Dwayne Johnson first rose to fame as "The Rock," a popular
wrestling personality. He then became a box-office star, appearing
in films including 'The Scorpion King,' 'Hercules' and 'The Fast and
the Furious' franchise.
Who Is Dwayne Johnson?
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was born into a professional wrestling family in 1972. An
injury ended his college football career, so he entered the ring with the World Wrestling
Federation. As "The Rock," he famously feuded with wrestler Steve Austin and won the
WWF/WWE Heavyweight title numerous times. Johnson then parlayed his wrestling fame
into a film career, appearing in projects like 2001's The Mummy Returns and 2010's Tooth
Fairy. Later projects include the HBO series Ballers and leading roles in The Fast and the
Furious and Jumanji franchises.
Wife and Daughters
In August 2019, Johnson tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend, singer/music
producer Lauren Hashian. The two are parents to daughters Jasmine Lia (b. December 2015)
and Tiana Gia (b. April 2018).
Johnson also has a daughter, Simone Alexandra, from his first marriage. He and his high
school sweetheart, Dany Garcia, wed in 1997 and split up a decade later, though she
continues to serve as his manager.
Movies and TV
'Scorpion King'
Outside the wrestling ring, The Rock launched a successful acting career, dropping the stage
name and simply going by Dwayne Johnson. He first made a big splash as the Scorpion King,
a supernatural bad guy, in 2001's The Mummy Returns. Johnson returned to this role the
following year for The Scorpion King. Trying his hand at comedy, he appeared in 2005's Be
Cool with John Travolta and Uma Thurman and 2007's The Game Plan.
'Driver,' 'Fast & Furious' Franchise
Johnson's acting career to continued to thrive through his appearances in such films
as Driver (2010) and Fast & Furious 6 (2013). In 2014, he starred as the titular strong man
in Hercules. Johnson also returned to wrestling from time to time, including a 2014
appearance with Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 30.
HBO's 'Ballers'
In 2015, Johnson dominated the big screen with two big action films. He appeared in Furious
Seven and starred in San Andreas. Johnson also debuted his first dramatic comedy series that
same year, playing Spencer Strasmore, a retired pro footballer turned financial planner,
on Ballers.
'Central Intelligence,' 'Moana,' 'Baywatch,' 'Jumanji'
In 2016, after teaming up with Kevin Hart for the action-comedy Central Intelligence,
Johnson voiced the demigod Maui for the Disney animated hit Moana. He was a busy man in
2017, taking on starring roles in The Fate of the Furious, a big-screen adaptation of the 1990s
lifeguard series Baywatch and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
'Skyscraper,' 'Rampage,' 'Hobbs & Shaw'
The good vibes continued into 2018, with Jumanji racking up the ticket sales en route
to becoming the actor's highest-grossing film to date. He also managed to stand out during
the blitz of advertising accompanying the Super Bowl in February, debuting a trailer for the
movie Skyscraper, in which he partakes in death-defying stunts with a prosthetic leg.
That same day, Johnson announced he would be hosting a 10-episode unscripted competition
show, The Titan Games, to "create a platform that gave everyday people the opportunity to
change their lives and do something extraordinary."
Next up for the action star was Rampage, based on the popular 1980s arcade game, which hit
theaters a few months before the July release of Skyscraper.
Johnson returned to his wrestling roots by appearing as himself in Fighting with My
Family(2019), based on the true story of female wrestling champion Saraya "Paige"
Bevis. Later that year, he was back in action mode with the Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs &
Shaw, alongside Jason Statham.
Off the Screen
In 2017, buzz began generating over Johnson's rumored plan to run for president in 2020.
After playing coy for much of the year, the wrestler-turned-actor finally confirmed the
rumors in December, telling Ellen DeGeneres, "I’m seriously considering it, yes."
Johnson has also opened up about some of his early-life struggles, including his family's
eviction from their Hawaii home when he was just 14. He told the UK publication The
Express that his mother tried to commit suicide by walking into traffic the following year, an
incident that left him battling depression.
Early Life & Career
Professional wrestler and actor Dwayne "The Rock" Douglas Johnson was born on May 2,
1972, in Hayward, California. The grandson of professional wrestler Peter "High Chief"
Fanene Maivia and son of wrestler Rocky Johnson, the young Johnson grew up watching his
father perform in the ring. With no plans to follow in his footsteps, Johnson played college
football at the University of Miami, showing promise with his size and athleticism until being
slowed by injuries.
The Rock
With few prospects in professional football, Johnson turned to wrestling, debuting in the
WWF against the Brooklyn Brawler in Texas. After a couple more matches, including a tag
team win with Bart Sawyer, the WWF signed him under the name Flex Kavana. A year later,
he joined The Nation of Domination, eventually taking over its leadership and calling himself
The Rock.
He later joined another band of elite wrestlers known as The Corporation and began a
notorious feud with Steve Austin. Also known as "The People's Champ," The Rock went on
to win a combined 17 WWF/WWE titles over his acclaimed career.
