Dwayne Johnson—Rolling with The Rock

By Brady Rhoades   

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s TV and film studio has generated $4.6 billion in revenue.

On the studio’s resume is Black Adam and Jungle Cruise, among others. Johnson’s biggest fame has come from the Fast and Furious and Jumanji franchises.

But did you know the studio is called Seven Bucks Productions because that’s how much money Johnson had when his dream of becoming a professional football player ended?

“One of the key elements and the key anchors for us, as entrepreneurs and founders, is taking risks and having the guts to take risks,” Johnson said. “Now, of course, you want to take measured risks and smart risks. You want to surround yourself with the right people, the right ambitions, the shared ambitions… When you start your career struggling, hustling, scratching and clawing…you come into any venture with a greater appreciation, but I also think a greater willingness to rip yourself open, rip the face off of something and really go for it.”

When Johnson started as a wrestler in the 1980s, “struggling, hustling, scratching and clawing” meant performing for $40 a night at flea markets, carnivals and—this one’s hard to figure—car dealerships.

Wrestling is where he first gained fame after his dream of playing in the National Football League (he’d played at the University of Miami) didn’t work out.

A Game-Changer

Johnson, 52, was born in Hayward, California. His father, Rocky “Soulman” Johnson, and Tony Atlas were the first Black tag team champions in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) history in 1983. His mother, Ata, of Samoan descent, is the adopted daughter of Peter Maivia, who was also a professional wrestler. Johnson’s maternal grandmother Lia was one of the first female pro wrestling promoters, taking over Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling after her husband’s death in 1982.

Johnson grew up in North Carolina, Connecticut, Hawaii, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. At Freedom High School in Pennsylvania, he was arrested several times for fighting, theft and check fraud. But the football coach saw potential in Johnson, and recruited him to join the school’s team, where he played defensive tackle—an experience that proved to be, literally, a game-changer.

“My thought process started to change,” he said. “That’s when I started thinking about goals and what I wanted to accomplish.” Johnson also lettered in wrestling and track and field.

He attended University of Miami on a football scholarship. There, he won a national championship in 1991 and earned a bachelor’s degree in general studies.

He was signed by the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, but was cut in 1995. That’s when Johnson returned to his roots: wrestling. After hustling on the cheap for months, he signed with the World Wrestling Foundation (WWF), under the name Rocky Maivia, a combination of his father’s and grandfather’s ring names, in the late 1990s.

Johnson is one of the most beloved figures in American culture. Maivia? Not so much. After beating The Sultan in his first WrestleMania match, the Maivia character fully took hold, with constant verbal sparring with fans, fellow wrestlers and promoters.

In numerous incarnations, including “The Hollywood Rock,” Johnson was a villain you couldn’t stop watching. He was arrogant. He joined the Nation of Domination. He never stopped trash talking.

Stardom ensued, along with plenty of drama in the ring. Most notably, he feuded with Stone Cold Austin and Hulk Hogan.

Well into the 21st century and, perhaps, seeking a more three-dimensional role, Johnson rebranded himself as just “The Rock,” a more versatile performer. He won the intercontinental title, retained it at the Royal Rumble, and then lost it in an epic match against Austin.

As a WWF champion (and challenger, at times), he was showing his range as a personality; charming fans with his good looks and loquaciousness, then souring the mood with his taunting and bullying antics. A natural-born actor, you could say.

New Horizons

His acting career started in television and moved to the silver screen. He starred in The Scorpion King (iconic film critic Roger Ebert noted, “I expect him to become a durable action star”), The Rundown, Walking Tall, Doom and Southland Tales.

Then he went into high gear—and box office stardom —with Fast Five, Journey 2, The Mysterious Island, Fast and Furious, Hercules, Baywatch and Jumanji. His Fast and Furious franchise has earned nearly $1 billion.

Audiences turned to streaming in 2020, and Johnson seized the opportunity, co-starring in Disney’s Red Notice, as well as other silver screen hits.

Johnson, married and a father of three, is an entrepreneur at heart, so it was only a matter of time before he founded Seven Bucks Productions. Of course, like any entrepreneur, Johnson is ever-expanding and looking to new horizons.

After four years in business, Teremana Tequila is valued at $3.5 billion. In 2021, Johnson launched ZOA energy drinks. He was granted full ownership of “The Rock” trademark. He’s been given a $30 million stock option with TKO, the parent company of WWE and UFC. He’s the owner of the UFL football league. He’s the most followed man in the world on social media.
PHOTO: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, founder and chairman of Teremana Tequila. TEREMANA

His brand is well-established. He’s revered as a legendary actor, a sex symbol and something of a comedian.

Why mess with all that?

Well, do you remember when he talked about a “willingness to rip yourself open, rip the face off of something and really go for it?”

In his WWE comeback, which has already got fans in a fervor, he’s “The Final Boss,” alternately delighting and infuriating the public.

Being Kind

The man with a tattoo of a Brahma bull on his right arm has ascended to the heights of success while struggling with depression, which he’s open about.

“I find that with depression, one of the most important things you can realize is you’re not alone,” Johnson says.

His workout regimen helps.

“For me, training is my meditation, my yoga, hiking, biking all rolled into one. Wake up early in the morning, generally around 4 o’clock, and I’ll do my cardio on an empty stomach. Stretch, have a big breakfast and then I’ll go train.” 
PHOTO: Dwayne Johnson, Lauren Hashian and daughter Jasmine Johnson attend a ceremony honoring him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Dec. 13, 2017 in Los Angeles. ODD ANDERSEN/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES

In time, and after learning to cope with what can be a debilitating condition, Johnson turned a problem into an action, raising awareness for mental health and finding ways to be of service to others.

The Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation works with at-risk and terminally ill children. He’s donated time and money to countless causes, including funds to help an abandoned dog with surgery, $25,000 to the Hurricane Harvey relief effort, as well as money and muscle for Malama Kauai, a nonprofit organization that helped repair flood damage in that area. And he spent much of September helping and inspiring Apalachee High School students after an on-campus shooting left four dead and nine injured.

“Love this,” he posted on X on Sept. 23. “What a FUN moment captured here as students of APALACHEE HIGH SCHOOL in Winder, GA started PALMING MY BALD HEAD like I was their DAD, rubbing it for good luck, when we were taking this selfie. Unimaginable tragedy that these kids, their families and community have gone thru with the recent mass shooting at their high school. To see them smile big with joy and have some fun made my heart full.”

Johnson has said, “Not only do I think being nice and kind is easy, but being kind, in my opinion, is important.”

An Open Door

Being kind doesn’t mean being soft. He doesn’t have much use for “soft.” Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has too much more to accomplish.

Johnson’s comeback performance this year at WrestleMania 40 was a huge success. Fans are awaiting word on WrestleMania 41, which will take place in 2025. There’s speculation that Johnson will warm up by doing battle at the Royal Rumble.

In the meantime, his first Christmas movie, Red One, was released in theaters on Nov. 15. Moana 2 came out later that month. PHOTO: Dwayne Johnson at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim, California on August 09, 2024. (Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for Disney)

It’s Johnson’s happy holidays message to his fans as a new year, with fresh adventures, approaches.

“I grew up where, when a door closed, a window didn’t open. The only thing I had was cracks. I’d do everything to get through those cracks—scratch, claw, bite, push, bleed. Now the opportunity is here. The door is wide open, and it’s as big as a garage.”

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This article was originally published on diversitycomm.net.