Dwayne Douglas Johnson, also known as The Rock, was born on May 2, 1972 in Hayward, California. Apart from establishing his own foundation for terminally-ill and at-risk children, he has time and again donated thousands of dollars for relief efforts from hurricanes and floods. The University of Miami renamed the Hurricanes' locker room in Johnson's honor. (December 16, 2015) Has two daughters with his wife. [362][363][364] They have two daughters: Jasmine (born December 17, 2015)[365] and Tiana (born April 17, 2018). Dany is the president and CEO of two multi-million dollar companies, namely 'Garcia Companies' and 'Seven Bucks Productions.'. At the time, Dwayne was married to his first wife, Dany Garcia - who he divorced in 2007 and with whom he shares one daughter, Simone Johnson. The Rock appeared in WWE sporadically following WrestleMania XX. Soon the Rock was kicked out of the "Corporation". He turned face and became known as "The Peoples Champion". [145][146] In an interview in 2013, Hogan said he and the Rock changed the style of the match on the fly based on the crowd's response. When Daniel Craig retired from the 007 franchise, Dwayne expressed his desire to play James Bond. [165] At Backlash on April 27, 2003, Goldberg defeated The Rock, who then briefly left WWE to film Walking Tall. Forbes credited the success of Fast & Furious 6, which grossed $789 million globally, and his frequent acting work as primary reasons for topping the list.[284]. During a lengthy promo, he addressed the fans and started a feud with John Cena. [184] The Rock and Cena defeated Awesome Truth on November 20 at Survivor Series, when the Rock pinned The Miz. [105] The two lost the titles back to Undertaker and Big Show on the September 9, 1999, episode of SmackDown! [122][123] The Rock successfully defended the championship against Chris Benoit, on July 23, at Fully Loaded. ", "Wrestler 'Umaga' Edward Fatu dies of heart attack, friend says", "Wow check out my 8yr old AFRO!! The movie will be comparable to Braveheart in tone, given Wallace's work on both films, and will depict the king's role in resolving the wars among the islands of Hawaii. Joe: Retaliation (2013), Hercules (2014), Skyscraper (2018), San Andreas (2015) and Rampage (2018). Dwayne has appeared in some of the best movies, including playing Luke Hobbs in the Fast & Furious films. By the mid-2000s, he had such a following that he was dividing his time . But at night when he steps into the ring, he becomes the chair-flinging, wisecracking wrestler known as The Rock. Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock,[3] is an American actor and former professional wrestler. [41][42][43][44][45] In 2008, Johnson inducted his father and grandfather into the WWE Hall of Fame. I heard that from a friend when I was about 15, and I've never forgotten it. [228] That year, Rock was also listed in the Forbes Celebrity 100 and People Magazine's 25 Most Intriguing People. [73], At D-Generation X: In Your House on December 7, 1997, Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated the Rock in under six minutes to retain the Intercontinental Championship. The Rock was the number one overall pick, going to the SmackDown! He was offered a promotional deal with "Dunkin' Donuts", which would have seen the company name a donut after him. [32], Johnson began his theatrical career in The Mummy Returns (2001), The Scorpion King (2002), The Rundown (2003), and Walking Tall (2004). [354] After the 2018 Hawaii floods, he worked with Malama Kauai, a nonprofit organization, to help repair damages caused by the floods. The attraction made riders extras in an action movie that starred Johnson. Johnson was born into a family of wrestlers. Ata Fitisemanu was the. [211], On the January 25, 2016, episode of Raw, the Rock was in a segment that saw him converse with The Miz, Big Show, Lana and Rusev before he and his relatives, The Usos, got into an altercation with then-WWE Tag Team Champions, The New Day. Dwayne Johnson was named as Forbes magazine's highest-paid actor. [46], Johnson attended Montclaire Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina before moving to Hamden, Connecticut, where he attended Shepherd Glen Elementary School and then Hamden Middle School. At King of the Ring, the Rock defeated Dan Severn in the semi-final match and lost to rival Ken Shamrock in the final. [155] The Rock then took time off to kickstart his acting career. He has often stated in interviews he is proud of his Samoan heritage and feels honored to be a Samoan. In his first television acting job, in 1999, he played his own father in an episode of That '70s Show called "That Wrestling Show". Johnsons original character proved to be unpopular due to his colourful choice of clothing and ridiculously clean-cut image. Over his acting career, he became one of the highest paid and most successful actors in Hollywood. [256][257] His return in 2001 did a 7.1 rating which was the highest rated segment of the entire year. [336], In 2016, Johnson started his YouTube channel. [344], Johnson voted for Barack Obama in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections. In 2010, Johnson told "The Tonight Show" host. [142], At the next pay-per-view, No Way Out on February 17, 2002, the Rock defeated The Undertaker in a singles match. He was a member of Team WWF along with Chris Jericho, The Undertaker, Kane, and Big Show. [120][121] The Rock won the WWF Championship for a fifth time at King of the Ring on June 25 by scoring the winning pin in a six-man tag team match, teaming with Kane and The Undertaker against Shane McMahon, Triple H and Vince McMahon, whom he pinned. The event also saw the WWF debut of the famed WCW faction New World Order, which at the time consisted of "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall. [February 2017], As a high school student, he found this very difficult to make friends due to his lofty (6' 4" / 225 lbs.) I grew up in the business. Regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he wrestled for the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now known as WWE) for eight years prior to pursuing an acting career. [194] The following week on Raw, the Rock was attacked by The Shield. [231] In 2001, he was also listed on E! The title was named the WWF Championship during The Rock's first six reigns. [322], In 2021, his biographical comedy-drama series Young Rock began airing on NBC. [197] The following night on Raw, the Rock unveiled a new WWE Championship design, with a different center plate and removable customizable side-plates which had his "Brahma Bull" logo. [2] Johnson quickly rose to global prominence, aided by a gimmick he employed as a charismatic trash talker. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson finally cleared up many questions surrounding his ethnic identity. [175][176] After numerous appearances via satellite, the Rock appeared live on the Raw before WrestleMania XXVII to confront Cena. [18] Johnson also stars in the Jumanji films, appearing in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), and voices Bark Kent / Krypto / Superdog, Anubis, and Teth-Adam / Black Adam in the animated film DC League of Super-Pets (2022), before starring as the latter in the live-action superhero film Black Adam (2022). [330], In March 2016, Johnson partnered with American fitness apparel manufacturer Under Armour to release "Project Rock". [375] On May 16, Johnson announced she had signed a contract with WWE,[376] and in May 2022 announced that her ring name would be Ava Raine, and has since been appearing on the NXT brand.[377]. I'll never forget where I came from. It was known as the WWF Undisputed Championship during his seventh reign and as the WWE Championship during his eighth. [373], In February 2020, WWE announced that Johnson's daughter Simone began training at the WWE Performance Center,[374] making her the first fourth-generation WWE wrestler. When O'Connor saw his 2-year-old brother fall into their grandmother's pool, he immediately pulled the boy out and started giving him chest compressions, which he got from The Rock. Trademark move: Three open handed punches, followed by a hand spitting motion, followed by a fourth punch which typically levelled the opponent. [32] After wrestling at Jerry Lawler's United States Wrestling Association under the name Flex Kavana and winning the USWA tag team championship twice with his partner Bart Sawyer in the summer of 1996, Johnson was signed to a WWF contract. Born to a Samoan father and a Black Canadian mother in California, he later moved to New Zealand when his parents divorced when he was 12 years old. [69] Behind the scenes, Hart mentored Johnson for his first year in WWF[70] and refused to be booked to take the title from him. [22], Though originally attached as producer and star, Johnson will now serve solely as the former on a film adaptation of The Janson Directive. While he was filming his swordfight scene with. That prompted the top brass at WWF to transform him into the funky, incredibly charming, highly talented, crowd-pleasing and loud-mouthed wonder The Rock! [299] Jungle Cruise was released on July 30, 2021. In 2000, he hosted Saturday Night Live (SNL) for the first time. ", "Dwayne Johnson's 'Red Notice' Pushed Back 5 Months to Fall 2020", "Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Might Just BE The BUSIEST Celeb In The Business! [92] This match was referred to as "Halftime Heat" as it was televised during halftime of that year's Super Bowl. A huge percentage of football players at Division I-A schools - especially those that are typically ranked in the top 25 - do not make the active roster as freshmen. 3. [157] Because of negative fan reaction during his previous couple of matches as a result of his budding acting career, The Rock turned heel for the first time since 1999. [367][368][369], In recognition of his service to the Samoan people, and because he is a descendant of Samoan chiefs, Johnson was given the noble title of Seiuli (meaning the son of Malietoa [Alo o Malietoa]) by Malietoa Tanumafili II during his visit there on August 9, 2004. To Split Into Two Films: Dwayne Johnson To Star As 'Black Adam', "Dwayne Johnson Won't Appear in 'Shazam!,' DC's Geoff Johns Says", "Dwayne Johnson Hints 'Shazam' Might Release Sooner than Announced", "Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Launches "Project Rock," His New Signature Line of Under Armour Gear", "Under Armour, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Sell Out of Gym Merch Promo Marketing", "The Rock Designed a Gym Bag to Help Guys Everywhere Get Swole", "411MANIA WWE News: The Rock's Alarm Clock App Breaks 1 Million Downloads, Owen Hart's Birthday Today", "Athleticon Is Coming to Shake Up the Bodybuilding and Fitness World", "Dwayne Johnson is breaking all records with his new booze brand", "Watch: "The Rock's Ultimate Workout" Features Music From Tech N9ne", "Dwayne Johnson makes his rap debut with 'Face Off' even if fans don't believe it's his first", "Smackdown Your Vote! Nationality refers to the country to which one is a citizen and ethnicity refers to a person's ethnic background. Let's look at what we know about Ata Johnson, The Rock's mother, who is a force of nature on her own. [372] In 2017, he had the small "Brahma bull" tattoo on his right arm covered with a larger half-sleeve tattoo of a bull's skull. [47][48] Johnson attended President William McKinley High School in Honolulu and then Glencliff High School and McGavock High School, both in Nashville, and then Freedom High School in Bethlehem Township in the Lehigh Valley, where he graduated in 1990. Also check out: Dwayne Johnson's Complete Workout Routine. [143] This later led to a match between the Rock and Hogan at WrestleMania X8 on March 17, 2002. John Cena will fill the leading role, with Akiva Goldsman attached as screenwriter. [338], In March 2020, Johnson launched Teremana Tequila which sold 600,000 nine-litre cases in its first year. By the time Dwayne was 16-years-old, he had already enrolled in four high schools due to his frequent expulsions: McKinley High School (Honolulu, Hawaii), Glencliff High School (Nashville, Tennessee), McGavock High School (Nashville, Tennessee) and Freedom High School (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania). [306][307] A sequel to the box-office hit San Andreas was announced to be in the pre-production stage with the director of the first film, Brad Peyton, returning as director along with the main cast (marking the fourth collaboration between the two following Journey 2, San Andreas, and Rampage). He was offered the role of Cade Yeager in, In 2012 Dwayne formed the film company "Seven Bucks Productions" with ex-wife. [65][66][67] Maivia then successfully defended the title against Helmsley at In Your House 13: Final Four. They apparently first heard the nickname when Johnson's parents came to visit and his mom called him by that name in front of everyone. She is a businesswoman, IFBB professional bodybuilder, and producer. A child is shaped. [20], In 2013, Johnson hosted and produced the TNT reality competition series The Hero. Congratulations to The Rock!The 'Baywatch' star is on the cover of the new comedy issue of GQ Magazine.While much of the interview focuses on whether or not The Rock (real name Dwayne Johnson) could win a Presidential election, as well as his patriotism and his thoughts on the current administration . Johnson's first film appearance was in The Mummy Returns (2001). [352] In 2017, he donated $25,000 to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. [305], Johnson is noted for his busy schedule and developing multiple projects at once. What is Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's true ethnicity? The next month, he successfully defended his title against Kurt Angle and Triple H at SummerSlam. Johnson produced and starred in the HBO comedy-drama series Ballers (20152019),[19] and the autobiographical sitcom Young Rock (2021). Ata Johnson was born Ata Fitisemanu. The Miz and R-Truth", "Caldwell's WWE Raw Results 2/27: Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of live Raw The Rock returns to Raw, WM28 hype", "Caldwell's WWE Raw Results 3/12: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live Raw Rock Concert vs. Cena Rap, Taker returns", "Caldwell's WWE Raw Results 3/26: Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of live Raw final WM28 hype, Cena-Rock & Hunter-HBK confrontation", "Caldwell's WWE WrestleMania 28 PPV Report 4/1: Ongoing "virtual time" coverage of live PPV Rock-Cena, Taker-Hunter, Punk-Jericho", "Caldwell's WWE Raw Results 4/2: Ongoing "virtual-time" coverage of live Raw WM28 fall-out, how will Cena respond to Rock loss?, two big title matches", "Caldwell's WWE RAW Results 7/23: Complete "virtual-time" coverage of live Raw No. In 2016 he voiced Maui in the Disney animated film Moana (2016). He was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on December 13, 2017. When he was wrestling full-time with WWE, one of Johnson's many catchphrases was telling opponents he was going to "lay the smackdown" on them. [114][115] The Rock lasted until the final two but was eliminated by then-reigning champion Triple H after Vince betrayed him by hitting him with a chair. Those experiences led him to take the role in the movie. After the match, Rock attacked Miz and hit him with the People's Elbow. Attended and graduated from Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. [293] Jaume Collet-Serra served as director, with a script by Michael Green from a previous one co-written by J. D. Payne and Patrick McKay. The stable would then refer to themselves as simply "The Nation". He is the son of Ata Johnson (born Feagaimaleata Fitisemanu Maivia) and professional wrestler Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles). [350] On October 2, 2007, he and his then wife, Dany Garcia, donated $1million to the University of Miami to support the renovation of its football facilities. [205] On the October 6 episode of Raw, the Rock made a surprise appearance to confront Rusev and Lana; this resulted in the Rock clearing Rusev from the ring. After the "Nation" split, The Rock joined another elite group of wrestlers known as the "Corporation" and began a memorable feud with Steve Austin. Johnson's role within The Fast and the Furious franchise continued with Hobbs & Shaw, co-starring Johnson and Jason Statham. [156], The Rock returned on the January 30, 2003, episode of SmackDown! Vince McMahon then came out and was about to strip Punk of the championship, however, at the Rock's request, he instead restarted the match. Rocky eventually took over leadership of the "Nation" and began taking the persona of The Rock. [300][301][302] Also in 2021, Johnson starred in Netflix's film Red Notice, written and directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. [178] The following night on Raw, the Rock and Cena agreed to a match at WrestleMania XXVIII the next year. [271][272][273][274] He began his acting career on television while wrestling. He spent his childhood in Grey Lynn in Auckland, New Zealand. [332][333] His second item, a black T-shirt sporting his signature "Brahma bull", sold out after being worn at WrestleMania 32. The Horizon Award is a special recognition from the Joint Leadership of the United States Congress and the Congressional Award Board of Directors. [51][52][30], By his senior year at Freedom High School, Johnson had only played two years of high school football but the fact that he had excelled on a team in an elite high school athletic division known nationally for producing a long list of professional and Olympic-level athletes, including future NFL stars Andre Reed, Saquon Barkley, Kyzir White, and others, drew the attention of NCAA Division I collegiate programs. In his first semester at the University of Miami, he earned a .7 grade point average. [93] The two faced off again, at St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House on February 14, 1999, in a Last Man Standing match which ended in a draw, meaning Mankind retained the title. Of Cade Yeager in, in 2012 dwayne formed the film company `` Seven Bucks Productions '' ex-wife. Undisputed Championship during his seventh reign and as the Rock was kicked of... Rock, was born on May 2, 1972 in Hayward, California on December 13 2017. 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