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Dwayne Johnson, also known as “The Rock” from his World Wrestling Federation (WWF) days, is one of the most sought-after and highest-paid actors worldwide. The actor’s commerciality at the box office has cemented his position as a leading player in the entertainment industry and a relative sure-fire hit to get butts on seats in the movie theater — Black Adam (2022), of course, being the exception.
Now it is understandable that the name Dwayne Johnson carries as much weight as “The Rock” once did, but the star has been keen to distance himself from his wrestling roots in order to establish himself as a talented actor in his own right.
It’s hard to find anyone that does not know or hasn’t heard the name Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. From his rise to prominence in the Attitude Era of WWF — now WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) — as “The Rock”, with his famed eyebrow raise and classic finisher, the People’s Elbow, The Rock has been a pop culture phenomenon since the late 90s and early 00s.
It would be in 2001 that “The Rock” would appear in his first feature film. The professional wrestling superstar appeared as the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns (2001) alongside Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. He would reprise his role and headline his own feature film a year later with The Scorpion King (2002).
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Since his early appearances in The Mummy franchise, “The Rock”, or Dwayne Johnson, has gone on to star in a number of blockbuster movies. His role as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five (2011) saw the Fast and the Furious series hit a then-all-time high, and his later appearances in films like Moana (2016), where he played demigod Maui, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), and Jungle Cruise (2021), starring as Frank Wolff opposite Emily Blunt, solidified him as a family-friendly leading man.
Johnson, who is married to music producer Lauren Hashian, seemed unstoppable. However, his latest big movie, Black Adam from DC Studios and Warner Bros. Discovery, fell flat at the box office. In the aftermath, reports circulated that Johnson’s brand-building behavior had damaged Black Adam‘s DC Extended Universe successor, Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023). Documents were also leaked, allegedly by Johnson’s team, showing Black Adam‘s profit, which insiders disregarded as false.
But, prior to all of this. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson sought to abandon his wrestling persona in order to make a name for himself in the acting world.
Back in 2002, The Scorpion King was released, and while the wrestler was credited in the movie as “The Rock”, Johnson aimed to distance himself from his WWF counterpart. Via IMDb:
Dwayne Johnson has said that to give the Scorpion King character a life of its own, he intentionally shied away from using any trademarks of his WWF character, The Rock. The only exception was “The People’s Eyebrow,” which he does in response to another character’s reference to a harem. He said he included it to acknowledge the “millions and millions” of Rock fans. The score briefly includes The Rock’s entry music.
According to Fandom Wire, Johnson’s first foray into headline acting with The Scorpion King made him the highest-paid first-time actor on record, with a reported $5.5 million payday for his role in the movie. The “Guinness Book of Records” even recorded the massive deal as the biggest for a leading man’s first outing.
It would be three years later, in 2005, that Johnson would ditch his “The Rock” persona altogether. Before the release of Southland Tales (2006), Johnson nixed his “The Rock” nickname altogether but quickly returned to it not long after. He told Entertainment Weekly, via Insider, that his “important” relationship with his fans led him back to using the wrestling moniker once again.
Related: Kevin Hart Is Ending Relationship With Dwayne Johnson, Will Make A Final ‘Jumanji’
Currently, Johnson is readying to appear in the Christmas movie Red One (2023) as Callum Drift. Earlier this year, the Baywatch (2017) actor announced he would be returning to The Walt Disney Company to star and produce a live-action remake of Moana.
At present, Johnson has been in the headlines after being named in a $3 billion lawsuit from former wrestler Trenesha Biggers, who claims Johnson — along with multiple others, including Home Depot and the FBI — conspired to kidnap her and her children. The court case has recently moved forward.
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