In 2023, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (full name: Dwayne Douglas Johnson) has become a household name, and almost everyone knows who he is.
Whether you know him for his long career as an actor or his dazzling profession as a wrestler, there is no doubt: you know him. And why not ?
Everyone knows who “The Rock” is!
Credit: Disney/Canva
LEARN MORE: Is he leaving Hollywood behind? Amid Controversy, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Returns to Pro Wrestling
In a relatively short time, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has risen from humble beginnings to one of the highest-paid and highest-grossing actors in the world, with his films grossing a total of over $14 billion.
Before he began acting, “The Rock” also played a major role in the evolution and growth of the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment). In the late 1990s and early 2000s, World Wrestling Entertainment experienced an industry boom due, in part, to the involvement of Dwayne Johnson.
From the WWE Champion’s feud with John Cena to his friendship with Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson has undoubtedly come a long way. But he was not always so successful, especially in the field of wrestling…
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wasn’t always so successful
Credit: Flickr/Megan Elice Meadows
LEARN MORE: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Caught in Major Controversy After Asking Working Class Fans for Money
It’s no secret that Johnson is one of the richest actors and entertainers of his time, but that wasn’t always the case. The retired professional wrestler’s beginnings were humble. Unlike so many artists in today’s world, he rose to the top of the ladder with nothing but determination, courage and personal motivation.
That’s not the only thing that sets Dwayne Johnson apart from other multi-millionaires; the former professional wrestler never set out to become an entertainment industry mogul.
Credit: ABC, Canva
LEARN MORE: Surprising results: Dwayne Johnson and his French toast versus Walt Disney World’s tonga toast
I repeat, it was not millions of dollars that motivated “The Rock”, but the simple desire to earn enough money to get by and live comfortably without struggling.
A recent report points out that when Dwayne Johnson started wrestling, all he earned at home was a minimum of $40 a day. The WWE Champion was recently featured on The Pivot Podcast, where he shared some of his early activities:
So this was before WWE… It was called USWA… The guarantee each night was $40. No matter where you were on the map, that was your guarantee… We’ll go to what’s called the “Gadget Table”. And we would have our Polaroid. So if we wrestled on the card and say we already wrestled for the night, you get forty dollars, guaranteed… We would have our polaroids and anyone who wanted to take a polaroid with you, you would sign it. [for] Five dollars. Take it: five dollars, sign it: ten dollars. This is how we made our extra money. So on a good night I could make maybe $80.
Credit: ABC News
LEARN MORE: Dwayne Johnson Needs Live-Action ‘Moana’ Movie More Than Anyone – Here’s Why
A meager $40 to $80 per night isn’t enough to pay the bills, put food on the table, put gas in the car, and have enough money to cover other living expenses. So, “The Rock” knew he had to do more to create a better life for himself and his family, and he began to work harder at his wrestling career:
My goal was not to be here – in Hollywood, making movies… that was never my goal. And [to be] totally honest with you, my goal was just to not be broke… I think it’s because I had a really hard time growing up […] and I saw what the end of the road was. So for me it was: I can’t be broke. I don’t want this for them, and I don’t want this for my family
Given the overlap between Johnson’s career as a professional wrestler and his acting career, we can see a correlation in how he followed lucrative opportunities, gradually moving up the ranks.
From San Andreas (2015) to Red Notice (2021) to Fast (2023), every Dwayne Johnson movie goes back to that go-getter attitude of rising above your station and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
From one industrial boom to another…
Credit: Universal
LEARN MORE: Dwayne Johnson’s daughter ‘kidnapped’
Dwayne Johnson’s first appearance on the big screen was only in The Mummy returns (2001), where he starred alongside Brendan Frasier, as Mathayus. Soon after, Johnson starred in The Scorpion King (2002), and thus a new stage in the wrestler’s career was reached.
Suddenly, the WWE Champion was appearing and starring in everything from family comedies to raunchy and irreverent adult comedies. The wrestler’s charm and sense of humor translated well to the big screen, and it didn’t take long for “The Rock” to dazzle audiences.
Once the Fast and Furious The series began, Dwayne Johnson’s place in Hollywood was practically assured… But all good things must come to an end.
Where is he now? What happened to “The Rock” and his empire?
Credit: Ododo George on Flickr
LEARN MORE: Universal Studios terminates contract with actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Unfortunately, as the adage coined by Robert Frost goes, “Nothing gold can stay,” Johnson’s massive success began to fade.
Even though Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is still a household name and one of the most successful artists of all time, his career has started to peak and we are now seeing a downhill slide.
Credit: DC
LEARN MORE: Disney reportedly cuts ties with Dwayne Johnson as $3 billion kidnapping trial moves forward
We can’t pinpoint exactly where the film’s failures began, but some notable failures include Disney’s. Jungle cruise (2021), which also starred Emily Blunt, and DC Studios’ Black Adam (2022) adaptation.
Johnson must have noticed the trend associated with the average, modern “Dwayne Johnson movie,” because he quickly signed on for a live-action adaptation of Moana (2016), a film that is not yet ten years old. It appears to be a desperate attempt to stay relevant and revive a stalled filmography.
Credit: Stewart vs. Stewart, Flickr
LEARN MORE: Disney, Netflix and Universal Studios sue Dwayne Johnson for copyright infringement, win multi-million dollar settlement
As if that wasn’t enough, Johnson recently found himself in a sticky situation with the general public due to a recent scandal involving the Maui wildfires.
So, we wonder: what’s next for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? Will he once again manage to get back up and save his stalled career? Or will the artist find himself retiring shortly after the live-action Moana redo? Only time will tell, at this point.
What do you think are Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s next moves? Let us know in the comments!
In 2023, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (full name: Dwayne Douglas Johnson) has become a household name, and almost everyone knows who he is.
Whether you know him for his long career as an actor or his dazzling profession as a wrestler, there is no doubt: you know him. And why not ?
Everyone knows who “The Rock” is!
Credit: Disney/Canva
LEARN MORE: Is he leaving Hollywood behind? Amid Controversy, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Returns to Pro Wrestling
In a relatively short time, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has risen from humble beginnings to one of the highest-paid and highest-grossing actors in the world, with his films grossing a total of over $14 billion.
Before he began acting, “The Rock” also played a major role in the evolution and growth of the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment). In the late 1990s and early 2000s, World Wrestling Entertainment experienced an industry boom due, in part, to the involvement of Dwayne Johnson.
From the WWE Champion’s feud with John Cena to his friendship with Kevin Hart, Dwayne Johnson has undoubtedly come a long way. But he was not always so successful, especially in the field of wrestling…
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson wasn’t always so successful
Credit: Flickr/Megan Elice Meadows
LEARN MORE: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Caught in Major Controversy After Asking Working Class Fans for Money
It’s no secret that Johnson is one of the richest actors and entertainers of his time, but that wasn’t always the case. The retired professional wrestler’s beginnings were humble. Unlike so many artists in today’s world, he rose to the top of the ladder with nothing but determination, courage and personal motivation.
That’s not the only thing that sets Dwayne Johnson apart from other multi-millionaires; the former professional wrestler never set out to become an entertainment industry mogul.
Credit: ABC, Canva
LEARN MORE: Surprising results: Dwayne Johnson and his French toast versus Walt Disney World’s tonga toast
I repeat, it was not millions of dollars that motivated “The Rock”, but the simple desire to earn enough money to get by and live comfortably without struggling.
A recent report points out that when Dwayne Johnson started wrestling, all he earned at home was a minimum of $40 a day. The WWE Champion was recently featured on The Pivot Podcast, where he shared some of his early activities:
So this was before WWE… It was called USWA… The guarantee each night was $40. No matter where you were on the map, that was your guarantee… We’ll go to what’s called the “Gadget Table”. And we would have our Polaroid. So if we wrestled on the card and say we already wrestled for the night, you get forty dollars, guaranteed… We would have our polaroids and anyone who wanted to take a polaroid with you, you would sign it. [for] Five dollars. Take it: five dollars, sign it: ten dollars. This is how we made our extra money. So on a good night I could make maybe $80.
Credit: ABC News
LEARN MORE: Dwayne Johnson Needs Live-Action ‘Moana’ Movie More Than Anyone – Here’s Why
A meager $40 to $80 per night isn’t enough to pay the bills, put food on the table, put gas in the car, and have enough money to cover other living expenses. So, “The Rock” knew he had to do more to create a better life for himself and his family, and he began to work harder at his wrestling career:
My goal was not to be here – in Hollywood, making movies… that was never my goal. And [to be] totally honest with you, my goal was just to not be broke… I think it’s because I had a really hard time growing up […] and I saw what the end of the road was. So for me it was: I can’t be broke. I don’t want this for them, and I don’t want this for my family
Given the overlap between Johnson’s career as a professional wrestler and his acting career, we can see a correlation in how he followed lucrative opportunities, gradually moving up the ranks.
From San Andreas (2015) to Red Notice (2021) to Fast (2023), every Dwayne Johnson movie goes back to that go-getter attitude of rising above your station and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.
From one industrial boom to another…
Credit: Universal
LEARN MORE: Dwayne Johnson’s daughter ‘kidnapped’
Dwayne Johnson’s first appearance on the big screen was only in The Mummy returns (2001), where he starred alongside Brendan Frasier, as Mathayus. Soon after, Johnson starred in The Scorpion King (2002), and thus a new stage in the wrestler’s career was reached.
Suddenly, the WWE Champion was appearing and starring in everything from family comedies to raunchy and irreverent adult comedies. The wrestler’s charm and sense of humor translated well to the big screen, and it didn’t take long for “The Rock” to dazzle audiences.
Once the Fast and Furious The series began, Dwayne Johnson’s place in Hollywood was practically assured… But all good things must come to an end.
Where is he now? What happened to “The Rock” and his empire?
Credit: Ododo George on Flickr
LEARN MORE: Universal Studios terminates contract with actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
Unfortunately, as the adage coined by Robert Frost goes, “Nothing gold can stay,” Johnson’s massive success began to fade.
Even though Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is still a household name and one of the most successful artists of all time, his career has started to peak and we are now seeing a downhill slide.
Credit: DC
LEARN MORE: Disney reportedly cuts ties with Dwayne Johnson as $3 billion kidnapping trial moves forward
We can’t pinpoint exactly where the film’s failures began, but some notable failures include Disney’s. Jungle cruise (2021), which also starred Emily Blunt, and DC Studios’ Black Adam (2022) adaptation.
Johnson must have noticed the trend associated with the average, modern “Dwayne Johnson movie,” because he quickly signed on for a live-action adaptation of Moana (2016), a film that is not yet ten years old. It appears to be a desperate attempt to stay relevant and revive a stalled filmography.
Credit: Stewart vs. Stewart, Flickr
LEARN MORE: Disney, Netflix and Universal Studios sue Dwayne Johnson for copyright infringement, win multi-million dollar settlement
As if that wasn’t enough, Johnson recently found himself in a sticky situation with the general public due to a recent scandal involving the Maui wildfires.
So, we wonder: what’s next for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? Will he once again manage to get back up and save his stalled career? Or will the artist find himself retiring shortly after the live-action Moana redo? Only time will tell, at this point.
What do you think are Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s next moves? Let us know in the comments!
