Dwayne Johnson perfectly embodied the character of Maui in Disney’s recent hit Moana, and the actor shared a fun family connection behind Maui’s inspiration.
Johnson shared this Tweet showing a side-by-side comparison of Maui and Johnson’s late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia of Samoa. Maivia partly inspired Maui, and it’s easy to see the similarities.
Moana's Maui VS @TheRock's literal actual grandfather pic.twitter.com/di1Hf4GlzF
— Anthony Oliveira (@meakoopa) October 3, 2017
Maivia was Johnson’s maternal grandfather and worked as a professional wrestler. Johnson’s grandmother, Lia Maivia, was one of the few female wrestling promoters and took over Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling after her husband’s death in 1982.
For a film that highlights family history, Maui’s inspiration is a heartwarming bit of Disney trivia.