention the fact that his ex-wife's current husband is now his coach. One big happy family?
From CAA to WME
It's okay for actors to switch agents every now and then, and sometimes, it can even be a career-changing move. That was the case for The Rock, who left CCA and joined WME after he felt like he was being cast in family films such as "Tooth Fairy" too much.
It seemed to have worked out great for him, so we think he did the right thing.
Minister Johnson
Get this – legally, The Rock is allowed to marry people. Among all his rich professional experience and certifications, Johnson is also a licensed minister! And he's actually married some people, like, for real. TO EACH OTHER.
How cool is that? So, if you're willing to pay, try and contact his agent for details. Who knows, he might even say "I Do."
He Almost Played Willy Wonka
Can you imagine The Rock instead of Johnny Depp in Tim Burton's movie adaption of "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?" Because, honestly, we're having a hard time picturing it without bursting out laughing.
But Burton seems to have thought otherwise at one point since Johnson was his second choice to play the quirky-slash-creepy character after Depp. Guess we'll never know what that could've been like, and maybe that's a good thing.
A Scent Per Character
Johnson has a unique tradition of wearing a different cologne for every character he plays. The New York Times reported The Rock matches his scent to what he believes the character would smell like.
Some examples: for "Central Intelligence," he wore Kenzo; and for "Furious Seven" he simply wore baby oil. We wonder what he wore for some of his other movies. Like, we're dying to know what he smelled like when he shot "The Tooth Fairy."
A Big Guy
We all know The Rock is a huge man, but… have you ever wondered exactly how huge? Well, we have, and we've got the details so listen up: Johnson is 6'5; and when he was a high schooler, he was only a tiny bit shorter than that – 6'4. At the time, he weighed 225 pounds.
To be honest, we don't think his genetics left him much of a choice – wrestling was bound to be his go-to career path.
He Comes from a Family of Strong Women
Not only the men in Johnson's family are strong and closely connected to the wrestling industry. His grandmother was actually quite the businesswoman and was one of the first women to promote the Polynesian Pro Wrestling.
We're not really familiar with the ins and outs of the wrestling world, but we think that's pretty damn impressive of her. We'd like to think that having had such a strong female role model helped The Rock grow up to be a man who respects powerful women.
The Right to be The Rock
Surprisingly, Johnson was not always the owner of his own famous nickname. The original owner of the rights to the name "The Rock" was, in fact, WWE owner Vince McMahon. That's why McMahon got an executive producer credit for so many of Johnson's movies.
However, at some point Johnson finally received the rights for his own name, so, all well that ends well.
The Rock Says
We would think The Rock had probably published his autobiography after a few years in the acting business, but he actually did it in 2000, which was the year where he made the transition from wrestling to acting.
The book, called "The Rock Says…" was co-written with Joe Layden, and contains a few juicy details about Johnson's life. Btw, the book stayed at the top of the New York Times Best Seller List for a few weeks. Impressive!
Oops! I Hit It Again
When you're as strong and bulky as The Rock, you're bound to knock people unconscious by accident every now and then. Well, at least, that's what happened during the filming of the movie "The Scorpion King" in 2002.
Johnson was shooting a fight scene with co-star Michael Clarke Duncan and had hit poor Duncan by mistake, knocking him out entirely. Oops!
He Has a Gigantic Tattoo
Well, being such a tough-looking man, The Rock and tattoos seem like a pretty natural fit, do they not? But did you know the wrestler-turned-Hollywood-actor actually has a super huge tattoo, stretching all the way from his chest to his left arm?
And it's not just any tattoo: apparently, the basis for this giant thing is the traditional Samoan Pe'a tattoo. Completing it took 60 (!) hours, and it tells the story of Johnson's family. We think traditions are fun, but getting our skin pierced by needles is less our thing.
He Went Oversees to Get His Tattoo
Talk about going the extra mile! When The Rock decided to get his famous tattoo, telling the story of his family heritage, he knew he wouldn't just do it anywhere. Johnson took a special trip to Hawaii just to get inked by a specific tattoo artist called Po'oini Yrondi.
Before the inking began, the two had a deep conversation and even said a prayer together.
He Is Half Samoan
The Rock is the result of a pretty interesting ethnic combo: he is half black and half Samoan. His mom, Ata, is of Samoan descent; and his dad is Black Canadian.
Johnson said he was equally proud in both his halves, and we think he totally should be since the combination between the two is what gave him his unique look.
He Founded a Charity
On top of just being super talented in multiple fields, The Rock is also kindhearted and does his best to use his power and fame for good purposes.
We're guessing this is why he founded the Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation. Johnson's charity organization which he started in 2006, works with at-risk kids. We think that's amazing, Dwayne. Keep up the good work.
He Starred in a Universal Studios Ride
The Rock was actually the star of the "Disaster" ride in Universal Studios for quite a while! What did this effectively mean? Johnson (well, Johnson's recording, that is) led attendees through a quest.
In 2018, the ride was adjusted and is now based on the "Fast and Furious" franchise. But no worries, The Rock has a pretty major role there, too.
He Plays Guitar
Did we really need Dwayne Johnson to be talented in any other forms of art? Well, whether we like it or not, the man plays guitar, on top of all other things.
When he was a guest at Jay Leno's Tonight Show he talked more elaborately about this lovely hobby, saying that famous country singer Willie Nelson once gave him a guitar as a birthday present. We always get guitars for our birthday from famous musicians, duh!
He Has His Own Production Company
The Rock has his very own production company, which he founded in 2012. It's called Seven Bucks Productions, and it's not just because it's a cool-sounding name! The company is actually named after how much money Johnson had in his wallet when he got kicked out of the Canadian Football League.
A little cheesy, but still sweet. Also, he owns the company together with his ex-wife. Not weird at all!
All-Powerful
Did you know that he came in 25 in Forbes magazine's list of the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities for 2013? We think it's no wonder.
The man was a star wrestler, then became a super successful Hollywood actor, and is also a talented businessman with his own production company, charity foundation, and private gym (and we bet there are other business endeavors we don't know about). To be honest, we think he deserved to be among the top five.
A Dog Rescuer
Do we really need any other proof showing us that underneath that bulky figure lies a soft, mushy heart?
Not really, but here's another one: in 2015, The Rock donated $1,500 as part of a GoFundMe campaign meant to help pay for a critical surgery for a dog that was abandoned by its owners. We really don't know how to contain all this kindheartedness of his!
A Dog Lover
Johnson is undoubtedly a dog lover. In 2015, he adopted two dogs, both of whom were French bulldogs. He named them Hobbs and Brutus (we can only assume Hobbs was named after Johnson's Fast and Furious character, which is really sweet).
Unfortunately, Brutus died when he was only a puppy after eating a toxic mushroom while playing outside with Hobbs. So sad.
Maui from "Moana" Is Based on His Grandfather
OMG, how cool is that! Other than lending his own voice to the character of Maui in the movie "Moana," Johnson also shared in 2017 that the character was in fact based on his grandfather, who was a great Samoan wrestler.
The Rock also had some impact on the way the character was built, which is super cool. We like it when movies and real-life blend together.
He's an Amateur Fisherman
A man of many hobbies, as it turns out from this article, Johnson also loves to go fishing. In fact, he said that it's one of his favorite things to do whenever he has some free time.
In a 2017 interview, he also revealed that he's raising his very own bass on his farm. We kind of wish we had our own farm where we could raise bass, too. Oh well.
Helping Hawaii
It's not hard to figure out that The Rock's heart is just as huge as his biceps – if not bigger. The man just loves to help others!
One instance when he did so was in 2018, right after the Hawaiian floods. Johnson collaborated with non-profit Malama Kauai to help fix some of the damage the floods have caused in the country.
An Influential Man
Do we really need a title telling us that The Rock is one of the most influential people in show business today? Well, the answer is obviously no, but confirmations are always nice.
Johnson got the 100 Most Influential People in The World award from Time magazine in 2019, just to make things official. We already knew that about him, though. Just saying.
A TV Host
After gaining experience in so many different jobs, The Rock added the "TV host" title to his arsenal in 2019, when he was chosen to host NBC's "The Titan Games."
The sports competition reality show ran from January 2019 to August 2020 and featured athletes from all over the United States who competed for the "Titan" title. The series is somewhat based on Greek mythology. We think there's no one perfecter than The Rock to host this type of thing.
First to Be Forklifted
When The Rock went up against Mankind in a memorable wrestling match taking place during Super Bowl halftime, something rather unexpected happened.
After an honorable fight, Mankind ultimately managed to knock Johnson out; but what's unusual was the "how" part. Mankind used a forklift to beat Johnson, which made it the first time a WWE match was one using that move.
A Private Locker Room
In 2007, Johnson donated $1 million to the University of Miami football renovation fund. Other than simply being one of the most generous donations we've heard of recently, this donation also got him a nice, cool reward.
In return, The Rock got a private locker room in the university with his name on it. We're pretty sure he doesn't actually use it, but it's still cool.
He's Worth… Well, a Lot
The Rock is, like, filthy rich, and that doesn't come as a shock to anyone considering his super-successful career(s) and the number of blockbusters he's starred in.
But… just how rich exactly is he? Apparently, as of 2020, the wrestler-turned-actor's net worth is $280 million. Obviously, we all make that kind of money in a year, but we still think it's a pretty decent amount.
His Teen Years
Can you ever imagine someone as cool and handsome as The Rock as an awkward little teenager? Well, he was never actually little, obviously; but the awkward part was pretty spot-on for a while there.
After being voted People magazine's Sexiest Man Alvie in 2016, The Rock shared that as a teenager he suffered from acne and sported a weird semi-afro hairdo. Well, we think it's safe to say those days are far behind him.
Dewey Johnson
Even famous people have embarrassing nicknames their friends and families call them by. For The Rock, it was "Dewey," a nickname invented by his mom and warmly adopted by his teammates at the University of Miami's football team.
They first heard the funny name when Johnson's mother visited him at the university once, and wouldn't let go of it since. To this very day, his past teammates still call him that.
He Wasn't Always a Favorite Among Fans
It's hard to picture The Rock not being a fans' favorite nowadays, but when he first started his wrestling career, he was anything but. To be honest, wrestling fans kind of hated him.
The Rock was constantly booed by people in the audience, who would yell poetic lines such as "Rocky sucks" every time The Rock (back then, Rocky) would get into the arena. Talking to Oprah Winfrey, Johnson said those negative comments from fans really got to him, inspiring him to take on a tougher persona later on. We're your fans no matter what, Dwayne!
Jumanji on Top
The Rock is definitely one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, and he's starred in numerous films that were a roaring success.
But out of all of those, his most successful film within the United States is "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle." If we had to bet, we would probably go for one of the "Fast and Furious" films. But no worries, "Furious 7" is still Johnson's most successful movie worldwide.
He Was Nervous About Moana
Who would ever think The Rock could be afraid of doing any type of movie? The man is a former wrestler! But it turns out that his relative inexperience with voice acting and singing made his role in "Moana" rather intimidating for him at first.
He actually confessed to having listened to the demo track of the song "You're Welcome" for months on end just to get it perfect. But don't worry, he got everything just right in the end!
A Car-Giver
We love successful people who don't forget what their parents did for them when they were younger. The Rock is exactly that type of celebrity, having given his dad not one, but two cars as gifts.
After going through hip replacement surgery, Johnson's father needed a bigger car, and Dwayne instantly stepped up and got him one. That was the second car he gifted him with, and the first was just a spontaneous present. What a model son.
His Dad Used to Be His Coach
As The Rock's dad, Rocky Johnson, was a legendary wrestler himself, it's no wonder he wanted to pass on that profession to the next generation. After retiring from wrestling in 1991, Rocky started training Dwayne.
When The Rock had just started his wrestling career, back in 1996, Rocky would sometimes even jump into the ring when he saw him about to get himself into trouble. That's what we call fatherly love.
He Dedicated an Award to His Father
The Rock and his father had a super special relationship, and that's why in 2021, when Johnson received the Hollywood Critics Association's Trailblazer Award, he decided to dedicate it to his dad.
Johnson said that while their relationship was not a simple one, his dad was a true trailblazer, always doing his best to make other people happy. Personally, we were touched.
He Took His Transition to Acting Seriously
For some people, it may look as if The Rock's acting career came easily for him since he was already super famous before. But that's as far from the truth as can be.
Johnson said it was really important for him that his relationship with acting won't be just a fleeting romance – he wanted it to last. The former wrestler worked for years with the best acting coaches to get to a top-notch acting level and become a Hollywood star. Well, it worked.
President Johnson?
The Rock doesn't deny that having achieved so much throughout his diverse career, there's a chance he might end up going into politics.
In 2017, Johnson said that he would consider running for president sometime in the future if the general public expressed interest in that option. In 2016, he also spoke about the more modest option of "just" being a governor. We'll just have to see about that.
His Middle Name Is Douglas
We know The Rock by many different names, but Douglas was new to us. Apparently, on his birth certificate, the wrestler-actor is listed as "Dwayne Douglas Johnson" (no, "The Rock" isn't in there!).
We actually think that's quite the representative name! Dwayne, we urge you to start going by Douglas more often. You already have so many names, what's another one?
His Eldest Daughter Is a Wrestler
It's cool enough that The Rock is a third-gen wrestler to his family, but it's even cooler to find out that his own daughter, Simone, is a wrestler herself!
In 2020, it was officially announced by the WWE that Simone started training at the WWE Performance Center; and later that year, she herself revealed signing a contract with WWE. We bet papa Johnson couldn't be prouder.