Black Widow
08-20-2009, 05:55 PM
IT'S amazing to think that it has been 10 years since The Rock first tried his hand at acting.
And while WWE fans miss the self-proclaimed Great One doing his thing in the ring, we all have to admit that he's proved pretty handy in Hollywood.
Now in an exclusive interview, the star reflects on leaving wrestling and his decade in the movie business.
Using his real name of Dwayne Johnson but still answering to his wrestling moniker, the former WWE world champion said: "Ten years ago I knew that I wanted to be a good actor as I wound down my wrestling career.
"I hoped to find good material that would work and be entertaining.
"There is a great amount of acting in wrestling and wrestling is a great form of entertainment.
"For me that training ground was really invaluable because I did not go to school for acting. I went to school for football and studied criminology.
"I knew it was going to take time and 10 years went by pretty quickly.
"When celebrities and sports stars, or people that are successful in another area, cross over into movies, they're always encouraged to bring that same tenacity and that same relentless drive that you had to make it.
"You have to apply that to acting.
"So, for me 10 years ago when I got into acting, it was important for me to become a good actor but I also knew that I had to commit myself.
"And in order to do that I had to solely focus on one thing and try to work with good directors."
The Race To Witch Mountain star also remembers that his famous wrestling father, Rocky Johnson, tried to talk to him out of ever becoming a grappler.
Looking back on breaking the news that he wanted to become a professional wrestler, Rock recalls: "He didn't take it very well. We lived the life that you saw in the movie, The Wrestler. That essentially was my dad.
"The character that Mickey Rourke played so wonderfully was my dad. So when I graduated from college and had an opportunity to play pro football, naturally it was easy for my father to say he did not want me to wrestle.
"He had nothing to show from a wrestling career. We lived in a one-bedroom apartment and he did not want that life for me.
"But instinctively I thought I had something to offer that world of entertainment.
"It took a little of convincing him but eventually we worked together. But being a parent I now understand where my dad was coming from."
Rock is currently one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood and will go down in history as one of the greatest stars in the history of the WWE.
But he very nearly ended up in a very different place — jail.
He admitted: "I had a very checkered past. I got into trouble a lot and had multiple arrests.
"For a lot of years I struggled to stay on the right path. I had multiple arrests by the time that I was 17.
"The last time I was arrested, my parents came down to the police station to get me.
"My parents were struggling at that time, even to put food on the table.
"That was a lot of stress at that time and I was adding to it. When they came to the police station I remember their disappointment.
"For years the disappointment had never bothered me but for some reason this time the disappointment in their eyes moved me.
"And that was when I realised that I was causing a lot of pain for my parents and I did not want to continue to do that.
"About the same time I had a run-in with the high school (American) football coach.
"I did not even play football at that time but I had a run-in with him when I wanted to use the bathroom.
"I did not want to use the students' bathroom because it smelled of smoke so I went to the teachers' bathroom.
"He came in and said I could not be in there. I was very arrogant and said I would leave in a second.
"He told me again to get out and eventually I brushed by, putting on my best mean face. That night it dawned on me what an ass I was.
"The next day I sought out the teacher and apologised for being such a jerk. He shook my hand and asked me to play football.
"That guy became such a great figure in my life, a mentor. He has since passed away but he saw potential in me when I did not."
We can all be thankful that he did.
Rock's latest movie Race To Witch Mountain is available on Disney DVD and Blu-ray from August 24.
The Sun
And while WWE fans miss the self-proclaimed Great One doing his thing in the ring, we all have to admit that he's proved pretty handy in Hollywood.
Now in an exclusive interview, the star reflects on leaving wrestling and his decade in the movie business.
Using his real name of Dwayne Johnson but still answering to his wrestling moniker, the former WWE world champion said: "Ten years ago I knew that I wanted to be a good actor as I wound down my wrestling career.
"I hoped to find good material that would work and be entertaining.
"There is a great amount of acting in wrestling and wrestling is a great form of entertainment.
"For me that training ground was really invaluable because I did not go to school for acting. I went to school for football and studied criminology.
"I knew it was going to take time and 10 years went by pretty quickly.
"When celebrities and sports stars, or people that are successful in another area, cross over into movies, they're always encouraged to bring that same tenacity and that same relentless drive that you had to make it.
"You have to apply that to acting.
"So, for me 10 years ago when I got into acting, it was important for me to become a good actor but I also knew that I had to commit myself.
"And in order to do that I had to solely focus on one thing and try to work with good directors."
The Race To Witch Mountain star also remembers that his famous wrestling father, Rocky Johnson, tried to talk to him out of ever becoming a grappler.
Looking back on breaking the news that he wanted to become a professional wrestler, Rock recalls: "He didn't take it very well. We lived the life that you saw in the movie, The Wrestler. That essentially was my dad.
"The character that Mickey Rourke played so wonderfully was my dad. So when I graduated from college and had an opportunity to play pro football, naturally it was easy for my father to say he did not want me to wrestle.
"He had nothing to show from a wrestling career. We lived in a one-bedroom apartment and he did not want that life for me.
"But instinctively I thought I had something to offer that world of entertainment.
"It took a little of convincing him but eventually we worked together. But being a parent I now understand where my dad was coming from."
Rock is currently one of the most sought after actors in Hollywood and will go down in history as one of the greatest stars in the history of the WWE.
But he very nearly ended up in a very different place — jail.
He admitted: "I had a very checkered past. I got into trouble a lot and had multiple arrests.
"For a lot of years I struggled to stay on the right path. I had multiple arrests by the time that I was 17.
"The last time I was arrested, my parents came down to the police station to get me.
"My parents were struggling at that time, even to put food on the table.
"That was a lot of stress at that time and I was adding to it. When they came to the police station I remember their disappointment.
"For years the disappointment had never bothered me but for some reason this time the disappointment in their eyes moved me.
"And that was when I realised that I was causing a lot of pain for my parents and I did not want to continue to do that.
"About the same time I had a run-in with the high school (American) football coach.
"I did not even play football at that time but I had a run-in with him when I wanted to use the bathroom.
"I did not want to use the students' bathroom because it smelled of smoke so I went to the teachers' bathroom.
"He came in and said I could not be in there. I was very arrogant and said I would leave in a second.
"He told me again to get out and eventually I brushed by, putting on my best mean face. That night it dawned on me what an ass I was.
"The next day I sought out the teacher and apologised for being such a jerk. He shook my hand and asked me to play football.
"That guy became such a great figure in my life, a mentor. He has since passed away but he saw potential in me when I did not."
We can all be thankful that he did.
Rock's latest movie Race To Witch Mountain is available on Disney DVD and Blu-ray from August 24.
The Sun