ROCK SOLID FUTURE
The Rock Talks about Wrestling, Acting and Walking Tall
BY HEATHER WADOWSKI TURK
When WWE superstar The Rock (a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson) first decided to pursue a career in Hollywood, skeptics were waiting for the wrestler to star in the next Mr. Nanny (starring wrestler Hulk Hogan). However, three consecutive blockbusters later, The Rock is proving that he has just as much star power on the big screen as he ever did in the ring.
But just because The Rock came to Hollywood with millions — along with millions of Rock fans watching his every move — doesn’t mean the wrestler/actor is taking his newfound big-screen success for granted. Never one to forget his roots, The Rock’s constantly making sure he repays his debts to the WWE, organization that gave him his start, while making sure he does everything in his power to be taken seriously in Hollywood.
In MGM’s Walking Tall, The Rock plays Chris Vaughn, a retired soldier who returns to his hometown only to discover that it’s overrun with crime, drugs and violence. Determined to make his home safe again, Vaughn gets himself elected sheriff and does everything in his power to save his hometown — even if it means jeopardizing his own life. Inspired by a true story, The Rock made sure he did his research prior to accepting the role, even though he had the original conception of bringing the story back to the big screen.
"Not many people know this, but I was actually the one who went to the studio with the idea in mind," The Rock states. "No one ever came to me. I was a fan of the original movie. And even though Walking Tall is an adaptation, not a remake, of the ’70s film — we changed Buford Pusser’s name to Chris Vaughn and moved the story from the South to the Pacific Northwest — when you take on a task like this — a really classic movie from that genre that’s also a true story — it’s important to get the blessing of the family involved. I made sure I let them and the people of that county know that I took on this project with a lot of passion. I had a lot of respect for what they had to endure."
Respect is something The Rock has earned much of over the years. Though he’s quick to talk smack in the ring, The Rock has never been one to put himself on a pedestal. Always ready to poke fun at himself and his wrestling trademarks, The Rock’s down-to-earth personality is what makes him electrifying both on and off the big screen. The Rock also continues to be involved in the WWE, recently helping put over the newest generation of superstars (like Randy Orton at Wrestlemania XX).
As far as his status as a sex symbol, The Rock still gets tongue-tied whenever the subject comes up. "Being a sex symbol sounds completely ridiculous to me," he says with a laugh. "If you could only smell my breath in the morning. And if I had hair, it would be everywhere — I would just grow this giant afro."
Rock-hard abs and pearly whites aside, The Rock’s charisma definitely plays an important part in his sex symbol status. And for someone who’s already accomplished more in 31 years than most people do in a lifetime, when asked what his greatest accomplishment is, it’s hard for a girl’s heart not to melt when he replies, "his daughter."
"I grew up in wrestling, so having that reaction with a live audience — whether it be 500 people or 50,000 people — that’s amazing. But the world really begins to turn when you become a parent. You instantly become less selfish. I was an only child so I was always very selfish growing up, but when I had my daughter, it just fired me up even more to work harder and tackle the fucking world."
One can only wonder though how long The Rock can balance tackling both the wrestling and film worlds. Between two grueling schedules, there isn’t much time for The Rock to spend with his family. The Rock even admits to looking around the locker room at Wrestlemania XX, wondering whom he could possibly come back to fight to help infuse money into the organization. It’s this future uncertainty of the WWE that helps The Rock understand why fellow WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar (the man who replaced The Rock as the youngest WWE Champion ever) recently decided to follow his own dreams of playing in the NFL.
"I offered him my support at Wrestlemania and wished him luck," The Rock says. "It’s a gutsy, ballsy decision to enter uncharted territory like that, and the NFL is comprised of the greatest athletes in the world. But you can just see it in Brock’s eyes, he doesn’t want to wake up at 30 and say, ‘I wish … I just wish." I knew, though, before I put him over in the ring a year and a half ago," says The Rock with a laugh.
Joking aside, The Rock knows how hard it can be to leave wrestling at the top of your game, but he also knows that sometimes the gamble can pay off. With Walking Tall hitting theaters April 2 and Be Cool, the sequel to Get Shorty, due to release at the end of the year, The Rock’s track record in Hollywood may soon look as impressive as his wrestling resume.
But no matter how many movies The Rock headlines that debut at number one, one thing will always remain the same: The Rock will never be too big to come back home to the WWE.
"The only thing I can do right now is to continue to do what I’m doing and stay truthful to myself," The Rock says. "Sure, I want to grow professionally, but I respect the wrestling business. I grew up in that business and I’d do anything for it. When it’s time for me to come back, sure, we’ll have to feel everything out, but as long as the writing is fresh, we’ll be golden."
s Walking Tall, The Rock plays Chris Vaughn, a retired soldier who returns to his hometown only to discover that it’s overrun with crime, drugs and violence. Determined to make his home safe again, Vaughn gets himself elected sheriff and does everything in his power to save his hometown — even if it means jeopardizing his own life. Inspired by a true story, The Rock made sure he did his research prior to accepting the role, even though he had the original conception of bringing the story back to the big screen.
"Not many people know this, but I was actually the one who went to the studio with the idea in mind," The Rock states. "No one ever came to me. I was a fan of the original movie. And even though Walking Tall is an adaptation, not a remake, of the ’70s film — we changed Buford Pusser’s name to Chris Vaughn and moved the story from the South to the Pacific Northwest — when you take on a task like this — a really classic movie from that genre that’s also a true story — it’s important to get the blessing of the family involved. I made sure I let them and the people of that county know that I took on this project with a lot of passion. I had a lot of respect for what they had to endure."
Respect is something The Rock has earned much of over the years. Though he’s quick to talk smack in the ring, The Rock has never been one to put himself on a pedestal. Always ready to poke fun at himself and his wrestling trademarks, The Rock’s down-to-earth personality is what makes him electrifying both on and off the big screen. The Rock also continues to be involved in the WWE, recently helping put over the newest generation of superstars (like Randy Orton at Wrestlemania XX).
As far as his status as a sex symbol, The Rock still gets tongue-tied whenever the subject comes up. "Being a sex symbol sounds completely ridiculous to me," he says with a laugh. "If you could only smell my breath in the morning. And if I had hair, it would be everywhere — I would just grow this giant afro."
Rock-hard abs and pearly whites aside, The Rock’s charisma definitely plays an important part in his sex symbol status. And for someone who’s already accomplished more in 31 years than most people do in a lifetime, when asked what his greatest accomplishment is, it’s hard for a girl’s heart not to melt when he replies, "his daughter."
"I grew up in wrestling, so having that reaction with a live audience — whether it be 500 people or 50,000 people — that’s amazing. But the world really begins to turn when you become a parent. You instantly become less selfish. I was an only child so I was always very selfish growing up, but when I had my daughter, it just fired me up even more to work harder and tackle the fucking world."
One can only wonder though how long The Rock can balance tackling both the wrestling and film worlds. Between two grueling schedules, there isn’t much time for The Rock to spend with his family. The Rock even admits to looking around the locker room at Wrestlemania XX, wondering whom he could possibly come back to fight to help infuse money into the organization. It’s this future uncertainty of the WWE that helps The Rock understand why fellow WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar (the man who replaced The Rock as the youngest WWE Champion ever) recently decided to follow his own dreams of playing in the NFL.
"I offered him my support at Wrestlemania and wished him luck," The Rock says. "It’s a gutsy, ballsy decision to enter uncharted territory like that, and the NFL is comprised of the greatest athletes in the world. But you can just see it in Brock’s eyes, he doesn’t want to wake up at 30 and say, ‘I wish … I just wish." I knew, though, before I put him over in the ring a year and a half ago," says The Rock with a laugh.
Joking aside, The Rock knows how hard it can be to leave wrestling at the top of your game, but he also knows that sometimes the gamble can pay off. With Walking Tall hitting theaters April 2 and Be Cool, the sequel to Get Shorty, due to release at the end of the year, The Rock’s track record in Hollywood may soon look as impressive as his wrestling resume.
But no matter how many movies The Rock headlines that debut at number one, one thing will always remain the same: The Rock will never be too big to come back home to the WWE.
"The only thing I can do right now is to continue to do what I’m doing and stay truthful to myself," The Rock says. "Sure, I want to grow professionally, but I respect the wrestling business. I grew up in that business and I’d do anything for it. When it’s time for me to come back, sure, we’ll have to feel everything out, but as long as the writing is fresh, we’ll be golden."
When WWE superstar The Rock (a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson) first decided to pursue a career in Hollywood, skeptics were waiting for the wrestler to star in the next Mr. Nanny (starring wrestler Hulk Hogan). However, three consecutive blockbusters later, The Rock is proving that he has just as much star power on the big screen as he ever did in the ring.