Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently opened up about his pivot from a legendary career in WWE to becoming one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood. Speaking at the THR Actor Roundtable, Johnson discussed the motivations behind his decision to switch gears over two decades ago. When asked about the move, Johnson claimed that he wanted to embrace the “challenge” of a new industry.
“Well, I think it was planned by something more powerful than me, for sure,” Johnson said. “Destiny, I believe in the universe, but I also wanted to grow, and I wanted to challenge myself.”
Johnson recounted his experience filming his first acting gig, The Mummy Returns, alongside Brendan Fraser. He revealed that he was incredibly ill while shooting in the Sahara Desert in Morocco. According to Johnson, he had eaten something he shouldn’t have, leading to a difficult situation where he was freezing under a blanket despite the 110-degree heat.
“Stephen Sommers comes over, the director, ‘Hey, you okay?’ I’m like, ‘yeah, I’m okay. Let’s do it.’ He calls action,” Johnson recalled. “We have our scene. And I had never acted before, but he called action. And when he says cut, you know, we hear the ‘Oh, you got bit by the acting bug, the thing that happens.’ When he yelled cut, I went, ‘This is what I want to do for the rest of my life.'”
Since that breakout role in 2001, Johnson has starred in nearly 50 feature films, ranging from cameos to full-length starring roles. His latest ventures include the critically acclaimed A24 film The Smashing Machine, directed by Benny Safdie, and a voice role in Zootopia 2. Johnson’s reflection highlights the singular moment on set that convinced him to leave the wrestling ring for the big screen permanently.
