Things You Might Not Know About Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

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9. Highschool Troubles

Johnson is very open about his struggles as a teenager and falling into a dangerous lifestyle, a lot of which was due to his size. When he was in high school, Johnson found it hard to make friends because at 6’4″ and 225 lbs he was constantly avoided because many thought he was an undercover cop. By the time he was 16, Johnson had already been enrolled in four high schools because he continuously got expelled. As a teenager, he was also in a gang which targeted Hawaii tourists and robbed them; this led to him getting arrested nine times before he was 17. “There are a lot of tourists that come into Waikiki and there’s a lot of money. A lot of foreign money that comes in, and we were part of a theft ring that would target those groups. We would target the money, we would target the high-end clothes and we would target the jewellery – turn around and sell it, best we could.”

 

Ah remembering the faces of all my high school girlfriends’ parents meeting me for the first time. #6Foot4 #240lbs #DeepVoice #CreepyPornStache

 

A photo posted by therock (@therock) on Jan 2, 2016 at 4:11pm PST

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8. Missed Roles

It may seem that Dwayne Johnson is everyone’s first choice when casting these days, but one role he was considered for seems especially out of character, and surprising for him. It is rumored that Johnson was actually director Tim Burton’s second choice for the role of Willy Wonka in 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory had Johnny Depp turned down the role. He has also said he would like to take on the role of a James Bond villain because his grandfather Peter Fanene Maivia appeared as a Bond villain in 1967’s You Only Live Twice.

Newzulu

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7. Not Dunkin’ Donuts

Years ago, Johnson was offered a deal with Dunkin’ Donuts, which would have included getting a donut named after him. He turned it down, however, because he thought it would make him appear “big-headed.”

Photo By Patrick Rideaux / Rex Features

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6. Early Acting

Before his movie roles, Johnson first appeared in several TV series, however many of them still had him portraying a wrestler, but it was his first foray into the entertainment industry not directly attached to the WWF/WWE. His very first real acting role was in 1999 on an episode of That ’70s Show called “That Wrestling Show.” Instead of portraying himself, he portrayed his father, Rocky Johnson, who was a popular wrestler in the ’70s. He then went on to appear in an episode of The Net and then in 2000 was in an episode of Star Trek: Voyager as an alien wrestler who defeats Seven of Nine. These were all just brief glimpses at the sort of acting talent he really had.

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5. Net Worth

The Rock was one of the most engaging athletes in the world of professional wrestling and, after being a major draw for fans in the ring, he has been an even bigger draw at the box office. With so much talent and a genuine love for his fanbase, there seems to be no limit to Johnson’s success… or his bank account. After many, many lucrative film contracts and a prior wrestling career, Dwayne Johnson is now worth an estimated and incredible $160 million.

Photo by Picture Perfect/REX

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4. Pay Day

While his net worth is absolutely astounding now as one of the most sought after leading men in the industry, back in 2002, Dwayne Johnson set a record for a pay day. For The Scorpion King, his $5.5 million paycheck set the record for the highest any actor has been paid for their first starring role.

©Universal Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

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3. Personal Life

For as big of a Hollywood personality that he is, Johnson is pretty spectacular about keeping his personal life to himself. He is very active on social media and very open with fans, but for a longtime many didn’t even really know who his current girlfriend is or how long they had been dating. Back in 1997, a day after his 25th birthday, Johnson married Dany Garcia, who he met while attending the University of Miami. The two welcomed a daughter Simone Alexandra in August, 2001, but in 2007 announced they were amicably divorcing. Not long after, Johnson began dating Lauren Hashian who he had met in 2006 on a film set, and prompted rumors he left Garcia for Hashian. Most of the time in their relationship, Johnson walked red carpets alone and she was rarely present on his social media and many forgot about the couple until September 2015 when he announced they were expecting a baby. They welcomed daughter Jasmine on December 16, 2015.

Photo by David Fisher/REX

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2. TV Appearances

In 2000, The Rock appeared on Saturday Night Live and that was what officially begun his Hollywood career because both audiences and those within the industry realized he had true talent. Lorne Michaels stated, “He has a wonderful sense of timing, he has an innate theatricality and because he projects strength, the audience kind of relaxes with him. He could do nuance, he could do subtle, he could do big and broad.” Also before his big-time career, The Rock appeared on Martha Stewart Living in 1999 in which he shared what he needs in a day and Martha baked his favorite chocolate chip cookie cake.

Source: Wrestlers In Hollywood

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1. Published Author

Even before he was a big time actor, Dwayne Johnson, had enough matieral to pen a New York Times Bestselling memoir, The Rock Says…The autobiography was written along with Joe Layden and was at the top of the prestigious New York Times Bestseller list for several weeks.

Photo by Vega / Rex Features