Biography
Who is Dwayne Johnson?
Early life and real name
Dwayne Johnson Douglas Johnson was born in Hayward, California, on May 2, 1972. His mother is Ata Johnson and his father was professional wrestler Rocky Johnson. During his childhood, he briefly lived in New Zealand with his mother's family before returning to the United States. He attended multiple schools as his family moved around, including President William McKinley High School in Honolulu and Freedom High School in Pennsylvania.
During his high school years, Dwayne initially struggled with a culture of conflict and petty crime before finding a turning point in football. A local coach recruited him to the school football team, where he played defensive tackle and began focusing on personal goals. He also participated in track and field and wrestling during his high school years.
College football and early career
Dwayne earned a full athletic scholarship to play football at the University of Miami. He was a member of the Miami Hurricanes 1991 team that won the national championship. Although he played four years as a defensive tackle, he spent most of his time in backup roles behind future NFL star Warren Sapp. He graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of General Studies, having completed a dual major in criminology and physiology.
After college, he joined the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League. The team moved him from defensive tackle to linebacker and placed him on the practice roster. He was cut two months into the season, which led him to pursue a career in professional wrestling the following year.
Professional wrestling career
Dwayne began his professional wrestling career in 1996 with tryouts secured by Pat Patterson for the World Wrestling Federation. He wrestled initially under his real name and later as Flex Kavana in the United States Wrestling Association. He debuted in the WWF as Rocky Maivia, a name combining his father and grandfather's ring names, and was pushed heavily as a third-generation wrestler.
He soon adopted the persona of The Rock, becoming a charismatic trash talker who fueled the success of the Attitude Era. He became a ten-time world champion and headlined multiple pay-per-view events, including WrestleMania. After leaving the company in 2004 for an acting career, he returned in later years for sporadic appearances and part-time matches before his retirement.
Film and television career
Dwayne made his first film appearance in The Mummy Returns in 2001 and played his first leading role in The Scorpion King the following year. He starred in family films such as The Game Plan, Tooth Fairy, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. He also led action films including San Andreas, Rampage, and Skyscraper, alongside his role as Luke Hobbs in the Fast & Furious franchise.
In addition to live-action films, he voiced the character Maui in Disney's animated film Moana and its sequel. He produced and starred in the HBO comedy-drama series Ballers and the autobiographical sitcom Young Rock. His autobiography, The Rock Says, was released in 2000 and became a bestseller.
Birthday and age
Dwayne Johnson was born on May 2, 1972, which makes Dwayne 54 years old today. That birthday falls under the Taurus sign. Dwayne shares the date with 27 other famous people.
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