All members | Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson
Actor/Founder, The Rock Foundation

Biography:

DWAYNE "THE ROCK" JOHNSON

Since his breakout roles in Universal Pictures’ THE MUMMY RETURNS and box office powerhouse THE SCORPION KING, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has firmly established himself as an enduringly popular film star.

Johnson can currently be seen in Disney’s family comedy THE GAME PLAN. In this film, Johnson portrays an NFL quarterback living the bachelor lifestyle until discovering he has a young daughter from a former relationship. THE GAME PLAN opened #1 at the box office and has enjoyed continued success.

Johnson has just signed on to star in WITCH MOUNTAIN for Walt Disney Pictures. Andy Fickman will be directing the film, which advances from the plot of the 1975 Disney favorite, ESCAPE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN.

Johnson has recently wrapped the Warner Brothers comedy, GET SMART. Johnson stars alongside Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, and Alan Arkin in this film, which is based on the 1960’s spy sitcom. GET SMART is set to release June 20th, 2008.

Johnson was last seen starring in Sony’s gritty drama GRIDIRON GANG, as a correctional facility counselor who forms a football team of young criminals. Directed by Phil Joanou and based on a true story, the film opened #1 at the box office and enjoyed continued success.

Johnson also starred in SOUTHLAND TALES, directed by Richard Kelly (DONNY DARKO). The film, which was picked as an in-competition selection at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival, stars an eclectic cast including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Mandy Moore and Sean William Scott.

The actor previously demonstrated his range, earning kudos from critics and audiences alike, as a gay bodyguard and an aspiring singer in BE COOL, MGM’s sequel to GET SHORTY, alongside John Travolta, Uma Thurman and Vince Vaughn. Also for MGM, Johnson starred in the 2004 remake of WALKING TALL as a sheriff who returns to his hometown after serving in the Army, only to find it corrupted. Before that, Johnson starred in Universal’s THE RUNDOWN, a critically acclaimed action/comedy directed by Peter Berg and co-starring Sean William Scott, Rosario Dawson and Christopher Walken that solidified his action hero status and screen presence in the wake of the huge success of THE SCORPION KING.

Born in San Francisco and raised in Hawaii, Dwayne Johnson excelled as a high school All-American and star defensive lineman for the University of Miami Hurricanes, helping lead his team over huge hurdles to become National Champions. After a stint in the Canadian Football league, a shoulder injury made him consider a different career, and

Johnson soon became a third-generation professional wrestler, following the careers of his father, Rocky Johnson, and his grandfather, Samoan High Chief Peter Maivia. In 1996 he joined the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), later rebranded as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), working his way through the ranks and developing the charismatic and sympathetic character of “The Rock.” In the ring Johnson became heralded as “The People’s Champion” and went on to earn a record as a seven-time league champion.

His eventual love of acting and desire to branch out led him to appear on “Saturday Night Live” in March 2000, surprising many with his strength in the comedy and garnering the show’s highest rating that year. Johnson was subsequently cast by Stephen Sommers in THE MUMMY RETURNS, which grossed more than $400 million worldwide. His character was so well received by Universal executives during dailies that they immediately planned a film based on his character, THE SCORPION KING, which in 2002 broke all box office records with the biggest April opening of all time.

Not content to remain in front of the camera alone, Johnson penned an autobiography, The Rock Says, which became #1 on the New York Times Bestseller List shortly after its publication in January 2000. Johnson, devoted father to six year old daughter Simone Alexandra, currently resides in both Florida and Los Angeles.