How the Rock Conquered Hollywood

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has become a household name from wrestling to Hollywood he is one of the biggest celebrities in the world.

As a young man, Dwayne Johnson dreamed of playing in the NFL. Johnson’s father and grandfather were both wrestlers and he inherited the familial size and strength. His father, Rocky Johnson, and Tony Atlas became the first black tag team champions in WWE history back in 1983.

Having attended Freedon High School in Pennsylvania he noticed that football could be a great way to get a scholarship into college. He received a full athletic scholarship to the University of Miami and ended up going undrafted in the NFL 1995 Draft. After joining Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League as a linebacker, he was cut from the roster after two months.

While we have been left unable to see how The Rock could help a team climb the nfl standings, we did see him burst onto the scene in the WWE before gracing the screen in Hollywood.

Dominating the Box Office

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The Rock was a revelation in the WWF and WWE, with his signature move, the ‘Peoples Elbow’ and catchphrase “If you smell what The Rock is cooking” being repeated by fans all over the world.

From the turn of the century he began crossing over into different markets and building his profile outside the niche of wrestling appearing on Wyclef Jean’s 2000 single “It doesnt matter” as well as acting in That 70s Show playing the part of his father Rocky Johnson and hosting Saturday Night Live. 

Having been listed in the Forbes Celebrity 100 and People Magazine’s 25 Most Intriguing People in 2000 he went on to make his motion picture debut as The Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns. 

Johnson’s work ethic has always been highly regarded and a key reason for his continued success. Having built a strong reputation in the WWF he took his chances to cross over into mainstream media with similar determination.

With intelligence, approachability and confidence, Johnson has been able to develop his skills further, making him someone people in the industry respect and want to work with.

His debut role as The Scorpion King sawhim receive $5.5 million which was a Guiness World Record for the highest-paid actor in their first leading role. 

He has since gone on to be one of the most in-demand actors in Hollywood. Johnson managed to begin his dominance as a box-office must have actor in the Fast and Furios franchise when he joined in 2011.

What has been so impressive about Johnson’s acting career is his ability not to be typcast due to his history in wrestling and his size. He has been able to star in Disney movies like Moana, comedies like Tooth Fairy and Baywatch, as well as action films like Black Adam.

While he does have somewhat of a style, his ability to transition across films targeting varied audiences pays tribute to his work ethic as well as personal appeal as a star.

As of October 2022, Dwayne Johnson’s highest grossing films have been Furious 7 (over $1,5 billion), The Fate of the Furious (over $1.2 billion), and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (over $960 million). 

His fims have up till the end of 2022 grossed more than $12.5 bliion worldwide which has made him one of the highest growwsing box office stars of all time

Enterprises and Interests

Having been so successful in Wrestling and Acting, Dwayne Johnson has not let that slow him down in any of his other interests and business enteprises.

In 2012, Johnson founded a production company called Seven Bucks Productions. Not a million miles from his acting work, this company saw him take on producing responsibilities as well as having acted in some of the movies his company has produced.

Away from acting, in March 2020 Teremana Tequila was launched which had incredible success in its first year and has left the company being valued at an immense $3.5 billion. 

Going back to his love of football, as well as entertainment, Johnson was part of an investment grous which purchased the XFL. Looking to rival the NFL, the XFL had a promising relaunch even if its first season had been delayed by a year and has now merged with the United Football League to continue its growth.

Alongside his money making ventures, The Rock also founded the Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation which is a charity that works with at-risk and terminally ill children. Worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation numerous times as well as worked with Malama Kauai, a non-profit organisation that helped repair flood damage in the 2018 Hawaii floods. 

His popularity is so high as a person that a poll in April 2021 found that 46% of Americans would support him if he were to run for president. Possibly a next step in an incredible career to date.

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