WWE superstar gave a call to The Rock before auditioning for a movie. What The Rock told him gave him an immediate confidence boost.
Dwane “The Rock” Johnson is among the most revered names in WWE and Hollywood. The wrestler turned actor is probably the first-ever wrestler to make it big in Hollywood. Johnson is currently the highest-paid actor in the world. From winning the highest prize in the WWE to starring in blockbuster movies, The Rock has become the trailblazer for other wrestlers who are also acting hopefuls.
Apart from being a consummate professional wrestler and actor, The Rock is also a role model with 278 million followers on Instagram. His physical transformation over the years is beyond commendable. The 10-time world champion didn’t have it easy.
Despite having his roots in the wrestling business, The Rock was sure to fail as an entertainer during his early days in pro wrestling. After a gimmick change, The Rock became the star of The Attitude Era alongside Stone Cold Steve Austin and other wrestlers. His wrestling profile wasn’t of much help when he made it to Hollywood for the first time. In one of his interviews, The Rock explained how it wasn’t easy for him outside the ring.
“When I first got to Hollywood, they didn’t know what the hell to do with me. I mean, I was this half-black, half-Samoan, 6’4, 275-pound pro-wrestler. You know, I was told at that time, ‘Well, you gotta be a certain way. You gotta drop some weight. You gotta be somebody different. You gotta stop working-out. Stop doing the things I love… You gotta stop calling yourself The Rock. What?!?! And for years, I actually bought into it because you think, ‘Oh, that’s what I’m supposed to do. And I was miserable doing that. So, I made a choice. And the choice was, I wasn’t going to conform to Hollywood, I was going to make Hollywood conform to me.”
It’s conspicuous that The Rock kept his identity and channeled his Brahma Bull character into Hollywood.
WWE superstar gives props to The Rock for his advise
One of The Rock’s biggest rivals in the PG era was none other than John Cena. The duo’s rivalry set the stage for their showdown on the grandest stage of them all, WrestleMania 28 & 29. The 16-time WWE Champion John Cena who is another wrestler turned actor recently revealed at the Comic-Con Panel in Wales that before auditioning for his first-ever movie, he gave The Rock a call for motivation.
“I remember I got an audition for a small part in a movie called Trainwreck. “There was a pretty thorough audition process, and I was very nervous. Because I’ve never been through that before,” John Cena added. “I was able to ask him, ‘Hey man, do you have any advice?’ He said, ‘They asked you there for a reason dude; just be yourself,’” The Walking Tall actor added.
“He, in that one sentence, allowed me to calm down. Allowed me to be myself, which I’m really a goofball. And [the movie Train Wreck] allowed me to do that on screen. N*ked. He’s the reason I’m here,” Cena stated.
Both John Cena and The Rock have been instrumental in the success of WWE. When The Rock left for Hollywood, Cena did all the heavy lifting for the company. Both wrestlers occasionally appear on WWE TV. John Cena is currently involved in Fast X. Dwane on the other hand is set to star in DC’s Black Adam.
