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When Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made the jump from WWE to Hollywood in the pursuit of becoming a legitimate leading man and action star, he was wading into uncharted waters.
Now sure, Hulk Hogan did it before him to some degree, working primarily in B movies and children's fare, and “Rowdy” Roddey Piper had, at the time, the definitive wrestling actor role as the lead in John Carpenter's They Live – in addition to cult hits like Hell Comes to Frogtown– but no one had ever become a box office star in the way Dave Bautista and John Cena are today.
But how did it happen? Did Johnson pick an incredible team who helped him ease his transition? Or did he find some resources within the industry who helped him to find his footing? Discussing his transition in an expansive interview with Patrick Bet David, Johnson noted that while it may have looked like he went from competing with the likes of Mick Foley and The Undertaker to Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stalone, it actually couldn't have been further from the case.
Why? Because plenty of Hollywood's top stars actually flocked to his side to help him with his transition, instead of viewing him as a threat and attempting to crush his dream.
“Those guys, I know all of those guys, and we competed on a great level, but the truth is, in wrestling, it's a little different. You still compete, and you still have to keep your head on a swivel. It's shark-infested waters in that world and this world, too. Business, entertainment, sport, sports entertainment,” The Rock explained via Fightful.
“When I got to Hollywood, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood, and Bruce Willis. Those four men were so good to me when I got to Hollywood, and they didn't have to be. They were the biggest stars in the world at that time. They were welcoming, I would seek them out, they would come to me. We all stayed in touch and became friends. I never forgot that because they were in positions where they didn't have to be. The ones who are confident in themselves and their success, and want to see not only the business grow but want to see people do well. You want to see somebody who is a good person do well.”
Whoa, interesting stuff, right? Despite quite literally being an outsider looking to jump from a memorable cameo as the Scorpion King into a true blue movie star, the top stars in the film industry at the time were open to lend the “Brahma Bull” an ear, give him a shoulder to lean on, and provide support whenever he needed it. That same courtesy, however, was not afforded to Johnson behind the scenes, as, in his opinion, those are the real sharks looking for blood in the water.
The Rock competed behind the scenes more than in front of it.
Continuing his conversation with Patrick Bet David, The Rock noted that while fans may pit Hollywood leading men against each other like they would “The Great One” versus “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, the real challenge came behind the scenes, as his true challenges came against executives, producers, and the like, instead of the actors he was theoretically competing for parts with.
“It's the people you don't see, behind the scenes; those are the ones trying to hold you down. The ones who are confident, the quiet ones will sit, and they are really the powerful ones who make all the decisions,” The Rock noted. “The ones who are behind the scenes trying to hold you down, those are the ones who are chicken s**t, who will never come to you, you'll never see them. Instead of me trying to find them or trying to figure out ‘Who made that call? Why did this happen?' I thought, ‘I'll always remember the people who are good to me.' Then I realized, the person I compete with the most is me. It's you vs. you. That's something we can all attest to.”
You know, you have to give it to the “Final Boss,” his evaluation is actually pretty spot on; while fans, pundits, and tabloids – aka the dirt sheets of the entertainment world – alike will routinely pit actors against each other in an attempt to create enough drama to sell some magazines, the actual actors putting in the work are all part of the same fraternity who are looking to propel the craft forward. In a way, being an actor isn't too dissimilar to from being a WWE Superstar, minus the physicality and having to share the same locker room.
