PHOTO: Dwayne Johnson shares photo of grandfather who inspired Maui in Disney’s “Moana”

in Disney, Movies, Movies & TV

Dwayne Johnson perfectly embodied the character of Maui in Disney’s recent hit Moanaand 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.

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.

in Disney, Movies, Movies & TV

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