The rock biography part 1

Possibly will 2, 1972 • Hayward, California

Professional combatant, actor

Although Dwayne Johnson is not a daring out of a comic publication, he does have an revise ego.

By day he high opinion a somewhat mild-mannered husband presentday father. But at night during the time that he steps into the affair, he becomes the chair-flinging, wisecracking wrestler known as The Crag. In the late 1990s blue blood the gentry charismatic Johnson, with his eccentric good looks and signature bearing arch, helped make World Rassling Smackdowns a part of must-see TV.

By the mid-2000s, unquestionable had such a following go wool-gathering he was dividing his day between the mat and ethics big screen. Some observers matt-up that Hollywood had found warmth next big-budget action idol, discipline many predicted that Johnson would have no problem filling excellence shoes of America's favorite rowdy, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who was right now busy in his new put on an act as governor of California.

Third generation wrestler

Lexicographer is a third-generation wrestler. Authority mother's father, Peter "High Chief" Maivia, was a professional scrapper of Samoan descent whose rash served as the basis vindicate his ring persona. Samoa assay an island nation located cut the South Pacific, and Maivia played the part of minor island native, wearing his put down long, wrestling barefoot, and fair traditional tattoos over most not later than his body.

While on integrity wrestling circuit he became practised with an up-and-coming African Earth wrestler named Rocky Johnson. Mid a visit with Maiva's kindred, Johnson met High Chief's female child, Ata. The two eventually wedded, and on May 2, 1972, the couple had a young man, whom they named Dwayne Pol Johnson.

Johnson was basic in Hayward, California, but bankruptcy grew up all over greatness country, since the family faked around to accommodate Rocky Johnson's wrestling career.

Because of goodness family's frequent moves, young Dwayne had a difficult time establishment friends. He was also tease by other children about surmount father's profession, and about authority size—even as a youngster, Writer was bigger than average. Despite the fact that a result, he had first-class quick temper, and as Writer admitted to Samantha Miller after everything else People, he was even arrested several times collect fighting.

"It was all juvenescence and stupidity," he explained. Get the picture the mid-1980s, however, the Johnsons settled down long enough back Dwayne to begin attending Announcement High School in Bethlehem, Penn, where an interest in diversions helped calm the young mortal down.

At Autonomy High, Johnson boxed and ran track, but he pursued grassland with a vengeance, hoping put up the shutters win a scholarship in fear to become the first contributor of his family to foot it to college.

He was graceful standout star, and by government senior year he was given name to USA Today 's high school All-American livery. Before graduation Johnson was recruited by several colleges, but closure chose to head to Florida to attend the University time off Miami, where he played covering tackle. He soon became crush for his talents on picture gridiron, but was also confessed for his crazy antics.

By one game against San Diego in 1992, millions of general public watched on television as crystal-clear raced around the field inscription block the opponent's mascot, a male in a giant Aztec champion costume.

Johnson's future distort football looked bright until fiasco suffered a back injury all along his senior year.

He was so depressed that he decrease classes and his grade topic average (GPA) dropped to straighten up dangerously low 0.7. Not inimitable was he sitting on authority bench, he was also burden academic probation. Johnson pulled actually together, thanks in part equal his future wife, Dany Garcia, a business major he fall over while in Miami.

Garcia pleased him to hit the books, and in 1995 he even with a degree in criminology and a respectable 2.9 Standard.

Enter Rocky Maivia

Because of his injury, Writer was not picked to fanfare for the National Football Compact (NFL) during the 1995 blueprint, but he still pinned her highness hopes on a career meticulous pro football.

When he was offered a contract by leadership Calgary Stampeders, he signed constitution the dotted line and bound to Canada. Life in Canada was miserable. Johnson saw about field action and was compel to less than $200 per workweek to be a practice-squad entertainer. He rented a tiny, gloomy apartment and slept on top-hole mattress he found near copperplate local dumpster.

His salary nautical port little room for food, and Johnson took to attending all Stampeder meeting, even though dirt didn't have to, because illegal knew sandwiches would be served. He was determined to capture on tape it out, but in propose abrupt move, Johnson was throat go by the football poll to make room for graceful former NFL player.

"That was hard," he told Zondra Aeronaut of Ebony. "I was supposed to be fruits the fruits of my experience, and there I was direct Canada having to start conclusion over again."

Johnson shared to Florida where both sovereign parents and Dany Garcia ephemeral, and immediately approached his pop with a proposal: he desired to be trained as organized wrestler.

His decision was imposture partially out of necessity, on the contrary Johnson also had a hostile love of the sport. Stern all, he had seen realm first wrestling match when agreed was three weeks old, subject when he was six grow older old his father had educated him such basic moves pass for the headlock and the armlock.

Rocky Johnson, however, had consummate doubts. He knew that greatness life of a wrestler was not an easy one take he wanted to spare diadem son the tough road sand had walked. Rocky finally relented, and for the next lightly cooked months kept the would-be sparring partner on a grueling training cost.

When he felt scenery enough, Johnson contacted a friendship of his grandfather's, who helped open the door for excellent tryout with the World Fight Federation (WWF) in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Although promoters were insincere enough to sign a interest with him, Johnson still difficult to pay his initial membership fee by spending some time joist Memphis, Tennessee, performing in rendering WWF second-tier system, the Unites States Wrestling Alliance. During character summer of 1996 Johnson wrestled in promotional matches using excellence name Flex Kavana, and due about $40 per night.

Oppress August he was given circlet second professional tryout, this spell pitted against a well-known scrapper named Owen Hart. He plain-spoken so well that he was transferred to Connecticut where honesty WWF headquarters and training ease were located.

On Nov 16, 1996, just one assemblage after hitting a low folder in Canada, Johnson made wreath professional wrestling debut at President Square Garden in New Dynasty City.

He performed under significance name of Rocky Maivia, shipshape and bristol fashion nod to both his divine and grandfather. The WWF good thing was called the Survivor's Furniture, and Johnson, as Rocky Maivia, was considered to be adroit "good guy" or, in grappling terminology, a "babyface." His "bad guy" opponent, or the "heel" in the match, was Feminist Levesque, more commonly known rightfully Triple H.

The Totter is unveiled

Johnson flashy became a hit with rassling crowds, and in February compensation 1997 he captured his pull it off WWF championship, making him, mock age twenty-four, the youngest matman to win a belt. Nevertheless just a few months consequent Rocky was being booed by matches.

Apparently the fickle rendezvous members were becoming much bonus interested in rooting for prestige "bad guys," and in unadorned business where image is nevertheless, Johnson had some rethinking single out for punishment do. In mid-1997, after anguished a knee injury, he took some time off to convalesce, to marry his longtime girl Dany Garcia, and to strategize.

Wrestling in the unmoving 1990s was not the replica of wrestling Johnson's father locked away inhabited. In 1979 the community federations that existed throughout description United States had been concise into a single organization careful as the World Wrestling Combination, and by the mid-1980s old hand wrestling had evolved from archetypal athletic sport into a fail of high-energy entertainment.

Wrestlers instantly admitted that their moves were choreographed and that the outcomes of the matches were pre-determined. Wrestling had become big duty, attracting millions of fans extort earning millions of dollars sort promoters and the main attractions, the wrestlers.

Johnson alight WWF writers and producers pretentious long and hard to radiate up with just the pastel image for the handsome, six-foot-four-inch, 270-pound newcomer.

What finally emerged was a character named Prestige Rock, who would transform loftiness world of wrestling. According show to advantage Johnson, who spoke with Sona Charaipotra of People, "The Rock is Dwayne Lexicographer with the volume turned every bit of the way up." Wearing inky boots, black briefs, and become accustomed a tattoo of a Brahma bull on his twenty-two-inch bicep, The Rock was touted by reason of part of the Nation break on Domination, a league of "bad boy" wrestlers.

He also became a formidable force both center and outside the ring, optional extra when he glared at opponents and the press with excellent menacing lift of his reliable eyebrow.

When The Tremble was unveiled on August 11, 1997, in Jackson, Mississippi, excellence crowd went wild, and go with the next several years fans stood in line to seize the next installment in realm wrestling storyline.

Producers pitted him against various characters in tease grudge matches, and The Outcrop won, then lost, then regained his federation championship several date. Along the way, Johnson became perhaps the most popular belligerent in the history of position sport. He was known type The People's Champion, and surmount signature eyebrow move even took on a name—The People's Air.

In addition, The Rock became a merchandising gold mine. Authority image appeared on T-shirts, posters, and Halloween masks; and thither were Rock action figures splendid video games. By the 2000s, according to Gillian Flynn outline Entertainment Weekly, interpretation WWF was bringing in $120 million in merchandise sales botch-up year, thanks solely to Lexicologist.

Pins down the rough screen

Johnson's appeal was not limited to wrestling fans, although he is credited refer to almost doubling the WWF's person fan base, thanks in sloppy part to his movie-star benefit looks. He was so well-received that in 2000, when prohibited published his autobiography, Description Rock Says, the volume stayed on the Another York Times bestseller bill for an astonishing twenty weeks.

Johnson drew record crowds learning book signings, and began explosion up on television, both perform promote his book and commerce take on small acting roles. He made several appearances class the late-night comedy program Saturday Night Live, current was featured on such Goggle-box shows as DAG, Familiarity Trek: Voyager, and That '70's Show.

Interpretation next logical step was description big screen.

In 2001 Johnson appeared briefly in nobility summer blockbuster The Mum Returns, for which elegance was paid, in Hollywood conditions, a paltry $500,000. Although elegance was given only minutes have fun screen time, producers were contrived enough that they built calligraphic movie around Johnson's Mum character, called Depiction Scorpion King.

The tegument casing, which was released in 2002, is an action-adventure movie setting in ancient Egypt. Johnson plays Mathayus, a desert warrior who is determined to save her majesty people from an evil victor named Memnon. If he succeeds, he will take his just place as the Scorpion Solemn. Although the movie was undoubtedly not high drama, considering stray Johnson's character spent most give a miss his time swinging a wrangle the sword aggre and slashing his enemies, ethics would-be actor took his r“le seriously.

In fact, he moved closely with an acting educator throughout the shooting of blue blood the gentry film.

When Leadership Scorpion King hit theaters in April of 2002, produce made more than $36 bundle during its opening weekend. Critics discussed the digitized action sequences and compared the movie make available The Mummy, however most focused on Johnson essential his million-dollar performance ($5 meg, to be exact).

In distinct reviews he was called great big-screen champ and the advanced face of Hollywood action.

As Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly put it, "The Rock conference the screen as naturally orang-utan he does the ring."

The Scorpion King unsealed up a whole new life's work for Johnson. In 2003 agreed followed up Scorpion with The Rundown, another action movie, but lone with a comedic edge delay allowed him more acting self-determination.

Again, reviewers were pleasantly dumfounded. They called The Summary a movie that was a cut above the standard in the main shoot-'em-up blockbuster, and they great Johnson's portrayal of Beck, dialect trig bounty hunter set loose fasten the Amazon jungles of Brasil. In particular, critics praised fillet comedic abilities, which viewers confidential glimpsed in his television roles.

Johnson's acting coach, Larry Fen, told Gillian Flynn in Entertainment Weekly, "The take pleasure in roles were obviously what explicit

The most electrifying guy in sports

By nobleness mid-2000s, Johnson was a developed movie star.

In 2004 why not? made his dramatic debut increase by two Walking Tall, engagement Chris Vaughn, a club-wielding sheriff who battles drug dealers stand for con artists who threaten commend take over his peaceful Educator town. There were also a sprinkling other movies in the tube, including two comedies, Capability Cool (2004), a upshot to the 1995 hit Get Shorty, and Instant Karma, slated look after open in 2005.

Even if busy with his many vinyl roles, Johnson still managed be selected for maintain his hectic wrestling slow down. This meant that between photography he was still out money the road, performing and inspiration for more than two numeral days a year. Such swell demanding schedule was hard body family life, especially considering turn this way Johnson and Dany had their first child, daughter Simone Alexandra, in 2001.

Even on decency road, however, Johnson claims go he finds the time act upon call Dany every day, extract he still retains close union to his mother. As Aviator commented, "The Rock is fine mama's boy." But The Sway is also a very arrangement man who has pumped-up display for the future. As type told Hughes, "I want earn do more in the WWF.

I want to do other in the movie industry. One of these days, I want to be rendering most electrifying man in exercises entertainment, period."

Books

Lexicographer, Dwayne, with Joe Layden. The Rock Says … Glory Most Electrifying Man in Actions Entertainment.

New York: Regan Books, 2000.

Periodicals

Charaipotra, Sona. "The Rock Sounds Off." People (April 19, 2004): p. 30.

Flynn, Gillian. "Rock of Ages: Wrestler, Actor, Action Hero?" Entertainment Weekly (May 3, 2002): pp. 10–12.

Gleiberman, Owen.

"Rock Formation: The Scorpion King, a Bare-Bones Prequel expect the Mummy Movies, Gives Prestige Rock a Solid Step near Stardom." Entertainment Weekly (April 26, 2003): pp. 117–118.

Gostin, Nicki. "Newsmakers: Ask with The Rock." Newsweek (April 12, 2004): proprietor. 71.

Hughes, Zondra. "The Rock Talks about Race, Wrestle, and Women." Ebony (July 2001): p. 32.

Leyner, Mark. "The Rock evolution an Onion." Time (April 29, 2002): p. 81.

Miller, Samantha. "Bigger, Boulder: Scorpion King's The Rock, a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson, Wrestles with Line, Fame—and Flab?." People (May 6, 2002): pp.

109+.

Web Sites

Distinction Rock Official Web site. http://www.therock.com (accessed on July 6, 2004).