biography about dwayne johnson

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Dwayne Johnson

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Dwayne Johnson (born May 2, 1972, Hayward , California , U.S.) is an American professional wrestler and actor whose charisma and athleticism made him a success in both fields.

Johnson was born into a wrestling family. His maternal grandfather, “High Chief” Peter Maivia, emerged on the professional scene in the 1960s and ’70s. Johnson’s father, “Soulman” Rocky Johnson, worked the American regional wrestling circuit and boxed; in 1974 he was a sparring partner for George Foreman , then preparing for the “ Rumble in the Jungle ” with Muhammad Ali . However, the younger Johnson initially preferred the gridiron to the mat. He was a standout high-school athlete, and he played on the 1991 NCAA Championship football team at the University of Miami (Bachelor of General Studies, 1995). After injuries cut short his career in the Canadian Football League , he turned to wrestling.

Gifted with a remarkable combination of size, speed, and agility as well as impeccable microphone skills, Johnson made his World Wrestling Federation (WWF) debut in 1996 as Rocky Maivia, a name that paid tribute to both his father and his grandfather. He was heavily promoted as a “face” (crowd favourite), and, after just a few months of exposure, Johnson captured the WWF Intercontinental title. The aggressive push triggered a backlash from fans, however, and subsequent story lines saw the Rocky Maivia persona sidelined in favour of The Rock, an unapologetic “heel” (“bad guy”). The turn led to increased popularity. The Rock engaged in a series of high-profile feuds with the biggest stars in the WWF and captured the first of several world championship titles in 1998.

The brash charm that Johnson exhibited in his in-ring monologues translated smoothly to the silver screen, and his appearance in The Mummy Returns (2001) signaled a new stage in his career. Although Johnson was neither the first nor the last professional wrestler to be courted by Hollywood, he was easily the most successful. He followed The Mummy Returns with The Scorpion King (2002) and The Rundown (2003). In 2004 he left the ring to turn his attention to acting full-time.

Johnson’s later films included testosterone-fueled action fare such as G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), Pain & Gain (2013), and four installments of The Fast and the Furious series— Fast Five (2011), Fast & Furious 6 (2013), Furious 7 (2015), and The Fate of the Furious (2017). He also appeared in the family entertainments The Game Plan (2007), Tooth Fairy (2010), and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012). Johnson then was cast as the titular Greek mythological figure in Hercules (2014). He played a firefighter dealing with a catastrophic earthquake in the action film San Andreas (2015), and in 2016 he starred opposite comedian Kevin Hart in the buddy comedy Central Intelligence .

Johnson later provided the voice of a demigod in Moana (2016), an animated film by Disney . In 2017 he starred in Baywatch , a comedy based on the TV series about lifeguards, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , which was adapted from a children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg . The next year Johnson portrayed a father who goes to great heights to save his family from a burning building in the action movie Skyscraper . He then costarred with Jason Statham in Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw , a spin-off from the long-running franchise, and took the lead role in Jumanji: The Next Level (both 2019), a sequel to the 2017 film. In 2021 he starred with Emily Blunt in Jungle Cruise , an action comedy based on a theme park ride. That year Johnson also appeared as an FBI profiler chasing art thieves in Red Notice . His credits from 2022 included Black Adam , a DC Comics superhero movie.

Johnson appeared in various television projects. In 2013 he hosted the reality television series The Hero , and he later starred in Ballers (2015–19), an HBO comedy series about a former football player who becomes a financial adviser to other sports stars. Johnson then created and hosted the reality TV series The Titan Games (2019–20), which featured a variety of athletic competitions. He later appeared in Young Rock (2021–23), a comedy series about his life.

In 2011 Johnson appeared in the ring for the first time in seven years, sparking a feud with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star John Cena that culminated in a main-event match at WrestleMania XXVIII in April 2012. His appearance contributed to the event’s unparalleled success: with more than 1.3 million pay-per-view orders and $67 million in global sales, WrestleMania XXVIII was WWE’s top-grossing pay-per-view broadcast. In January 2013 Johnson captured his eighth professional wrestling title, but he surrendered it less than three months later after losing to Cena in another highly publicized bout.

Dwayne Johnson Biography

Birthday: May 2 , 1972 ( Taurus )

Born In: Hayward, California, United States

Dwayne Johnson is a professional wrestler turned actor known for his appearance in the fantasy adventure film, ‘The Mummy Returns’. A highly successful professional wrestler before making his foray into films, Johnson is also famous by his ring name, ‘The Rock’. Born into a family of wrestlers, it comes as no surprise that he too made a name for himself in the sport. Athletic and inclined towards sports from a young age, he used to participate in many sporting activities as a school student. He played football for his high school and was also a member of the school's track and field and wrestling teams. He was a promising footballer and received a full scholarship from the University of Miami to play defensive tackle. He was hopeful of making it big as a professional footballer when an injury put a full-stop to his football ambitions. Though disappointed, he did not let this incident demotivate him and instead decided to become a wrestler. His father, a professional wrestler himself, began training the young man. Eventually he made his WWF debut and established himself as a successful wrestler. Due to his popularity coupled with his rugged good looks he started receiving offers from Hollywood studios and he began his acting career with the movie, ‘The Mummy Returns’.

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Nick Name: The Rock, The Brahma Bull, The Great One, The People's Champion, The Corporate Champion

Also Known As: Dwayne Douglas Johnson, The Rock

Age: 52 Years , 52 Year Old Males

Spouse/Ex-: Dany Garcia , Lauren Hashian (m. 2019), Dany Garcia (m. 1997; div. 2007)

father: Rocky Johnson

mother: Ata Johnson

siblings: Wanda Bowles

children: Jasmine Johnson , Simone Alexandra Johnson , Tiana Gia Johnson

Born Country: United States

Actors WWE Wrestlers

Height: 6'5" (196 cm ), 6'5" Males

Ancestry: American New Zealander, Canadian American, Irish American

U.S. State: California

education: University Of Miami

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Dwayne Johnson made his WWF debut as Rocky Maivia in 1996, and won the WWF Intercontinental Championship from Hunter Hearst Helmsley on Monday Night Raw the next year.

In 2009, he appeared in the science fiction film, ‘Race to Witch Mountain’, based on the novel ‘Escape to Witch Mountain’ by Alexander Key. This film too opened at No. 1 and became a huge box office hit.

He reprised his role as Luke Hobbs in ‘Fast & Furious 6’, the sixth installment in The Fast and the Furious franchise, in 2013. He had Vin Diesel , Paul Walker , Gina Carano, and John Ortiz as co-stars. The film grossed over $780 million worldwide, making it No. 50 on the all-time worldwide list of highest-grossing films.

In 2015, he appeared in the seventh installment in The Fast and the Furious franchise, ‘Furious 7’. This film too became a blockbuster like the earlier movies in the franchise and also received critical praise for the action sequences.

In 2016, Dwayne Johnson starred in the action-comedy 'Central Intelligence' and gave his voice to the character of Polynesian demigod Maui in the Disney animated film Moana .

Dwayne Johnson starred in Jumanji: The Next Level,  in 2019.

From 2015 to 2019, Dwayne Johnson produced and starred in the HBO series Ballers . The series was ranked as HBO's most-watched comedy in six years.

Dwayne Johnson Movies

  (Crime, Thriller, Action)

  (Thriller, Crime, Action)

  (Action, Thriller, Crime)

  (Adventure, Crime, Thriller, Action)

  (Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Comedy)

  (Sport, Drama, Crime)

  (Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy)

  (Adventure, Action, Comedy, Thriller)

  (Thriller, Drama, Action, Crime)

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Dwayne Johnson Biography Facts, Childhood, Career, Life

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is a retired pro wrestler in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). One of the most popular wrestlers of the 21st century, the American-Canadian whose sturdy body and enormous muscles, earned him the moniker/ring name ‘The Rock’ is, by all means, the most loved and popular wrestler to have graced the WWE rings. Johnson currently has a very successful career aside wrestling, but still in the entertainment realm. This Dwayne Johnson biography facts, childhood, career and personal life present in details, the background, life and profile of the great entertainer.

Before his retirement from the wrestling scene, Johnson who has always been an entertainer since he was a teenager doubles as an actor who featured in several blockbuster Hollywood movies. Globally, fans would have no hard time in identifying Johnson who many believe is more popular as an actor than a wrestler.

In WWE, Dwayne Johnson’s reputation is solid as that of a ‘rock’. Whenever the super star steps into the ring, fans can’t just turn their eyes away. Johnson holds the record for the highest-rated WWE Raw and WWE Smackdown programs in the history of the WWE. In the WrestleMania XXVIII, the 28th annual WWE WrestleMania pay-per-view event, Dwayne Johnson who was one of the centre-figures in the fight made the event the most bought WWE pay-per-view event globally.

No doubt, Dwayne Johnson is a superstar. In this article, we go through the formative years of the astute wrestler and how he rose to become one of the most popular and recognized stars in the WWE and Hollywood.

Table of Contents

Dwayne Johnson Biography Quick Facts, Age

Outlined below are some biography quick facts you should know about the American-Canadian retired pro-wrestler.

• Full Name: Dwayne Douglas Johnson
• Nicknames: The Rock; Rocky Maivia; Flex Kavana
• Born: May 2, 1972
• Age 52 years
• Zodiac Sign: Taurus
• Place of Birth: Hayward, California
• Nationality/Citizenship: American, Canadian
• Residence: Miami, Florida
• Height: 6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
• Weight: 118 kg (260 Ib)
• Education: Shepherd Glen Elementary School, Hamden Middle School, Freedom High School, University of Miami
• Parents: Rocky Johnson (father); Ata Johnson (mother)
• Siblings:   Curtis Bowles (brother), Wanda Bowles (sister)
• Marital Status: Married
• Wife: Lauren Hashian (married 2019)
• Children: Simone Alexandra Johnson (daughter), Tiana Gia Johnson (daughter), Jasmine Johnson (daughter)
• Occupation: Actor, Investor, Producer, retired Pro Wrestler
• Weight/Division: Welterweight
• Career: Professional Wrestling (1996–2004, 2011–2019); Acting (1999–date); American Football (1990–1995)

Dwayne Johnson Childhood/Early Life & Family Background

Dwayne Johnson was born on 2nd May 1972 to his father, Wayde Johnson, who was a professional wrestler widely known as Rocky Johnson, and his mother, Ata Johnson, who is of Samoan origin. While growing up, Dwayne Johnson lived with his mother’s family in New Zealand where he schooled at Richmond Road Primary School. Soon Johnson moved to the United States to be with his father who was constantly on the move as a result of his wrestling lifestyle. Johnson throughout the duration of his formative years lived in 38 of the 50 states in the US.

Johnson loved wrestling and his father, Rocky taught him some of his moves. Johnson once practised one of such moves, the sleeper hold move on a school buddy, who subsequently became unconscious. His father, Rocky had to revive the kid. His home was a sort of the venue for his school buddies who wanted to spar with Johnson. Johnson will mimic TV hosts and interview his fellow wrestlers, who were his school mates. There he got better at his showmanship where he made utterances meant to destabilize his opponent.

When he was 13 years old, his father took him to the gym. Johnson began exercising at the bench press. After a couple of times at the bench press, he went on to the unloaded bar, where he easily pushed 20-pounds. But he couldn’t push 45 pounds. This left him sad and thus spurred him to practice harder at the bench press. Though Johnson was disciplined in the gym, he still was a bit of a nuisance who got into fights and got arrested. In high school, Dwayne who already had a really intimidating figure got into fights which he won, leaving his opponents unconscious. He once intimidated a teacher with his physical structure after he used the teacher’s bathroom and was scolded by his teacher. The next day Johnson apologized to the teacher who was surprised and appreciated Johnson’s gestures and thus invited him to play football.

Dwayne Johnson Football Career

Johnson’s top performance in high school football earned him a scholarship. He played for the Miami Hurricanes but suffered numerous injuries and was thus replaced. After he graduated from the University of Miami in 1995, he went on to sign with Canadian Football League team,  Calgary Stampeders. He was removed from the team after just two months in the regular season.

Dwayne Johnson Professional Wrestling Career

United states wrestling association (uswa).

Following a dismal football career, Johnson decided to try wrestling out. He fought in tryout matches. He went on to fight in various house show fights. He went on to use the ring name Flex Kavana and won the USWA World Tag Team Championship.

World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment (WWF/WWE)

Johnson signed a contract with WWE and debuted in the WWE with Rocky Maivia as his ring name and was hyped as the first third-generation wrestler in the WWE. He was given the nickname The Blue Chipper. In November 1996, he debuted in the WWE in the Monday Night Raw as part of Marc Mero’s team.

In February 1997, he won the Intercontinental Championship, and thus went defended the title. Fans slowly began to turn against Johnson. In April 1997, Owen Hart claims his Intercontinental Championship belt. In August 1997, he lashed out at the spectators who booed him and refused to be called Rocky Maivia, but chose to go by ‘The Rock’. He then switched on to insulting the WWE organizers as well as fans. He went on to reclaim his international championship title. He defeated wrestler Farooq which sparked a feud between him and The Nation, whose leader was Farooq. He also had feuds would Triple H, which saw the two of them fight in a ladder match which he lost. The Rock had his eyes set on something big, the WWF title, which was vacant. He defeated Mankind to claim the title and had a fight against Mankind in the pay-per-view Rock Bottom: In Your House, which saw him narrowly defend his title. He eventually lost his title to Mankind. He went on to defeat Big Show to claim the WWF Championship, which was snatched from him by Stone Cold Steve Austin in the WrestleMania XV.

His popularity kept on growing. In 1999, he and Mankind teamed up to form The Rock ‘n’ Sock Connection and won the WWF Tag Team Championship, which they eventually lost to Big Show and Undertaker. In January 2000, after he was defeated by Triple H, he eventually returned in top form to defeat his long time rival to claim the WWF Championship for the fourth time. In May, he lost the title to Triple H but rebounded back in June to claim the title for the fifth time. After a series of titles defence, he lost his title to Kurt Angle in October. In December he teamed up with Undertaker to win the WWF Tag Team Championship. His next championship win was the WCW championship, which he won for the first time in August 2001. He eventually lost his title to Chris Jericho and won the WWF Tag Team Championship with the latter. In November 2001, he lost his WWF Tag Team Championship but re-claimed his WCW title. He, however, was defeated by Chris Jericho.

In 2002, The Rock did not seal any significant title. Between 2003 to 2004, he fought in several fights which settled several feuds such as the WrestleMania XIX against Stone Cold Steve Austin. Following his contract expiration with the WWE in 2004, he went on into acting full time but appeared in WWE events such as the induction of his father into WWE Hall of Fame. In February 2011, The Rock appeared as the host of the WrestleMania XXVII and hurled insults at WWE wrestler, John Cena. With support from Miz and Riley, Cena attacked The Rock. When he came to restart the main wrestling bout, he helped Miz defeat Cena. The pair thus agreed to fight in the next edition of WrestleMania.

In November 2011, he and Cena formed a team to defeat the Awesome Truth team, made up of wrestlers, R-Truth and The Miz. In the WrestleMania XXVIII, The Rock prevailed over Cena. After several attempts to claim the WWE championship, he defeated CM Punk to win the championship in January 2013. In April 2013, John Cena defeated The Rock to win the WWE championship. The Rock who suffered injury could not challenge Cena for a rematch as a result of surgery to repair torn tendons.

The Rock also made several appearances in various WWE events not as a headliner but as a surprise appearance. He appeared in the WrestleMania 30 and the Royal Rumble in 2015. He subsequently continued to make periodic performance in the WrestleMania and other WWE events. In August 2019, he announced his retirement from wrestling, but appeared in the 20th Anniversary of the SmackDown in October, making his final appearance in the WWE so far.

Dwayne Johnson Acting Career

Since he debuted in acting in an episode of the ‘That Wrestling Show’ where he acted as his father, Johnson has gone on to feature in several movies. He featured in movies such as The Mummy Returns , Scorpion King , Walking Tall , So Cool and many more while wrestling. During his retirement from wrestling after 2004, he featured in more films and established a reputation for himself as an actor who brings to life struggling franchises such as G.I. Joe: Retaliation . The Fast & Furious 6 , which he featured in, generated $789 million.

In 2013, according to Forbes, Johnson’s movies generated as much as $1.3 billion. His Fast & Furious character, Hobbs has been replicated in several movies in terms of strength, will power and perseverance. In recent years, Johnson is known for his role in Jumanji: The Next Level , Central Intelligence , The Skyscraper and Rampage . In 2020, a movie he featured in titled, Jungle Cruise , will be released. The sequel of the blockbuster Fast & Furious franchise, Fast & Furious 9: The Fast Saga, in which fellow WWE wrestler, John Cena featured will be released in May 2020.

Dwayne Johnson Personal Life, Relationships & Trivia

Johnson got married to Dany Garcia in May 1997 and divorced her on amicable terms in June 2007. He and Garcia have one child. In August 2019, he got married to his long time girlfriend and mother of two of his children, Lauren Hashian, in Hawaii.

Johnson is a third-generation wrestler. His father Rocky Johnson, was a member of the first WWE black tag team champions. His mother who is of Samoa origin, is the daughter of Peter Maivia, a professional wrestler. In February 2020, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s daughter, Simon Johnson and his ex-wife Dany Garcia signed with the WWE and commenced training at the WWE Performance Center. Simon Johnson is well on her way to becoming the families fourth-generation wrestler.

In 2008, Johnson inducted his father and grandfather into the WWE Hall of Fame. On 16 January 2020, WWE in a statement said that Dwayne Johnson’s father, the WWE Hall of Famer, Rocky Johnson, passed away at the age of 72.

Johnson who is known for spending huge amounts of time at the gym is an American and Canadian citizen.

In 2004, late Malietoa Tanumafili II conferred to Johnson, the Seiuli, an acknowledgement of his Samoan descent.

SEE MORE: Biography facts and profile of famous professional wrestlers

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Dwayne Johnson (I)

IMDbPro Starmeter Top 500 82

• Contact info
• 22 wins & 77 nominations

Rock On: The Life and Times of Dwayne Johnson

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• Callum Drift
• Maui (voice)
• Post-production
• Pre-production
• In Production
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• Rocky Maivia
• 292 episodes

• 159 episodes

• Hobbs (uncredited)

• Dwayne Johnson
• 37 episodes

• Krypto (voice)

• The Foundation (voice)

• John Hartley

• Bank Robber #2 (voice)

• Frank Wolff

• The Rock (voice)
• producer (produced by, p.g.a.)
• executive producer
• producer (rumored)

• 16 episodes

• 10 episodes
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• 14 episodes

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• In-development projects at IMDbPro

Personal details

• Dwayne 'The Rock' Johmsom
• 6′ 4″ (1.93 m)
• May 2 , 1972
• Hayward, California, USA
• Spouses Lauren Hashian August 18, 2019 - present (2 children)
• Children Tiana Johnson
• Parents Ata Johnson
• Relatives Peter Fanene Maivia (Grandparent)
• Other works Features in Wyclef Jean 's song/video "It Doesn't Matter".
• 1 Print Biography
• 3 Portrayals
• 10 Interviews
• 44 Articles
• 5 Pictorials
• 28 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

• Trivia Although he has lived in the United States for most of his life, he has Samoan citizenship as his mother is Samoan. He has often stated in interviews he is proud of his Samoan heritage and feels honored to be a Samoan.
• Quotes Finally...The Rock...has come back to [whatever city he's in at the time]
• Trademarks Wrestling finisher: The People's Elbow
• The People's Champion
• The Brahma Bull
• The Great One
• Salaries Red One ( 2024 ) $50,000,000
• How old is Dwayne Johnson?
• When was Dwayne Johnson born?
• Where was Dwayne Johnson born?

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Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and His Impressive Wrestling Family Tree

The WWE champion turned Hollywood leading man is just one of many relatives who used the ring as a springboard to stardom.

As the popular wrestling personality "The Rock," Johnson famously feuded with wrestler Steve Austin and won the WWE Heavyweight title numerous times. His success in the ring eventually enabled him to transition to Hollywood action hero, but he's not the only one in his family to rise to WWE fame. The first third-generation Superstar in WWE history, Johnson is a member of a sprawling family of grapplers that includes numerous uncles and cousins and even his oldest daughter, Simone . Here are a few of the many relatives who have thrived in the arena of scripted combat, colorful costumes and outlandish stage personas:

'High Chief' Peter Maivia

The dynasty started with the tenure of Johnson's American Samoa-born grandfather, who began wrestling in the 1960s as Prince Peter Maivia before settling in as the " High Chief ." Showcasing his eye-catching tribal tattoos, Maivia became a champion and fan favorite in New Zealand, Hawaii and the mainland United States, until cancer ended his Hall of Fame career and claimed his life at age 45. While technically not part of the Anoa'i lineage that produced most of the wrestling stars of the family, Maivia was considered an extended member as a "blood brother" of its patriarch, Reverend Amituana'i Anoa'i.

The Wild Samoans

The sons of Amituana'i Anoa'i, Afa and Sika Anoa'i played their ethnicity to the hilt as The Wild Samoans , their "savage" behavior including displays in which they ate raw fish and bit opponents. They were also among the most formidable duos of their era, thrice claiming the World Tag Team championship over a three-year period in the early 1980s. The brothers began pursuing separate paths by the end of the decade, Sika pressing forward with a solo career and Afa focusing on managing and running his Wild Samoan Training Center, though they reunited for induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 and the Pro Wrestling Hall in 2012.

Rocky 'Soul Man' Johnson

Rocky Johnson learned the tools of the trade under Maivia before marrying the High Chief's daughter, a union that brought him into the family and produced its most famous champion. But the muscular " Soul Man " was a star in his own right, pairing with Tony Atlas in the "Soul Patrol" to become the first Black tag team champions in the WWE. Johnson later trained his son and became part of the act that shaped his rise to prominence, Johnson repaying the efforts by inducting the Soul Man into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008.

Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka

Hailing from Fiji, Snuka entered into the Anoa'i family by way of marriage to his second wife, Sharon. He emerged as one of pro wrestling's biggest stars of the 1980s, his high-flying "Superfly Splash" countering the sheer mass of giants like Hulk Hogan , and later became a headliner in the Eastern Championship Wrestling organization. Snuka was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 1996 and saw his legacy continued by way of two offspring's entries into the world of pro wrestling, though he remained haunted by questions about his alleged involvement in a girlfriend's death until his own passing in 2017.

Despite descending from the same bloodlines as uncles Afa and Sika, Rodney Anoa'i styled himself as a Japanese sumo wrestler under the moniker of Yokozuna . But the results were otherwise the same, as the near 600-pound behemoth quickly pushed aside the biggest names in the sport en route to toppling Bret Hart and Hogan in title matches. Yokozuna also teamed with Owen Hart to become a two-time tag team champion, but the massive girth that made him a wrestling star also fueled a health-related descent, and the Hall of Famer died from a pulmonary edema at age 34.

Fatu/Rikishi

Another nephew and protege of the Wild Samoans, Solofa Fatu went by his last name in the early 1990s and teamed with cousin Samu to form the Headshrinkers. But he achieved greater heights of fame after resurfacing at the end of the decade as Rikishi , the bleached-blonde, 425-pound monster known for his alliance with the Too Cool duo and his delivery of the disgusting-as-it-sounds "Stinkface" move. For all the theatrics, Rikishi was a force to be reckoned with over a lengthy career that brought three tag team crowns and an intercontinental championship, leading to his own WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2015.

Jamal/Umaga

Following older brothers Rikishi and Tama into the ring, Eddie Fatu made a tepid entry to the WWE as Jamal, one-half of the 3-Minute Warning duo, before returning with a bang in 2006 as the terrifying Umaga. The 350-pound "Samoan Bulldozer" ran up an eight-month winning streak that culminated with a loss to champion John Cena , and he remained a top draw as he twice claimed the intercontinental championship. Sadly, the ride came to an end after Umaga failed a second drug test in 2009, leading to his release from the WWE, and he was dead a few months later from a heart attack.

Roman Reigns

The younger of Sika Anoa'i's two pro wrestling sons, Leati Anoa'i initially pursued a career in football that stalled after stints in the NFL and CFL. But he hit the ground running in the WWE as Roman Reigns, first as one of the three members of The Shield, before emerging as an individual superstar. Using his devastating "Superman punch," the agile 265-pounder has been crowned the WWE's United States, Intercontinental and Universal champion, among other accolades. And while he hasn't always earned a warm reception from audiences, Reigns turned more fans in his favor with his return in 2019 from a battle with leukemia.

Football also loomed large in the early lives of Rikishi's twin sons Jonathan and Joshua Fatu, who played together at the University of West Alabama. But they were ready when it came time to trade in the pads for tasseled costumes and tribal costumes, and they arrived in the WWE in 2010 under the respective names of Jimmy and Jey Uso. Initially billed as "heels" — wrestling's bad guys — the Usos rose in popularity thanks to energetic showings that included performances of the traditional Samoan Siva Tau war dance. They also joined cousins Johnson and Reigns as titleholders, becoming the first duo to win tag team crowns in both the Raw and Smackdown divisions.

Born in Australia to a cousin of the High Chief and a German mother, Savelina Fanene was drawn to basketball before becoming a plus-size model. However, all roads lead back to the family business, and she quickly worked her way up the WWE's development ladder to make a splash as Nia Jax in 2015. At 6 feet and 270-odd pounds, Jax has fulfilled her destiny as an overpowering force in the women's field and yet another champion of the family tree, claiming the Raw women's title in 2018 and a tag team triumph with Shayna Baszler in 2020.

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How Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson went from WWE wrestler to Hollywood's box-office champ

After the global box-office success of "Furious 7," Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson returns to theaters this weekend in "San Andreas," another high-octane adrenaline rush which sees Johnson saving lives as a first responder at the expense of the largest earthquake of all time.

Though the film has been getting mixed reviews , estimates are predicting the film will have an opening north of $40 million .

Sinc e 2002's "The Scorpion King," The Rock has become a box-office king proving he could win over audiences as a single dad in "Tooth Fairy" or as a heavy-hitting action star in "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," and the "Fast and Furious" saga. His movies combined have made over $5.2 billion worldwide . 

But before he was rocking the box office, he was just a wrestler, best known for his signature move "The People's Elbow."

Frank Pallotta and Mallory Schlossberg contributed to an earlier version of this story.

Before he was "The Rock," Dwayne Johnson was born May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California.

Source: Biography

Wrestling is in Johnson's blood. His father, Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson, was a member of the first African-American tag-team champions and his grandfather, Peter Maivia, was one of the first Samoan wrestlers.

Source: YouTube

Johnson didn't go straight to wrestling. His first sport was football. After starring in high school he played in college for the Miami Hurricanes. Over his tenure at the school, Johnson started just once but appeared in 39 games and had 77 tackles, and he was a part of the 1991 national championship team.

Source: ESPN

The University of Miami was also where he met first wife, Dany Garcia. The two separated after 10 years but have stayed close. "Since our divorce, we've become pretty good at working together, and we are also raising our beautiful 11-year-old daughter, Simone," Johnson has said.

Source: Huffington Post

If it wasn't for serious injuries to both his shoulders and back, Johnson could have perhaps continued his football career in the NFL.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter  

Instead he ended up playing in the Canadian Football League, making just $250 a week and eventually getting cut. "The dreams I had, they're dashed," he recalled later. "There is no more football. My relationship was crushed. That was my absolute worst time."

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

After Johnson stepped away from football, he looked into the family business of wrestling. After spending time in the WWE's minor leagues, he debuted on TV at the 1996 Survivor Series. His wrestling name was "Rocky Maivia," which combined the names of his father and grandfather.

The first third-generation wrestler in WWE history, Johnson is considered by many to be one of the greatest to ever enter the ring.

Source:  WWE ,  Bleacher Report

During his many years at the WWE, Johnson created and became known for signature moves like "The People's Elbow" and "The Rock Bottom."

Johnson proved his prowess in the ring by winning the WWE heavyweight title six times and securing the tag-team title five times.

His popularity as a wrestler put Johnson on Hollywood's radar. This included getting a call from New York about hosting "Saturday Night Live." After he was asked to host, Johnson says, "I fell out of my chair."

Source: YouTube ,  YouTube

The wrestler's stint on "SNL" (as seen below playing the monkey-human hybrid Papa Peepers) was a ratings success. Most importantly, the gig showed Hollywood that Johnson wasn't just another wrestler — he could really act.

Johnson made his feature film debut in 2001's "The Mummy Returns," playing a villainous ruler. He reprised the role in "The Scorpion King." He made $5.5 million, the most any actor has made for a first leading role.

Source: MTV

Despite the large paycheck, it wasn't until "The Rundown" in 2003 people began to see Johnson as a legitimate action hero. "The Rock has a flair for action and comedy," Rolling Stone wrote. "He's a real movie star."

Source: Rolling Stone

The film also included a brief cameo by Arnold Schwarzenegger, which many critics like Roger Ebert saw as the passing of the action-movie torch. "Whether The Rock will rival Schwarzenegger's long run as an action hero is hard to say," Ebert wrote. "But on the basis of 'The Rundown,' he has a good chance."

Source: Roger Ebert.com

As Johnson's film career began to take off, he dropped "The Rock" from his name. "'The Rock' was a name, a character I created in TV," he said. "When I made the transition into film, I knew eventually I was going to be billed as my given name."

Source:  Los Angeles Times

He showed his range by acting in family films like 2007's "The Game Plan" and comedies like "The Other Guys" in 2010. "I felt there were bigger and better opportunities," Johnson said. "I also felt there was franchise potential, hopefully multiple franchises in every genre — whether drama or comedy or action-comedy."

Johnson finally found his franchise when he appeared in the fifth installment of the popular "Fast and the Furious" series, "Fast Five," alongside Vin Diesel. "I’ve known Vin for a long time and we’ve always talked about doing something together," Johnson said. "This felt like the right opportunity to create a formidable adversary for him."

Source: Screenrant

"Fast Five" was also an opportunity for Johnson to work again with Universal, the studio where he started his career. "They were the first studio to believe in me when I was making the transition ... into acting and helping me create opportunities," Johnson said.

Source: Collider

The film went on to make $676 million worldwide. Johnson appeared in 2013's sequel "Fast & Furious 6," and he is set to reprised his role again in this spring's "Furious 7,” which is now one of four films to make over $1.5 billion.

Source: Box Office Mojo

Since then Johnson has appeared in two more sequels, "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" and "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island."

Throughout Johnson's career, the one thing separating him from many is his work ethic. The actor put on "12 to 15 pounds of muscle" for 2013's "Pain and Gain." Between himself and costar Mark Wahlberg, the actors were eating 17 meals a day.

Source: Yahoo  

In a recent interview with "Muscle and Fitness" magazine, Johnson explained his current diet consists of seven meals a day — four of which consist of cod.

Source: Muscle and Fitness

Even though Johnson's acting career is going strong, he has returned to the ring for events like Wrestlemania. "I'm back, not for money, not because I like being on the road, but because I love the business," he said.

Source:  Huffington Post

One of these events was WWE's Royal Rumble. Johnson had teased that he was going to appear at the event, and then he showed up in the middle of a wrestling match to help Roman Reigns win the prize.

Sources: The Independent , Twitter ,  WWE

Johnson's next big film out this weekend is earthquake movie, "San Andreas," in which he plays a first responder. The film has been referred to as "the West Coast version of 'The Day After Tomorrow.'"

Source: Entertainment Weekly

In addition, Johnson will take his talents to TV with coming HBO series "Ballers," which will follow current and retired football players. Johnson will definitely empathize with these characters, given his initial football career.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Now that you've seen Dwayne Johnson's career trajectory ...

Check out the career of another Hollywood tough guy, Mark Wahlberg >

• Main content

• World Biography
• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Biography

Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson Biography

May 2, 1972 • Hayward, California

Professional wrestler, actor

Although Dwayne Johnson is not a superhero out of a comic book, he does have an alter ego. By day he is a somewhat mild-mannered husband and father. But at night when he steps into the ring, he becomes the chair-flinging, wisecracking wrestler known as The Rock. In the late 1990s the charismatic Johnson, with his exotic good looks and signature eyebrow arch, helped make World Wrestling Smackdowns a part of must-see TV. By the mid-2000s, he had such a following that he was dividing his time between the mat and the big screen. Some observers felt that Hollywood had found its next big-budget action idol, and many predicted that Johnson would have no problem filling the shoes of America's favorite muscleman, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was now busy in his new role as governor of California.

Third generation wrestler

Johnson is a third-generation wrestler. His mother's father, Peter "High Chief" Maivia, was a professional wrestler of Samoan descent whose heritage served as the basis for his ring persona. Samoa is an island nation located in the South Pacific, and Maivia played the part of an island native, wearing his hair long, wrestling barefoot, and sporting traditional tattoos over most of his body. While on the wrestling circuit he became acquainted with an up-and-coming African American wrestler named Rocky Johnson. During a visit with Maiva's family, Johnson met High Chief's daughter, Ata. The two eventually married, and on May 2, 1972, the couple had a son, whom they named Dwayne Douglas Johnson.

Johnson was born in Hayward, California, but he grew up all over the country, since the family moved around to accommodate Rocky Johnson's wrestling career. Because of the family's frequent moves, young Dwayne had a difficult time making friends. He was also teased by other children about his father's profession, and about his size—even as a youngster, Johnson was bigger than average. As a result, he had a quick temper, and as Johnson admitted to Samantha Miller of People, he was even arrested several times for fighting. "It was all youth and stupidity," he explained. In the mid-1980s, however, the Johnsons settled down long enough for Dwayne to begin attending Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where an interest in sports helped calm the young man down.

"My work, my goal, my life, it's like a treadmill. And there's no stop-button on my treadmill. Once I get on, I just keep going."

At Freedom High, Johnson boxed and ran track, but he pursued football with a vengeance, hoping to win a scholarship in order to become the first member of his family to go to college. He was a standout star, and by his senior year he was named to USA Today 's high school All-American team. Before graduation Johnson was recruited by several colleges, but he chose to head to Florida to attend the University of Miami, where he played defensive tackle. He soon became known for his talents on the gridiron, but was also known for his crazy antics. During one game against San Diego in 1992, millions of people watched on television as he raced around the field chasing the opponent's mascot, a man in a giant Aztec warrior costume.

Johnson's future in football looked bright until he suffered a back injury during his senior year. He was so depressed that he cut classes and his grade point average (GPA) dropped to a dangerously low 0.7. Not only was he sitting on the bench, he was also on academic probation. Johnson pulled himself together, thanks in part to his future wife, Dany Garcia, a business major he met while in Miami. Garcia encouraged him to hit the books, and in 1995 he graduated with a degree in criminology and a respectable 2.9 GPA.

Enter Rocky Maivia

Because of his injury, Johnson was not picked to play for the National Football League (NFL) during the 1995 draft, but he still pinned his hopes on a career in pro football. When he was offered a contract by the Calgary Stampeders, he signed on the dotted line and headed to Canada. Life in Canada was miserable. Johnson saw little field action and was paid less than $200 per week to be a practice-squad player. He rented a tiny, dingy apartment and slept on a mattress he found near a local dumpster. His salary left little room for food, so Johnson took to attending every Stampeder meeting, even though he didn't have to, because he knew sandwiches would be served. He was determined to stick it out, but in an abrupt move, Johnson was let go by the football franchise to make room for a former NFL player. "That was hard," he told Zondra Hughes of Ebony. "I was supposed to be reaping the fruits of my labor, and there I was in Canada having to start all over again."

Johnson returned to Florida where both his parents and Dany Garcia lived, and immediately approached his father with a proposal: he wanted to be trained as a wrestler. His decision was made partially out of necessity, but Johnson also had a real love of the sport. After all, he had seen his first wrestling match when he was three weeks old, and when he was six years old his father had taught him such basic moves as the headlock and the armlock. Rocky Johnson, however, had his doubts. He knew that the life of a wrestler was not an easy one and he wanted to spare his son the tough road he had walked. Rocky finally relented, and for the next few months kept the would-be sparrer on a grueling training schedule.

When he felt prepared enough, Johnson contacted a colleague of his grandfather's, who helped open the door for a tryout with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in Corpus Christi, Texas. Although promoters were impressed enough to sign a contract with him, Johnson still had to pay his initial dues by spending some time in Memphis, Tennessee, performing in the WWF second-tier system, the Unites States Wrestling Alliance. During the summer of 1996 Johnson wrestled in promotional matches using the name Flex Kavana, and earned about $40 per night. In August he was given his second professional tryout, this time pitted against a well-known wrestler named Owen Hart. He did so well that he was transferred to Connecticut where the WWF headquarters and training facility were located.

On November 16, 1996, just one year after hitting a low point in Canada, Johnson made his professional wrestling debut at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He performed under the name of Rocky Maivia, a nod to both his father and grandfather. The WWF event was called the Survivor's Series, and Johnson, as Rocky Maivia, was considered to be a "good guy" or, in wrestling terminology, a "babyface." His "bad guy" opponent, or the "heel" in the match, was Paul Levesque, more commonly known as Triple H.

The Rock is unveiled

Johnson quickly became a hit with wrestling crowds, and in February of 1997 he captured his first WWF championship, making him, at age twenty-four, the youngest wrestler to win a belt. But just a few months later Rocky was being booed during matches. Apparently the fickle audience members were becoming much more interested in rooting for the "bad guys," and in a business where image is everything, Johnson had some rethinking to do. In mid-1997, after suffering a knee injury, he took some time off to recuperate, to marry his longtime girlfriend Dany Garcia, and to strategize.

Wrestling in the late 1990s was not the world of wrestling Johnson's father had inhabited. In 1979 the regional federations that existed throughout the United States had been consolidated into a single organization known as the World Wrestling Federation, and by the mid-1980s pro wrestling had evolved from an athletic sport into a form of high-energy entertainment. Wrestlers now admitted that their moves were choreographed and that the outcomes of the matches were pre-determined. Wrestling had become big business, attracting millions of fans and earning millions of dollars for promoters and the main attractions, the wrestlers.

Johnson and WWF writers and producers worked long and hard to come up with just the right image for the handsome, six-foot-four-inch, 270-pound newcomer. What finally emerged was a character named The Rock, who would transform the world of wrestling. According to Johnson, who spoke with Sona Charaipotra of People, "The Rock is Dwayne Johnson with the volume turned all the way up." Wearing black boots, black briefs, and with a tattoo of a Brahma bull on his twenty-two-inch bicep, The Rock was touted as part of the Nation of Domination, a league of "bad boy" wrestlers. He also became a formidable force both inside and outside the ring, especially when he glared at opponents and the press with a menacing lift of his right eyebrow.

When The Rock was unveiled on August 11, 1997, in Jackson, Mississippi, the crowd went wild, and over the next several years fans stood in line to catch the next installment in his wrestling storyline. Producers pitted him against various characters in mock grudge matches, and The Rock won, then lost, then regained his federation championship several times. Along the way, Johnson became perhaps the most popular wrestler in the history of the sport. He was known as The People's Champion, and his signature eyebrow move even took on a name—The People's Eyebrow. In addition, The Rock became a merchandising gold mine. His image appeared on T-shirts, posters, and Halloween masks; and there were Rock action figures and video games. By the 2000s, according to Gillian Flynn of Entertainment Weekly, the WWF was bringing in $120 million in merchandise sales per year, thanks solely to Johnson.

Pins down the big screen

Johnson's appeal was not limited to wrestling fans, although he is credited with almost doubling the WWF's female fan base, thanks in large part to his movie-star good looks. He was so popular that in 2000, when he published his autobiography, The Rock Says, the book stayed on the New York Times bestseller list for an astonishing twenty weeks. Johnson drew record crowds at book signings, and began popping up on television, both to promote his book and to take on small acting roles. He made several appearances on the late-night comedy program Saturday Night Live, and was featured on such TV shows as DAG, Star Trek: Voyager, and That '70's Show. The next logical step was the big screen.

In 2001 Johnson appeared briefly in the summer blockbuster The Mummy Returns, for which he was paid, in Hollywood terms, a paltry $500,000. Although he was given only minutes of screen time, producers were impressed enough that they built a movie around Johnson's Mummy character, called The Scorpion King. The film, which was released in 2002, is an action-adventure movie set in ancient Egypt. Johnson plays Mathayus, a desert warrior who is determined to save his people from an evil conqueror named Memnon. If he succeeds, he will take his rightful place as the Scorpion King. Although the movie was definitely not high drama, considering that Johnson's character spent most of his time swinging a sword and slashing his enemies, the would-be actor took his role seriously. In fact, he worked closely with an acting coach throughout the shooting of the film.

When The Scorpion King hit theaters in April of 2002, it made more than $36 million during its opening weekend. Critics discussed the digitized action sequences and compared the movie to The Mummy, but most focused on Johnson and his million-dollar performance ($5 million, to be exact). In various reviews he was called a big-screen champ and the new face of Hollywood action. As Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly put it, "The Rock commands the screen as naturally as he does the ring."

The most electrifying man in sports

By the mid-2000s, Johnson was a full-fledged movie star. In 2004 he made his dramatic debut in Walking Tall, playing Chris Vaughn, a club-wielding sheriff who battles drug dealers and con artists who threaten to take over his peaceful Washington town. There were also several other movies in the pipeline, including two comedies, Be Cool (2004), a sequel to the 1995 hit Get Shorty, and Instant Karma, slated to open in 2005.

Although busy with his many film roles, Johnson still managed to maintain his hectic wrestling schedule. This meant that between filming he was still out on the road, performing and promoting for more than two hundred days a year. Such a demanding schedule was hard on family life, especially considering that Johnson and Dany had their first child, daughter Simone Alexandra, in 2001. Even on the road, however, Johnson claims that he finds the time to call Dany every day, and he still retains close ties to his mother. As Hughes commented, "The Rock is a mama's boy." But The Rock is also a very determined man who has pumped-up plans for the future. As he told Hughes, "I want to do more in the WWF. I want to do more in the movie industry. Ultimately, I want to be the most electrifying man in sports entertainment, period."

For More Information

Johnson, Dwayne, with Joe Layden. The Rock Says … The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment. New York: Regan Books, 2000.

Periodicals

Charaipotra, Sona. "The Rock Sounds Off." People (April 19, 2004): p. 30.

Flynn, Gillian. "Rock of Ages: Wrestler, Actor, Action Hero?" Entertainment Weekly (May 3, 2002): pp. 10–12.

Gleiberman, Owen. "Rock Formation: The Scorpion King, a Bare-Bones Prequel to the Mummy Movies, Gives The Rock a Solid Step toward Stardom." Entertainment Weekly (April 26, 2003): pp. 117–118.

Gostin, Nicki. "Newsmakers: Interview with The Rock." Newsweek (April 12, 2004): p. 71.

Hughes, Zondra. "The Rock Talks about Race, Wrestling, and Women." Ebony (July 2001): p. 32.

Leyner, Mark. "The Rock is an Onion." Time (April 29, 2002): p. 81.

Miller, Samantha. "Bigger, Boulder: Scorpion King's The Rock, a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson, Wrestles with Fatherhood, Fame—and Flab?." People (May 6, 2002): pp. 109+.

The Rock Official Web site. http://www.therock.com (accessed on July 6, 2004).

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Dwayne Johnson Biography: The Rock of Success

He is the most bankable star in Hollywood – an action hero with a massive, ripped physique who has impeccable comedic timing and a never ending supply of charm. He is also one of the greatest wrestling superstars to ever emerge from the stables of the WWE and the only third generation wrestling star in history. The story of Dwayne Johnson – the Rock – is a tale of dedication, grit and old fashioned hard work. In this week’s Biographics we chart the rise and rise of 2016’s Sexiest Man Alive – Dwayne Johnson.

Formative Years

Dwayne Douglas Johnson was born on May 2nd, 1972 in Hayward County, California. His mother Ata was of Samoan origin, while his father, Wayde, was a Black Nova Scotia. Wayde earned his living as a professional wrestler under the name of ‘Rocky Johnson’. To further entrench the wrestling gene in his blood, Dwayne’s material grandfather had also been a professional wrestler. Promoted as High Chief Peter Maivia, he was the first Samoan wrestler to break into the big time. A generation later, Rocky became the first black champion to conquer the state wrestling scene.

Rocky hustled as a wrestler, taking on bouts wherever he could in order to support his family. Times were tough with the family moving from state to state to keep pace with the wrestling venues. In fact, during Dwayne’s formative years, the family of three lived in 38 of the 50 states as they became entrenched in the gypsy wrestling lifestyle.

The only time Dwayne got to see his dad was when he went on the road with him. He cherished these times and quickly fell in love with everything to do with professional wrestling. His dad taught him some basic moves, including the sleeper hold. When he was eleven, Dwayne was ‘playing’ wrestling one school lunchtime when he put the sleeper hold on a schoolmate. The kid immediately passed out. Unfortunately, Rocky hadn’t shown his son how to bring someone out of the sleeper hold. The ambulance and the police were called and Rocky had to come down to revive the student.

The Johnson house became a hangout for Dwayne’s school-mates, who knew that they were going to have to go several rounds with their host. Dwayne would turn these events into mock TV shows, where he would pretend to interview the wrestlers. He would even interview himself as he portrayed the bad guy. His showmanship was immediately evident as he came out with all sorts of outrageous pronouncements against his intended victims.

Dwayne excelled in a number of sports. Physically he was miles ahead of his classmates. He had his first weights workout when he was thirteen, but he’d been tagging along with his dad to the gym since he was 5 years old. As he sat quietly on a bench and watched proudly as Rocky pounded out set after set with gargantuan weights, Dwayne breathed in the gym atmosphere and marveled at the sight of huge men doing seemingly impossible things with massive loads of iron.

While other dads took their kids to the playground, Rocky took Dwayne to some of the most hardcore gyms in the country. It was here that the future superstar learned that there was no replacement for pure, gut wrenching hard work.

A Love Affair with Iron is Born

At the age of eight, Rocky allowed Dwayne to participate in sports. He tried baseball, soccer, martial arts and gymnastics. What he was really longing to do was to start lifting weights, but he’d have to wait a few more years for that. Finally, on his 13th birthday, his dad took him to a local gym for his first ever weights workout. An obvious place to start was the bench press, which he’d studied for years as his dad and others pressed massive amounts of steel from their chest.

Rocky had his son start with an unloaded bar. He pumped out 10 reps with no problem, so Rocky added a 20-pound plate to each end. This time Dwayne pushed out 8 easy reps. Impressed, Rocky asked his son if he wanted to try the 45 pounders. Dwayne nodded his head. His dad stood behind him and lifted the bar off the supports – and Dwayne got buried under the 135-pound weight.

He felt embarrassed and ashamed – as if he had let his dad down. That feeling fuelled an intense desire to get better at the bench press and within a few years he would be bench pressing 400 pounds.

Between the ages of 14 and 15, Dwayne excelled in the gym. By the time he entered high school he had grown to a towering 6 foot 3 inches and tipped the scales at 225 pounds. His imposing physicality gave him a great deal of self-confidence, which sometimes bordered on arrogance. Eve though he had developed a healthy dose of self-discipline in the gym, his unstable home life, that saw his father constantly travelling, left him directionless when he wasn’t pounding the weights. As a result, he started getting into trouble. It came to a head when he was fifteen and got arrested for check fraud. His parents had to come to collect him from the place station. When he looked at his mother and father he realized that, despite living from paycheck to paycheck, he was the biggest source of stress in their lives. In that moment he vowed that he would never cause problems for his folks again.

Although that was the last time Dwayne got arrested, it wasn’t the last time he caused worry for Rocky and Ata. In fact, the very next day at school he got into a fight and knocked the other kid out. It earned him a two-week suspension. Upon returning to school he decided that the student’s bathroom was not good enough for him and so he decided to use the teacher’s one. When asked to leave he was rude to the teacher and tried to intimidate him with his physical presence.

That night Dwayne felt pangs of guilt at the way he had treated the teacher. So, the next day, he marched into the teacher’s class and holding out his hand, said that he wanted to apologise for the way he had acted the day before. The teacher stared at Dwayne’s hand for a moment then grabbed it and told Dwayne that he appreciated the apology. Then, still holding the boy’s hand, he said. “I want you to play football for me.”

Football Star

Football proved to be a positive outlet for Dwayne’s frustrations and aggressions, providing him with a renewed sense of focus. Under the watchful eye of coach Jody Cwick, he steadily improved, both as a student and as an athlete. By the time he was a high school senior he was ranked as one of the top 10 defensive tackles in the country and was offered a scholarship to the University of Miami, the No.1 college team in the United States.

At Miami, Dwayne’s combination of size, strength and athleticism coupled with his strong work ethic made him a standout from the very beginning. Practices were going great and he was primed to be the only freshman to play on the Varsity team. But then tragedy struck.

On the last day of practice with pads, he crashed to the ground under the full weight of his shoulder. It was dislocated and a number of ligaments were torn. That night he had reconstruction surgery and was told that he’d need a year to recover. He was put before the season had even begun.

“Success isn’t always about ‘Greatness’, it’s about consistency. Consistent, hard work gains success. Greatness will come.”

Dwayne fell into a deep depression, not even bothering to go to class. Then, without even attempting any of his mid-terms, he hopped on a flight and returned home, which at that time was in Tampa, Florida. After a couple of weeks he got a call from Miami’s head coach, Dennis Erickson. He told Dwayne that he wanted him back at school in two days. He wanted to talk to him.

When they met up, Erickson was furious with Johnson. He told him that he had embarrassed himself and the team. Erickson had trusted him with a position of responsibility and leadership and he had completely let him down. Erickson then placed Dwayne under academic probation. He was to attend every class, every practice and every game – sitting on the sideline. However, to get into daily practice he had to get the signatures of every one of his professors attesting that he had been to class that day. If he didn’t, he would lose his scholarship.

Dwayne dug deep and did what had to be done. He eventually became academic captain and in his junior year was pre-season All-American. He graduated from Miami University in 1995 with a Bachelor of General Studies in criminology and physiology.

It was at the University of Miami that Dwayne met Dany Garcia, his future wife. They were married in 1997 and divorced 10 years later.

After a year’s injury recovery, Dwayne wasn’t quite a fast or as mobile on the football field. He was circuit from the team and replaced by Warren Sapp.

After graduation from Miami Dwayne went to Calgary, Canada as a practice squad player for the Stampeders. Things were tough for him in Canada. He had hardly any money and few prospects. But things got worse when he was cut from the Stampeders squad after just two months.

A Wrestler Like His Dad

Arriving back at his parents’ tiny apartment in Tampa, Dwayne was now at rock bottom. His football career was effectively over. He needed to look in another direction. He dug deep and realized that all of his life his passion had been professional wrestling. If he never turned his hand to it, he would forever be unfulfilled. And if he was going to step into that world, now was the time.

His mother and girlfriend encouraged him to go for it, but Dwayne’s dad had major reservations. Rocky knew firsthand just how tough the life of a wrestler was and he wanted more for his son. Yet, he vowed to stand behind his son, so long as he put 11% effort into becoming successful.

Rocky now became Dwayne’s full-time wrestling coach. From the start, though, he taught him much more than wrestling moves. He taught him how to be a showman. After a few months of intensive work, Rocky felt his son was ready to take the next step. He got in touch with a former wrestler named Pat Patterson who was now a talent agent. Patterson came to check out what Dwayne looked like in the ring. Impressed he arranged for a signing with the WWE. Dwayne was put into the minor leagues and was given the name ‘Rocky Maivia’ in homage to both his father and grandfather. He started wrestling in small arenas for $20 a pop, but it didn’t take long before he got his break.

The 1996 WWE Survivor series was televised live on TV from Madison Square Garden – and the new kid on the block was ‘Rocky Maivia.’ He made an immediate impression, establishing himself as a rising WWE star by becoming the last man standing. Rocky Maivia took on a charismatic, in your face persona which proved to be too loud and arrogant for many die-hard WWE fans. His character was rejected for being too tacky and fans came to see Rocky Maivia as an extremely unlikable character. When he wrestled the stadium would be littered with signs reading ‘Rocky Sucks’ and ‘Die Rocky, Die.’ But his perseverance and the constant refining of his character eventually won the fans over.

Fans came to appreciate that Rocky’s narcissism was tongue in cheek, much in the mold of Muhammad Ali and they began to enjoy his over the top sense of humor. When he shortened his name to ‘The Rock’, the fans embraced it and, within a year, he had transformed the wrestler everyone loved to hate to the ‘people’s champ.’

Dominating the WWE

Throughout 1997 and 1998 the Rock had ongoing battles with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H and Mankind. Throughout 1999 the WWF championship belt passed between The Rock and Mankind several times during a series of epic encounters. Then towards the end of ‘99, the two teamed up to become the Rock ‘n Sock Connection and going on to win the tag team championship three times. The Rock and Mankind also performed comedy skits on WWE live telecasts. One of them was a take-off of This is Your Life in which Mankind interviewed people from the Rock’s past. The segment drew an 8.4 Nielsen rating, one of the highest ever for a WWE segment.

“Blood, Sweat and Respect. First Two You Give, Last One You Earn”

In 2001, the Rock was suspended indefinitely during the airing of Raw is War. He used the suspension as an opportunity to move into the acting arena. Still, he would return again and again to the wrestling ring. In 2011 he was the host of Wrestlemania 2011. He spent a large part of the promo build up  insulting and taunting John Cena, who he had already been calling out on social media. A feud developed between the two which continued for another two years.

When he finally stepped away from the wrestling ring in 2016 The Rock had established himself as one of the great pro wrestlers of all time. Hulk Hogan, himself a dominating WWE figure, referred to him as ‘the biggest superstar in the business’, a sentiment which was echoed by John Cena. One of his many catch-phrases, ‘lay the smackdown’, inspired the title of television’s second longest running TV series, Smackdown!

The Rock has also entrenched himself in the WWE record books. He was the first wrestler to win the WWF / WWE championship seven times. And his intercontinental championship reign of 265 days is the longest in the modern era.

A New Career Beckons

Dwayne’s huge popularity as a WWE character allowed him to cross over into mainstream media. His first acting job was in a 1999 episode of That 70’s Show in which played his own father. In 2000, he appeared in Star Trek: Voyager as an alien wrestler. His first movie appearance was a small role in 2001’s The Mummy Returns. The movie was a smash hit, leading to a reprisal of his role, this time as the lead, in The Scorpion King. Johnson was paid $5.5 million for the role, earning him a spot in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest paid actor in a debut, despite it actually being his second movie.

The Scorpion King established Johnson as a bona fide star. With his comedic talents clearly established through his wrestling career, his next film, the action comedy The Rundown was a natural next step. This was followed up with a remake of the true story of kick-ass sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall. This role cemented Johnson’s position as the ultimate hard as nails action hero with a heart of gold.

Over the next few years, Dwayne skipped between comedies and action movies with such films as Be Cool, Doom, Tooth Fairy (a film which was originally written for one of the Rock’s heroes, Arnold Schwarzenegger) and The Fast and The Furious franchise. His debut in Fast and Furious came in the fifth movie, after fans demanded to see a showdown between Johnson and Vin Diesel. The movie was the most successful in the entire franchise, making more than $86 million on its opening weekend. This remains the biggest opening for any Johnson movie.

Dwayne has interspersed his movie roles with appearances on a number of TV shows, many of them aimed at a pre-teen audience. He appeared in episodes of Cory in the House and The Wizards of Waverly Place and was the host of the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Awards in 2009. That year he also appeared several times on Saturday Night Live where he introduced his Rock Obama character, a morphing of President Obama with the Incredible Hulk.

By the end of the 2000’s, Johnson had developed a reputation as a bankable star who could not only carry a new movie, but also had a proven record of being able to revive franchises that were getting tired. He became known as a very busy actor, with at least a couple of new movies coming out each year.

In 2013, Johnson starred in a couple of true life-based movie, Pain and Gain and Empire State. He also announced that year that he was to executive produce and star in an HBO TV series set in the world of professional football called Ballers. In December, 2013, Forbes magazine named Johnson as the highest paid actor of the year, with earnings of $1.3 billion.

“I Like To Use The Hard Times in The Past, To Motivate Me Today”

Ballers, which debuted on HBO in June 2015, proved to be a huge success. Johnson, who plays Spencer Strathmore, a retired NFL player who has gone on to a career as a financial planner for current NFL players, received props for his charm and depth. As of 2018, the show is into its fourth season.

In 2014, Johnson played the title character in Hercules. For this role he stepped up his already grueling workout and nutrition protocol in order to get as impressively muscular as possible. He followed this up with the huge disaster hit San Andreas, before switching back to comedy with Central Intelligence, alongside Kevin Hart.

2016 saw Johnson teaming with Zac Efron for a feature movie version of the classic beach and babes TV series Baywatch. The two hulky actors created a lot of pre-release buzz with their epic beach workouts in which Johnson would present Efron with gut-busting physical challenges. The movie, however, was a box office disappointment.

Johnson finished out 2016 by learning that he had been voted People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive.

The next big project was a remake of the Robin Williams classic Jumanji. Johnson, along with co-stars Jack Black and Kevin Hart, brought a new, updated angle to the story that resonated with fans. The movie has so far brought in $829 million on a $90 million budget.

The Rock’s Anchor

Throughout his life Dwayne has had one constant that has kept him grounded and which he credits as the basis of everything that he has achieved; the gym. From those earliest days when he would sit and watch his father dominate the weights in the 1970’s, the sights, smells and sounds of working out became an integral part of his being.

Dwayne’s workout intensity and dedication have been an inspiration to millions. He hits the gym at 4 o’clock every morning, training for up to 2 hours with heavy basic compound moves, interspersed with cardio to keep his body fat percentage into the single digits. He is a favorite with the bodybuilding community, appearing as a guest host at the 2016 Mr. Olympia competition.

Since 2014, Dwayne has been living in Southwest Ranches in Florida. His first child, Simone, was born in 2001, while he was still married to her mother, Dany. In 2015 his second daughter, Jasmine was born to his girlfriend of 9 years, Lauren Hashian.

Dwayne Johnson has risen from humble beginnings to establish himself as the most bankable movie star of the 21st century. In the process he has brought back to mainstream entertainment the sort of alpha male persona that has been so absent for so long. He has become the people’s champion once again.

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• Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson Is Finally Getting the Recognition He Deserves, and Here's Why It's Long Overdue

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was a big part of my childhood. I've watched him wrestle on WWE since I was 8 years old; while my father and I were never close, sitting on the couch and watching RAW and Smackdown was one of the things we did together, and I looked forward to it every week. Dwayne was recently crowned People 's Sexiest Man Alive, and while it makes me so proud to see how far he's come in his career, the coveted honor means so much more given all the trials and tribulations he's overcome in his life. Not only does his win bring back a special pastime between my dad and I, but the half-Samoan and half-black actor is the first person of color to earn the title in 20 years (Denzel Washington was named in 1996) — and while that's a huge feat in itself, the journey to get there hasn't been an easy one. Despite all the hardships he's endured (a difficult childhood, failed football career, and shattered self-confidence), Dwayne has managed to come out on top: he has become the world's highest-paid male actor, and after years of setbacks, he is finally getting the recognition he deserves. He himself admits he's "reached the pinnacle" of his career , but his resilience, courage, and willingness to push against all odds is the most inspiring part of it all.

Growing up as a teen in Hawaii, Dwayne and his family struggled financially, but he was determined to make a better life for them. At 14, Dwayne came home to find an eviction notice taped to the door of his home, and while he admits that he "was doing a lot of things that I shouldn't have" such as "getting arrested multiple times," he changed his life around, and four years later, he won a full scholarship to the University of Miami for football. In 1995, Dwayne wrote down four goals on a sheet of paper, and one of them was helping his homeless grandmother find a place to live. "She was actually homeless and she was living with another family for over a year. The family would call us and write letters, 'Please, you have to get your grandmother, you have to get your mom,' but we couldn't afford to," he told People . That's when Dwayne decided he was going to get drafted by the NFL after graduation, but sadly, he suffered a knee injury and his football career was cut short. Instead, he graduated with a degree in criminology.

"It wasn't me personally that they didn't like, it's that I wasn't being me. I wasn't being real. I wasn't being authentic."

Forced to reevaluate his life plan, Dwayne decided to join the family business (his grandfather and father were both wrestlers). Still, things weren't as easy as he thought they would be. Dwayne made his wrestling debut on WWE in Nov. 7, 1996 under the name Rocky Maivia, but despite his family's history in wrestling, he was not received with open arms . "That night, 20,000 fans started chanting, 'Rocky sucks.' That was a sobering moment and that was the beginning of the end of my initial run in the WWE." Shortly after, Dwayne suffered an injury and was out for the rest of the Summer. During his time off, he discovered that "it wasn't me personally that they didn't like, it's that I wasn't being me. I wasn't being real. I wasn't being authentic." That's when he decided to go heel and become a wrestling villain. Dwayne made his comeback in August 1997, and upon his return to the ring, he grabbed the microphone as fans chanted "Rocky sucks," and replied, "'I may be a lot of things, but sucks isn't one of them.' In that moment, The Rock was born," he recalled. From that point forward, The Rock became known as "The People's Champ" and his passion for entertaining and storytelling was born , resulting in 17 championship reigns and greater success than he probably ever imagined.

The Rock certainly made a name for himself on WWE, but that still wasn't enough for him. Following his critically acclaimed hosting gig on SNL in 2000 , Dwayne branched out into the acting world and appeared in 2001's The Mummy Returns , which was then followed by a bevy of films including 2002's The Scorpion King , 2006's Gridiron Gang , and 2011's Fast Five . While he's admitted that he was first met with "skepticism and some cynicism" because there was no other actor like him in Hollywood, that didn't stop him from paving his own way, becoming the world's highest-paid male actor , and launching his own production company called Seven Bucks Productions.

Despite all the success, Dwayne remains grateful and doesn't seem to let fame get to his head. He remains a down-to-earth guy and doesn't appear to take anything for granted. He deeply values his family , and this is evident in his close bond with his daughters, Simone and Jasmine. He's also never forgotten or shied away from opening up about his humble beginnings, and constantly reminds us that he had seven dollars to his name when he started his wrestling career.

Sure, Dwayne may have been the obvious choice for this year's Sexiest Man Alive given his ridiculously good looks and golden sense of humor , but the fact that he's overcome odds through sheer determination goes beyond the physical. He's shown the world that if you work hard and want something badly enough, anything is possible. At age 28, Dwayne made the tough decision to change careers from a wrestler to an actor, and while we're sure it was scary to start all over again, Dwayne saw this as an opportunity to further pursue his passion for performing. Dwayne's perseverance serves as a lesson to all of us that the way you play the cards you are dealt in life is far more important than the cards themselves.

• Personal Essay

The untold truth about Dwayne Johnson’s mother Ata Johnson

• Feagaimaleata Fitisemanu ‘Ata Johnson’ Maivia was born in Hawaii, USA in 1948 and is the mother of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson • Ata has been featured in various TV shows related to wrestling and is believed to have been a housewife after giving birth to her son • Ata was married to Rocky Johnson from 1978-2003 and has an estimated net worth of over $3.5 million • Dwayne Douglas ‘The Rock’ Johnson was born in 1972 in California and is a former professional wrestler and successful Hollywood actor • Dwayne was married to Dany Garcia from 1997-2008 and to Lauren Hashian since 2019, and is a father to three daughters.

• 1 Who is Ata Johnson?
• 2 Early life and education
• 3 Ata’s career
• 4 Love life and children
• 5 Hobbies and interesting facts
• 6 Age, height and net worth
• 7 Who is Dwayne Johnson?

Who is Ata Johnson?

Feagaimaleata Fitisemanu ‘Ata Johnson’ Maivia, was born in Hawaii, USA on 25 October 1948 – her zodiac sign is Scorpio and she holds American nationality. She’s probably only known for being the mother of the famous American actor and a former professional wrestler Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson.

Early life and education

Ata was raised in the US by her adoptive father Fanene Leifi Pita Maivia, and her biological mother Ofelia ‘Lia’ Fuatag but not a lot is known about them, as Ata respects their privacy, however, it’s known that they were both professional wrestlers. She hasn’t spoken about having any siblings, and is thus believed to be an only child.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ata Johnson (@atajohnson)

Ata’s parents were wealthy thanks to their involvement in sports, and she grew up having everything a child could wish for. Upon matriculating in 196 6, she chose not to enroll at a college, but to find work and financially support herself.

Ata’s career

Ata hasn’t spoken about her career it’s believed that she was a housewife from the moment she gave birth to her son Dwayne on 2 May 1972.

She has, however, been featured in various TV shows related to wrestling. Ata made her debut appearance in a 1996 episode of the show “WWE, Raw”, while she could’ve then been seen featured in “WrestleMania 2000”, as well as in “The Late Show with David Letterman”. The year 2004 saw her appear in the documentary series “Biography”, and in 2009, she made a guest appearance in an episode of the series “Tagata Pacifika”.

Ata can also have been seen featured in numerous other WWE shows, including “Survivor Series”, “WWE SmackDown Live” and “WrestleMania XXX”.

Love life and children

Ata met the late Rocky Johnson in the late ‘60s, when he was her father’s wrestling partner, and they began dating in the early ‘70s. Even though she became pregnant and gave birth to their son, they still decided not to marry, and it was only six years later on 22 December 1978 that Rocky and Ata exchanged vows in a private ceremony attended by their closest friends and family members. They stayed together until 2003, when they divorced for unknown reasons – on 15 January 2020, Rocky died aged 75.

Rocky was an American-Canadian professional wrestler, the first black Georgia Heavyweight Champion and who, together with Tony Atlas, became the first black team to win the World Tag Team Championship in 1983. He was married once before and once after his marriage with Ata.

As of April 2021, Ata appears to be single, was once married and has a son.

Hobbies and interesting facts

Ata enjoys being in the spotlight, and has kept her son company at several of his red carpet events. She can usually be seen smiling when in his company, so the two are obviously very close.

Life hasn’t always been good to Ata. In 1987 when Dwayne was 15 years old, she was evicted from her apartment, and while driving in her car, she stopped on Interstate 65 in Nashville and walked into the middle of the road wanting to commit suicide by allowing a car to hit her. Luckily, Ata was pulled back to safety by Dwayne.

She likes to travel, and has visited various US states and a couple of European countries, such as England, Italy and France.

In her spare time, Ata likes to watch her son act – a couple of her favorite movies are the franchise “Fast and Furious”, “Jumanji” and “Central Intelligence”.

Age, height and net worth

Ata’s age is 72. She has long black hair which she usually dyes red, and brown eyes; her height is 5ft 5ins (1.65m) and she weighs around 128lbs (58kgs). As of April 2021, her net worth has been estimated at over $3.5 million, most of which she received after her divorce from Rocky, while her son Dwayne’s net worth is reputedly at over $400 million.

Who is Dwayne Johnson?

Dwayne Douglas ‘The Rock’ Johnson was born in Hayward, California USA, on 2 May 1972 – his zodiac sign is Taurus and he holds American nationality. He’s recognized as one of the best professional wrestlers in the history of the sport, as well as one of the most popular Hollywood actors, as his movies have grossed more than $3.5 billion just in North America, and more than $10 billion around the world.

Dwayne attended President William McKinley High School located in Honolulu in Hawaii, and then switched to Glencliff High School, only to eventually move to McGavock High School. He changed schools one more time before matriculating when he moved to Freedom High School in Bethlehem in Pennsylvania.

By the time he turned 18, Dwayne had been arrested on multiple occasions for theft, fighting, and other illegal activities. During these years he was physically highly active , as he played football, practiced track and field and wrestled. He then enrolled at the University of Miami on a football scholarship, and obtained his Bachelor of General Studies degree in physiology and criminology in 1995. Dwayne then launched his football career by signing a contract with the Calgary Stampeders, competing in the Canadian Football League, but this venture lasted for less than a year.

In 1996, he signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), and on 13 February 1997 became the Intercontinental Champion after beating Hunter Hearst Helmsley.

Dwayne wrestled until 2004 when he retired for the first time, but he returned in 2007, and signed a contract with the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He retired again on 3 August 2019.

He’s perhaps even more popular for his acting career, which he launched with an appearance in the episode “That Wrestling Show” of the critically acclaimed comedy series “That ‘70s Show”. His first notable performance was in the 2002 action adventure fantasy movie “The Scorpion King”, in which he played the lead character, while a couple of his following notable roles were in the 2003 action comedy movie “The Rundown”, the 2004 action movie “Walking Tall” and the 2007 cop comedy film “Reno 911!: Miami”.

In 2011, he was invited to play Luke Hobbs in the heist action movie “Fast Five”, which became one of the highest grossing films in the movie franchise “Fast and Furious”, andreprised his role in “Fast & Furious 6” in 2013, and “Furious 7” in 2015. In 2017, he starred in the action adventure comedy movie “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle”, written by 11 people, directed by Jake Kasdan, and which also starred Karen Gilllan and Kevin Hart. It follows four high school students who have teleported into a video game, with the only way back home is to finish the game. The movie won six of the 25 awards for which it was nominated. Dwayne also starred in the film’s 2019 sequel “Jumanji: The Next Level”.

What does it mean? Your Guac is on @TheRock ! May 1- May 5 – get ready and let’s support local restaurants! #GuacOnTheRock #BringTheMana 21+, USA only, where states allow. Official rules in bio. pic.twitter.com/lY95xXTiAK — Teremana Tequila (@Teremana) April 16, 2021

He’s also an author, having published his autobiography in 2000 entitled “The Rock Says…” It became a New York Time’s #1 bestseller, and held its position for a couple of weeks.

Dwayne supported Barack Obama in both the 2008 and the 2012 presidential elections.

On 3 May 1997, he exchanged vows with the American businesswoman and a professional bodybuilder Dany Garcia, and on 14 August 2001 she gave birth to their daughter Simone, but in May 2008, the two’s divorce was finalized. On 18 August 2019, Dwayne married his girlfriend of 12 years Lauren Hashian. He has two daughters with his second wife: Jasmine born on 17 December 2015 and Tiana born on 17 April 2018.As of April 2021, the family of four seems to be leading a happy life together in Los Angeles, California.

As the Senior Writer at The Biography, I lead a dedicated team focused on revealing the untold stories of trailblazers. My deep passion for uncovering hidden narratives compels me to thoroughly investigate each subject, ensuring a harmonious blend of accuracy and engaging storytelling. I am heavily involved in every aspect of the editorial process, from the preliminary research to the publishing details, guaranteeing that each biography not only informs but also captivates and inspires our audience. At The Biography, we are committed to providing meticulous explorations of net worth and achievements of innovators across diverse fields like technology, arts, and philanthropy. My methodology integrates extensive research with narrative skill, designed to forge a connection between our readers and the extraordinary individuals making headlines. By showcasing their journeys, challenges, and contributions, we provide a detailed perspective on those leading advancements and transformations in our society.

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Dwayne Johnson Height, Weight, Age, Wife, Girlfriend, Children, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts about Dwayne Johnson

• Does Dwayne Johnson smoke?: No
• Does Dwayne Johnson drink Alcohol?: Yes
• Dwayne Douglas Johnson is also known as through his ring name “The Rock”.

• He is a Canadian-American actor, producer, and semi-retired professional wrestler currently signed to WWE.
• Dwayne Johnson is the son of Ata Johnson and professional wrestler Rocky Johnson. His maternal grandfather, Peter Maivia, was also a wrestler. His cousin, Savelina Fanene, is also a wrestler currently working for WWE.
• His father is a Black Nova Scotian, and his mother is of Samoan descent. His father was a member of the first black tag team which won the World Tag Team Championship in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
• For a short period of time, Johnson lived in the suburb of Grey Lynn in Auckland, New Zealand, with his mother’s family. He attended Richmond Road Primary School, before returning to the United States with his parents.
• He began playing football at Freedom High School (Pennsylvania) in the East Penn Conference. He was also a part of the school’s track and field and wrestling teams.
• Johnson was a college football player for the University of Miami when he was the student winning a national championship on the 1991 Miami Hurricanes football team.
• In 1996, Johnson made his WWF debut as Rocky Maivia, a combination of his father and grandfather’s ring names, although his real name was accepted by the announcers. In the beginning, he was reluctant to take this ring name but was convinced by Vince McMahon and Jim Ross. He played wrestling constantly until 2004.
• Dwayne Johnson made his film debut as lead actor in  The Scorpion King  in 2002 for which he was paid the US $5.5 million, a world record for an actor in his first starring role. He returned to the WWE for the part-time in 2011 until 2013.
• As of October 2016, Johnson has taken 17 championship reigns in WWE competition incorporating 10 as a world champion, winning the WWF/E Championship eight times and the WCW/World Championship twice.

Dwayne Johnson with the international Championship Belt

• Apart From wrestling, he also set foot in the music world. In the year 2000, he appeared for the short period of time in Wyclef jean’s single “It doesn’t Matter” and in its video too. He also recorded for WWF The Music, Vol 5.
• He even hosted Saturday Night Live with fellow wrestlers Mike Foley, Triple H and The Big Show appearing in the show. He attributes the success of this show for him getting offers from the Hollywood studios.
• In the year 2006, he set up Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation for the betterment of terminally ill children.
• In 2007, he along with his ex-wife donated a million dollar to the University of Miami for the renovation of its football facility. This is the largest donation to the university by its former students.

The Rock says… cover page

• Forbes  named Dwayne Johnson in the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities in 2013.
• He became the world’s highest-paid actor in 2016.
• Time listed him one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2016.
• Muscle & Fitness named Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as their “Man of the Century” in 2015.

References/Sources: [ + ]

• general knowledge

Dwayne Johnson Biography: Early Life, Wrestling Career, Hollywood Filmography, Net Worth, Personal Life & More

Dwayne “the rock” johnson is one of the most popular celebrities in the world. dive in to know about his biography, film career and wrestling days here..

Dwayne Johnson, also known by his stage name “The Rock,” is one of the most famous people on the planet. The former professional wrestler has amassed a huge fanbase thanks to his insane exploits in the WWE and subsequent Hollywood career.

Johnson is considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers in history and has been part of several box-office blockbuster franchises like the Fast and Furious series, Jumanji and the DCEU. His films have grossed over $3.5 billion in North America and over $10.5 billion worldwide.

However, The Rock is known for his charming yet intense persona that translates onto the screen as well. He usually plays gruff, burly men like Agent Hobbs in the Fast and Furious series.

Johnson had a major falling out with his co-star Vin Diesel during the filming of The Fate of the Furious (2018) and but has decided to let bygones be bygones and return to the franchise in a solo film. At age 51, The Rock is showing no signs of slowing down. Read on to learn about his inspirational life journey, wrestling career, Hollywood filmography and personal life here.

Dwayne Johnson Biography

Dwayne Johnson Early Life

• Dwayne Douglas Johnson was born in Hayward, California to Ata Johnson and Rocky Johnson, a former professional wrestler.
• Johnson is of mixed ethnicity, African-American and Irish from his father’s side and Samoan from his mother’s.
• He briefly lived in Auckland, New Zealand growing up and played rugby.
• Johnson’s father and Tony Atlas became the first black tag team champions in WWE history in 1983.
• Johnson had a tumultuous childhood and was arrested several times for fighting, theft, and check fraud as a juvenile.
• He turned his life around after joining the football team of Freedom High School. Johnson achieved remarkable success as a defensive tackle and was considered one of the top high school players.
• Johnson accepted an athletic scholarship offer from the University of Miami and chose to pursue a full-time career in football.
• Johnson also wrestled during his high school days and graduated college with a major in Criminology and physiology.

Dwayne The Rock Johnson in WWE

• Dwayne Johnson continued to play defensive tackle at the University of Miami and enjoyed a good few years of success. He was later signed by the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.
• However, multiple injuries and lack of playing time resulted in him being cut by Calgary, and he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps to become a professional wrestler.
• Johnson had a gift for speaking and used it to his advantage in wrestling.
• Initially, Johnson was billed as Rocky Maivia and quickly climbed his way to the top of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF).
• Johnson competed in WrestleMania 13 on March 23, 1997, and defended his Intercontinental Championship against The Sultan. After more victories, fans began turning on Johnson, and he was often welcomed to boos and chants of “die, Rocky, die” and “Rocky Sucks.”
• However, everything changed after Johnson, then Maivia, lost his title to Owen Hart in Raw Is War. He returned several months later due to a knee injury and turned heel for the first time.
• Johnson began calling him the “Rock” and regularly insult the audience, fellow performers and interviewers.
• The Rock feuded with Steve “Stone Cold” Austin, Triple H and Ken Shamrock in the late 90s.
• The Rock won multiple WWF championships and skyrocketed in popularity. He is considered the most accomplished and recognized pro-wrestlers today. His impressive (269-163-40) record speaks for itself.
• The Rock continued to wrestle occasionally in the mid to late 2000s and often made surprise appearances. He permanently retired from professional wrestling on August 3, 2019.

Dwayne Johnson in Hollywood

• The Rock’s charming trash-talker persona appealed to the fans, and due to popular demand, he made appearances on several pop-culture phenomenons like That ‘70s Show, Star Trek: Voyager, and Saturday Night Live (SNL).
• It was only a matter of time before he made his Hollywood debut.
• The Rock’s first film role was as The Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns.
• He starred in action and comedy movies mainly The Rundown, Walking Tall, Doom and get smart.
• Johnson got his big break when he played Luke Hobbs in Fast Five (2011), a role he reprised in the following three instalments as well.
• He went on to play the leading man in multiple blockbusters like Hercules, Pain & Gain, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Rampage, Moana, Skyscraper, San Andreas and Hobbs & Shaw.
• Johnson played his dream role of iconic DC comics anti-hero Black Adam in the titular 2022 movie.

Dwayne Johnson's Personal Life and Net Worth

• Dwayne Johnson married twice: Lauren Hashian (2019 - ) and Dany Garcia (1997 - 2008), and has three daughters.
• Johnson is known as a family man and often portrays similar roles in his films as well. He is also a renowned philanthropist and activist.
• Johnson voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections.
• He regularly donates to charity and is outspoken about issues facing the Samoan people.
• Thanks to his incredible film success, lucrative pro-wrestling career and stint as a film producer, Dwayne Johnson has amassed a wealth of $800 million.
• He is the fifth most followed personality on Instagram (381M followers) and one of the highest-paid actors in the world.

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Dwayne Johnson remembers late dad on birthday: 'Wish I could hug him one more time'

Dwayne Johnson remembered his father, Rocky Johnson , on the former wrestler's birthday in a sweet Instagram post .

"Happy heavy birthday to the Soulman 🕊️❤️," wrote Dwayne Johnson over the weekend, calling his late father by his nickname.

Dwayne Johnson recounted his father's career as an early wrestler making a name for himself.

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Dwayne johnson pays tribute to his late father in touching post.

"My old man was a real trailblazer as a pro wrestler coming up in the 60's, 70's & 80's,"he wrote. "As a black athlete he change a lot of people's racial behaviors over the years with his in ring talent and his insane work ethic in the gym.”

The "Moana" star also touched on the "complicated" relationship he shared with his father, noting that it was always a shared love.

"He taught me lessons - good and not good. Sometimes that father/son dynamic can be a complicated one, but in the end - it's still love,"he wrote.

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"I miss my old man, and wish I could hug him one more time. Happy Birthday Soulman 🥃❤️,"wrote Dwayne Johnson.

Rocky Johnson, who died in 2020, was described by the WWE as "physically imposing and wildly charismatic." Dwayne Johnson helped induct his father Rocky Johnson into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008.

Dwayne Johnson mourned his father in a post on Instagram announcing his death in January 2020.

"I was the boy sitting in the seats, watching and adoring you, my hero from afar. The boy you raised to always be proud of our cultures and proud of who and what I am. The boy you raised with the toughest of love. The intense work. The hard hand. The adoring boy who wanted to know only your best qualities,"he wrote.

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Dwayne Johnson remembers late dad on birthday: 'Wish I could hug him one more time'

Rocky Johnson was a WWE Hall of Famer.

Dwayne Johnson remembered his father, Rocky Johnson , on the former wrestler's birthday in a sweet Instagram post .

"Happy heavy birthday to the Soulman 🕊️❤️," wrote Dwayne Johnson over the weekend, calling his late father by his nickname.

Dwayne Johnson recounted his father's career as an early wrestler making a name for himself.

Dwayne Johnson pays tribute to his late father in touching post

"My old man was a real trailblazer as a pro wrestler coming up in the 60's, 70's & 80's,"he wrote. "As a black athlete he change a lot of people's racial behaviors over the years with his in ring talent and his insane work ethic in the gym.”

The "Moana" star also touched on the "complicated" relationship he shared with his father, noting that it was always a shared love.

"He taught me lessons - good and not good. Sometimes that father/son dynamic can be a complicated one, but in the end - it's still love,"he wrote.

Editor’s Picks

Dwayne Johnson will induct his grandmother into WWE Hall of Fame

Dwayne Johnson, who plays hero in 'Black Adam,' surprises a 'real-life hero'

"I miss my old man, and wish I could hug him one more time. Happy Birthday Soulman 🥃❤️,"wrote Dwayne Johnson.

Rocky Johnson, who died in 2020, was described by the WWE as "physically imposing and wildly charismatic." Dwayne Johnson helped induct his father Rocky Johnson into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008.

Dwayne Johnson mourned his father in a post on Instagram announcing his death in January 2020.

"I was the boy sitting in the seats, watching and adoring you, my hero from afar. The boy you raised to always be proud of our cultures and proud of who and what I am. The boy you raised with the toughest of love. The intense work. The hard hand. The adoring boy who wanted to know only your best qualities,"he wrote.

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