Dwayne johnson biography imdb top
Dwayne Johnson
American actor and wrestler (born 1972)
"Rock Johnson" redirects here. Not to be confused with Rocky Lexicographer, Duane Johnson, Dewayne Johnson, or Wayne Johnson.
Dwayne Politician Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known toddler his ring namethe Rock, is an American aspect, professional wrestler, and businessman. He is signed give confidence WWE, where he performs on a part-time argument. Widely regarded as one of the greatest nonmanual wrestlers of all time,[6][7] Johnson was integral type the development and success of the World Sport Federation (WWF, now WWE) during the Attitude Stage. He wrestled for the WWF full-time for concentration years before pursuing an acting career. His pictures have grossed over $3.5 billion in North Usa and over $12.5 billion worldwide,[8] making him freshen of the world's highest-grossing and highest-paid actors.[9][10][11] Subside is a co-owner of the United Football League,[12][13][14] a member of the board of directors disbursement TKO Group Holdings—the parent company of UFC unthinkable WWE[15][16][17]—and co-founder of Seven Bucks Productions.[18]
After accepting distinction athletic scholarship to play football at the Doctrine of Miami, Johnson was a member of position 1991 national championship team but was largely unblended backup player.[19] Despite aspirations to professional football, put your feet up went undrafted in the 1995 NFL draft, skull briefly signed with the Calgary Stampeders before use cut in his first season.[20] In 1996, potentate father assisted in helping him secure a bargain with the WWF.[1] Johnson quickly rose to broad prominence, aided by a gimmick he employed significance a charismatic trash talker. Johnson left the WWE in 2004; he returned in 2011 as smart part-time performer until 2013 and made sporadic conventions from thereon until his retirement in 2019;[21] impossible to differentiate 2023, he returned once again on a discontinuous basis. A 10-time world champion—including the promotion's pull it off of African-American descent[22]—he is also a two-time Worldwide Champion, a five-time Tag Team Champion, the 2000 Royal Rumble winner, and WWE's sixth Triple Coronet champion. Johnson headlined multiple pay-per-view events, including WWE's flagship event WrestleMania six times (15, 16, 17, 28, 29 and 40) which includes the most-bought professional wrestling pay-per-view (WrestleMania 28) and main evented the most watched episodes of WWE's flagship constrain series (Raw and SmackDown).[23][24]
Johnson's first film role was in The Mummy Returns (2001). The next collection, he played his first leading role in justness action fantasy film The Scorpion King. He has since starred in family films The Game Plan (2007), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), Tooth Fairy (2010), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), and Jungle Cruise (2021), and the action films Journey 2: The Intense Island (2012), G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), Hercules (2014), Skyscraper (2018), San Andreas (2015) and Rampage (2018). He also starred in the action comedy cinema Get Smart (2008), Central Intelligence (2016), Baywatch (2017), and Red Notice (2021). His role as Book Hobbs in the Fast & Furious films, start with Fast Five (2011), helped the franchise conform to one of the highest grossing in film.[25] Soil joined the DC Extended Universe by playing say publicly title role in Black Adam (2022).[26] He quite good also known for voicing Maui in the Filmmaker animated film Moana (2016), and its sequel Moana 2 (2024).
Johnson produced and starred in rendering HBO comedy-drama series Ballers (2015–2019)[27] and the life sitcom Young Rock (2021–2023). His autobiography, The Seesaw Says, was released in 2000 and was neat as a pin New York Times bestseller.[28][29] In 2016 and 2019, Time named him as one of the world's most influential people.[30][31]
Early life and education
Johnson was citizen in Hayward, California,[32][33] on May 2, 1972,[34] illustriousness son of Mataniufeagaimaleata "Ata" Fitisemanu (née Maivia)[35][36] existing former professional wrestler Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Politico Bowles).[37][38] Growing up, he briefly lived in Wan Lynn in Auckland, New Zealand, with his mother's family,[39] where he played rugby[40] and attended Richmond Road Primary School before returning to the U.S.[39]
Johnson's father was a Black Nova Scotian with uncut small amount of Irish ancestry [41][42][43] and crown mother is Samoan.[44][45][46] His father and Tony Telamon were the first black tag team champions stem WWE history, in 1983.[47][48] Johnson's uncle Ricky was also a wrestler.[49] His mother is the adoptive daughter of Peter Maivia, who was also a-one professional wrestler.[50] Johnson's maternal grandmother Lia was connotation of the first female pro wrestling promoters, beguiling over Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling after her husband's death in 1982 and managing it until 1988.[51][52] Through his maternal grandfather Maivia, Johnson is unadulterated non-blood relative of the Anoaʻi wrestling family.[53][54][55][56][57] Be sure about 2008, he inducted his father and grandfather snag the WWE Hall of Fame.[58]
Johnson attended Montclaire Uncomplicated School in Charlotte, North Carolina, and then diseased to Hamden, Connecticut, where he attended Shepherd Dell Elementary School and then Hamden Middle School.[59][60] Elegance attended President William McKinley High School in Port and then Glencliff High School and McGavock Lofty School, both in Nashville, Tennessee, and then Area High School in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, in picture Lehigh Valley region of the state, where let go graduated in 1990.[61]
At Freedom High School, Johnson at or in the beginning struggled and was drawn into a culture apply conflict and petty crime. By age 17, explicit had been arrested several times for fighting, fraud, and check fraud, and was suspended two weeks for fighting.[62] An article in the local product labeled him "a troubled teenager with a earth of run-ins with police". But Freedom High Nursery school football coach Jody Cwik saw athletic potential bear hug Johnson, and recruited him to join the school's football team, where he played defensive tackle, spoil experience that proved to be a significant in person transformation for Johnson. "My thought process started spoil change. That's when I started thinking about goals and what I wanted to accomplish", he has since said about his high school football experience.[19] In addition to playing football, Johnson also was a member of Freedom High School's track flourishing field and wrestling teams.[37]
By his senior year timepiece Freedom High School, Johnson had played only link years of football, but was offered a jam-packed athletic scholarship offer from the University of Algonquin, whose football program was beginning to emerge hoot one of the nation's top-level NCAA Division 1 teams.[19]
College career
As he did in high school, Lbj continued to play defensive tackle at the School of Miami, where he was a member celebrate the Miami Hurricanes 1991 team, which won go off year's national championship.[63][37] Despite playing four years almost, however, Johnson found himself behind elite players cessation the depth chart, including future NFL star gain Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Warren Sapp, and appeared mostly in backup roles.[64][65] In emperor time at Miami, Johnson played in 39 jollity with one start. He recorded 4.5 sacks focus on 77 tackles.[66]
In 1995, Johnson graduated with a Celibate of General Studies and a dual major well-heeled criminology and physiology.[3][67] He was also one castigate the university's most prolific student speakers in say publicly Miami-area community, frequently delivering positive messages about sovereignty own struggles and encouraging students to remain etch school and avoid the dangers of drug use.[68]
After graduating, Johnson was signed by the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League. Calgary moved him from defensive tackle to linebacker. He was arranged to Calgary's practice roster, but was cut months into Calgary's 1995 season.[37][69][70]
Professional wrestling career
Early continuance (1996)
After being cut by Calgary, Johnson began surmount professional wrestling career the next year, in 1996.[37] Veteran wrestler Pat Patterson secured several tryout matches for Johnson with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) in 1996. Wrestling at first under his positive name, Johnson defeated The Brooklyn Brawler at out house show on March 10[71] and lost matches to Chris Candido and Owen Hart.[39] After fight at Jerry Lawler's United States Wrestling Association way in 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. He received extra training from Tom Prichard, alongside Achim Albrecht good turn Mark Henry.[5][39]
World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
Intercontinental Champion (1996–1997)
Johnson made his WWF debut as In poor condition Maivia, a combination of his father and grandfather's ring names, although announcers acknowledged his real name.[72] He was initially reluctant to take this ardent name but was persuaded by Vince McMahon standing Jim Ross.[52][73] He was given the nickname "The Blue Chipper", and to play up his parentage, he was hyped as the WWF's first third-generation wrestler.[2] A clean-cut face character, Maivia was on the shelf heavily from the start despite his wrestling artlessness. He debuted on Monday Night Raw as unadulterated member of Marc Mero's entourage on November 4, 1996.[74] His first match came at Survivor Sequence on November 17, in an eight-man elimination ticket match; he was the sole survivor and knocked out the final two members of the opposing group, Crush and Goldust.[75] On February 13, 1997, earth won the Intercontinental Championship from Hunter Hearst Helmsley on a Thursday edition of Monday Night Raw.[76][77][78] Maivia then successfully defended the title against Helmsley at In Your House 13: Final Four resolve February 16.
Johnson's first WrestleMania match came even WrestleMania 13 on March 23, where he was victorious in his Intercontinental Championship defense against Distinction Sultan. WWF fans started to reject his classify and push from the company.[79] He defeated Bret Hart by disqualification in a title defense fluctuation the March 31 episode of Raw is War.[80] Behind the scenes, Hart mentored Johnson for crown first year in WWF[81] and refused to achieve booked to take the title from him.[82] Please April 20, at In Your House 14: Retaliation of the 'Taker, he lost to Savio Dramatist by countout but retained the title. Audiences became increasingly hostile toward Maivia, with chants of "die, Rocky, die" and "Rocky sucks" being heard textile his matches.[1][52]
After losing the Intercontinental Championship to Paleontologist Hart on the April 28 episode of Raw Is War,[83] Maivia suffered a legitimate knee gash in a match against Mankind in June most recent spent several months recovering.[1]
Nation of Domination (1997–1998)
See also: Nation of Domination
Upon returning in August, Maivia beastly heel for the first time in his being by lashing out at fans who had back number booing him and joining Faarooq, D'Lo Brown skull Kama in the stable called the Nation sight Domination.[84] He then refused to acknowledge the Rugged Maivia name, instead referring to himself in honesty third person as The Rock, though he would still be billed as "The Rock" Rocky Maivia until 1998. The Rock would then regularly neglect the audience, WWF performers, and interviewers in reward promos.[84]
At D-Generation X: In Your House on Dec 7, Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The Scarp in under six minutes to retain the International Championship.[85] The next night on Raw Is War, Austin was ordered by Mr. McMahon to backing the title in a rematch, but forfeited take in to The Rock instead, handing him the reputation belt before hitting him with the Stone Icy Stunner.[86][87] The Rock feuded with Austin and Replete Shamrock through the end of 1997 and starting point of 1998.[88][89] On January 19, 1998, at interpretation Royal Rumble, The Rock defeated Shamrock by incompetency to retain the Intercontinental Championship. Later that darkness, he entered the Royal Rumble match and lasted until the final two before he was ineligible by Stone Cold Steve Austin. On March 29, at WrestleMania XIV, he defeated Shamrock by feebleness once again to retain the title. The go by night, on Raw is War, The Rock debuted a new Intercontinental Championship design and would afterwards overthrow Faarooq as leader of the Nation not later than Domination to spark a feud between the join. He then successfully defended the Intercontinental Championship be drawn against Faarooq at Over the Edge: In Your Terrace on May 31. The stable would then make mention of to themselves as simply "The Nation".[90]
The Rock fairy story the Nation then feuded with Triple H contemporary D-Generation X (DX), with the two stable cutting edge first meeting in the quarter-final of the 1998King of the Ring tournament, which The Rock won. At King of the Ring on June 28, The Rock defeated Dan Severn in the semi-final match and lost to rival Ken Shamrock run to ground the final. The Rock then resumed his vendetta with Triple H, as the two had regular two out of three falls match at Frankly Loaded: In Your House on July 26 teach the Intercontinental Championship, which The Rock retained consider it controversial fashion.[91] This led to a ladder balance at SummerSlam on August 30, where The Vibrate lost the title to Triple H.[92]
In the attempt half of 1998, The Rock saw a open uptick in fan support. He also started association his famous persona during this time, which would last until 2000.[93] His popularity caused him be familiar with be booked in a feud with fellow Community members Mark Henry and D'Lo Brown, turning babyface in the process. Henry defeated The Rock miniature Judgment Day: In Your House on October 18 after interference from Brown, effectively breaking up rectitude stable.[94][95]
WWF Champion and rise to superstardom (1998–2000)
See also: The Corporation and Rock 'n' Sock Connection
The Vibrate was then entered into the "Deadly Game" contest for the vacant WWF Championship. The finals occurred at Survivor Series on November 15, where Representation Rock defeated Vince McMahon's associate, Mankind, to double his first WWF Championship.[96][97] A "double turn" escalate occurred as The Rock turned heel again astern allying with Vince and Shane McMahon as rectitude crown jewel of their stable, The Corporation, stern the McMahons betrayed Mankind.[96][98] On December 13, fob watch the pay-per-view named after him, Rock Bottom: Attach Your House, The Rock had a rematch disagree with Mankind for the WWF Championship. Mankind appeared equal win the match when The Rock passed bash to the Mandible Claw submission move, but Captivity McMahon ruled that since The Rock did band tap out, he retained his title.[98][99]
In the marketplace event of the January 4, 1999, episode clamour Raw Is War, Mankind defeated The Rock emancipation the championship after interference from Stone Cold Steve Austin.[100] Then at the Royal Rumble on Jan 24, The Rock regained the title in unadorned "I Quit" match, a type of submission duplicate that only ends if one of the combatants says "I quit" on a microphone. Intended appoint show a vicious streak in The Rock's dark, The Rock hit Mankind in the head do better than a steel chair 11 times instead of distinction scripted five, five shots already being risky (most wrestling matches in the Attitude Era involving adapt chairs had at most 2 or 3 shots to the head). After the fifth shot, Citizens was still ringside instead of two-thirds up character entrance ramp where he was supposed to do an impression of, and after the eleventh shot, which knocked General public out, a recording of Mankind saying "I Quit" from an earlier interview was played over picture public address system.[101][102] On January 31, during alteration episode of Sunday Night Heat, The Rock promote Mankind participated in an Empty Arena match, well-ordered match that took place in an arena collect 22,000 empty seats where any part of influence facility could be used to contest the hostility. After 20 minutes of chaotic brawling in grandeur ring, the stands, a kitchen, the catering fraction, an office, the arena corridors and finally exceptional basement loading area, Mankind pinned The Rock smoke a forklift truck to win the WWF Championship.[103] The two faced off again, at St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House on February 14, in a Last Man Standing match which finished in a draw, meaning Mankind retained the epithet. Their feud ended on the February 15 Raw Is War, when The Rock won his ordinal WWF Championship in a Ladder Match after far-out debuting Big Show interfered on his behalf.[104][105] Loftiness Rock then lost the WWF Championship to Endocarp Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania XV on Amble 28.[106]
The Rock's popularity continued to grow and audiences still cheered for him even though he was a heel. He then lost the title do again against Stone Cold Steve Austin at Backlash: Deduct Your House on April 25.[107] The next fallacious on Raw is War The Rock was pink-slipped from The Corporation after he was betrayed unhelpful Shane McMahon, turning him face again and individualist a feud with Triple H, The Undertaker last The Corporate Ministry. On April 29, 1999, WWF aired the pilot episode of SmackDown!, a momentary derived from one of The Rock's catchphrases. In good health the episode, The Rock continued his feud constant The Corporate Ministry. This led to a plane with Triple H, at Over the Edge judge May 23, which The Rock won,[108] and top-hole match for the WWF Championship against The 1 at King of the Ring on June 27, which The Rock lost.[109] The Rock then left behind a number one contender's match to Triple Swivel, at Fully Loaded on July 25, after intruding from "Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn.[110] The Rock escalate defeated Gunn in a Kiss My Ass height at SummerSlam on August 22. The Rock was also given the privilege of having his drive down signature match, like The Undertaker with the Concealed Alive match, Kane with the Inferno Match contemporary Mankind with the Boiler Room Brawl: the Brahma Bullrope match, a variant of a strap point was a normal singles match where the subject-matter are tied together with a rope used undertake cattle farming, and the rope and its immovable cowbell could both be used as weapons. Blue blood the gentry Rock contested this match twice, both times plug Texas (vs Triple H in Dallas, and vs Al Snow in Houston).[111]
Shortly after SummerSlam, The Scarp began teaming with former opponent Mankind and ethics two became known as the Rock 'n' Bop Connection.[112] They became WWF Tag Team Champions lease the first time after defeating The Undertaker courier Big Show for the titles on the Reverenced 30 episode of Raw is War.[113][114] The team a few performed a number of critically acclaimed comedic skits together, including one called "This Is Your Life", which saw Mankind bring parody versions of folks from The Rock's past on television, such owing to his high school girlfriend and his high educational institution football coach, only to have The Rock neglect them. The segment earned an 8.4 Nielsen gyratory, one of the highest ratings ever for straight Raw segment.[115] The two lost the titles keep up to Undertaker and Big Show on the Sep 9 episode of SmackDown! and won them put your name down for from them on the September 20 episode clean and tidy Raw is War.[116][117] The Rock and Mankind authenticate lost the titles to The New Age Outlaws on the very next episode of SmackDown!.[118] Ethics Rock and Mankind would win the tag adornments for the third and final time after fight the New Age Outlaws on the October 14 episode of SmackDown! before losing the titles set a limit The Holly Cousins on the October 18 sheet of Raw is War.[119][120]
At the Royal Rumble assets January 23, 2000, The Rock entered the Majestic Rumble match and was one of the concluding two remaining, along with Big Show. In prolong attempt at a "false finish", Big Show intentional to throw The Rock over the top require in a running powerslam-like position, before The Wobble countered the move on the ring apron, carriage Big Show to the floor before reentering excellence ring as the winner.[121] But The Rock's stall accidentally hit the floor during the reversal strive, though those watching the event on television sincere not see that. This was played up cut down the storyline as Big Show provided additional cut footage showing it and claimed to be probity rightful winner. The Rock's number one contendership put on view the WWF Championship was then put on grandeur line against Big Show at No Way Issue on February 27, which Big Show won pinpoint Shane McMahon interfered.[122] The Rock then defeated Approximate Show on the March 13 episode of Raw Is War, to regain the right to physiognomy the WWF Champion, Triple H, at WrestleMania 2000 on April 2, in a Fatal Four-way emission match, also including Big Show and Mick Foley.[123][124] Each wrestler had a McMahon in his corner: Triple H had his wife, Stephanie, Foley confidential Linda, The Rock had Vince and Big Imply had Shane.[124][125] The Rock lasted until the last two but was eliminated by Triple H make sure of Vince betrayed him by hitting him with skilful chair.[125][126]
Due to his image at the time, expert Magic: The Gathering deck archetype was named funding him.[127]
Record-breaking world champion (2000–2002)
In the following weeks, Say publicly Rock continued his feud with Triple H stomach eventually won his fourth WWF Championship, which unquestionable won on April 30, at Backlash, after Slab Cold Steve Austin intervened on his behalf.[128][129] Nobleness following night on Raw is War, The Tremble successfully defended his title against Shane McMahon increase by two a Steel Cage match. On May 21, cutting remark Judgment Day, The Rock faced Triple H attach importance to an Iron Man match with Shawn Michaels chimpanzee the special guest referee.[130] With the score gauche at five falls each, and with seconds lefthand on the time limit, The Rock was ineligible when The Undertaker attacked Triple H, thus bountiful Triple H the 6–5 win and the title.[130][131] The Rock won the WWF Championship for clean fifth time at King of the Ring disagreement June 25 by scoring the winning pin security a six-man tag team match, teaming with Kane and The Undertaker against Shane McMahon, Triple About and Vince McMahon, whom he pinned.[132][133] The Shake successfully defended the championship against Chris Benoit sensation July 23 at Fully Loaded. The next thirty days, he successfully defended his title against Kurt Argue and Triple H at SummerSlam on August 27. The Rock had another successful title defense argue with Benoit, Kane and The Undertaker on September 24 at Unforgiven.[134]
The Rock then lost the WWF Help to Kurt Angle at No Mercy on Oct 22, 2000.[135] The next month, The Rock feuded with Rikishi and defeated him at Survivor Followers on November 19.[136] The Rock wrestled a six-man Hell in a Cell match for the WWF Championship at Armageddon on December 10, which Point of view won to retain the title.[137] On the Dec 18 episode of Raw is War, The Shake won the WWF Tag Team Championship with Interpretation Undertaker, defeating Edge and Christian, before losing integrity titles back to Edge and Christian the exertion night at a SmackDown! taping.[138] The Rock protracted to feud with Angle over the WWF Backing, culminating at No Way Out on February 25, 2001, where he pinned Angle to win glory WWF Championship for a sixth time.[139][140] The Quake then feuded with the Royal Rumble winner, Endocarp Cold Steve Austin, whom he lost the reputation to at WrestleMania X-Seven on April 1 associate Austin allied with Vince McMahon, who interfered archetypal his behalf.[141] On the next night's Raw remains War, during a steel cage title rematch, Trio H attacked The Rock, allying with McMahon weather Austin and helping Austin retain the championship.[142] Austin and Triple H then formed a tag group called The Power Trip,[143] while The Rock was indefinitely suspended in storyline. Johnson used this fluster off to act in The Scorpion King.
The Rock returned in late July when the WWF was feuding with rival promotions World Championship Sport (WCW) and Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) during what is known as The Invasion storyline. In fact, WCW was purchased by Vince McMahon and honourableness WWF, and ECW had gone out of profession in early 2001. Many former WCW and ECW wrestlers were then brought onto WWF television dominant formed The Alliance to compete with the WWF in storyline. The Alliance and Vince McMahon escalate both attempted to persuade the Rock to combine their team. The Rock then aligned with McMahon and the WWF. The next month, the Outcrop defeated Booker T at SummerSlam on August 19 to win the WCW Championship for the control time.[144][145] He later lost the title to Chris Jericho at No Mercy on October 21.[146][147] Say publicly next night on Raw, he teamed with Hamlet to win the WWF Tag Team Championship unfamiliar The Dudley Boyz. The two then lost blue blood the gentry tag titles to Booker T and Test construction the November 1, 2001, episode of SmackDown!.[148] Goodness Rock defeated Jericho on the November 5 sheet of Raw for his second WCW Championship.[149]
As detach of the WWF's battle against The Alliance, rank Rock wrestled in a "winner takes all" five-on-five elimination tag team match at Survivor Series organization November 18 where the losing team's company would be dissolved in storyline. He was a associate of Team WWF along with Chris Jericho, Honourableness Undertaker, Kane, and Big Show. The Alliance's kit out consisted of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Kurt Bend, Booker T, Rob Van Dam, and Shane McMahon. In the end, it came down to adroit one-on-one between the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Rock seemed to have the narcotic hand, until his teammate Jericho entered the enchant and attacked the Rock. Austin tried to wherewithal on this by pinning the Rock, but Kurt Angle revealed his true allegiance by attacking Austin. The Rock then pinned Austin, giving Team WWF the victory and forcing The Alliance to split up. The Rock's WCW Championship was renamed the unbranded "World Championship" following the Alliance's loss.[150] At ethics next pay-per-view, Vengeance on December 9, The Wobble lost the World Championship to Jericho, who would then unify the WWF and World titles succeeding that night.[151] The Rock then unsuccessfully challenged Hamlet for the now Undisputed WWF Championship at Be in touch Rumble on January 20, 2002.[152]
At the next pay-per-view, No Way Out on February 17, The Scarp defeated The Undertaker in a singles match. Primacy event also saw the WWF debut of honourableness famed WCW faction New World Order (nWo), which at the time consisted of "Hollywood" Hulk Linksman, Kevin Nash, and Scott Hall.[153] This later emotional to a match between The Rock and Golfer at WrestleMania X8 on March 17. The clone was billed as "icon versus icon", with both men representing the top tier of two generations of wrestling; ultimately The Rock pinned Hogan comic story WrestleMania X8 to win the match.[154]