Dwayne Johnson
“I’m always asked what’s the secret to success? But there are no secrets. Be humble. Be hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room.”
-Dwayne Johnson
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a well-known football player, wrestler, and actor. He fought through a tough childhood, experiencing homelessness at times and overcame multiple obstacles to get to where he is today. He continues to make a huge influence on the wrestling and acting communities in the United States and around the world.
Dwayne Johnson was born in California on May 2nd of 1972. He is a melting pot of cultures as his father is Black Canadian (Nova Scotian) and his mother is Samoan. He spent a great deal of his childhood in New Zealand with his mother’s family until he moved to Connecticut for part of elementary school and middle school. He went to college at the University of Miami on a full ride scholarship for football. When a career ending injury stopped Dwayne Johnson from continuing football, he decided to become a pro wrestler like many of his family members including his father (Rocky Johnson) and grandfather (Peter “High Chief” Fanene Maivia). His ring name was Rocky Maivia which was a mix of the two family names. He later changed it to “The Rock” in 1998.
His acting career started because of his wrestling popularity. He began acting in the early 2000’s in T.V. shows like That ‘70s Show and then moved on to larger stories like The Scorpion King, The Mummy Returns and as Luke Hobbs in the Fast and Furious franchise. One of his most well-known roles was the voice of Maui in Disney’s recent movie Moana. Off the screen, buzz started generating about Johnson wanting to become president in the 2020 election. These rumors were confirmed in December of 2017 when the wrestler/actor told Ellen DeGeneres he was seriously considering it. Dwayne Johnson continues to pay attention to the political scene while enjoying the acting business. He is a great advocate and voice for multiracial people all over the world.
Alexis Cook
Co-President, Project RACE Teens
Image Source: JORDAN STRAUSS/INVISION/AP/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK