The Rock Shares How He Established His Own Identity After Moving Into Hollywood Work

Speaking recently on The Pivot, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shared some details on his journey from wrestling to Hollywood and the changes he made along the way before establishing himself as one of the entertainment industry’s biggest stars (per Wrestling Inc). Johnson explained how he was told early on to distance himself from his WWE persona in order to be legitimized in the film industry but ultimately chose a different approach despite the advice. You can find a few highlights and watch the complete interview below.

On his initial ambitions after leaving wrestling: “When I got out of wrestling, I transitioned into Hollywood, and I wanted to have a career that hopefully had some longevity to it. And I wanted to be good.”

On how he felt taking advice from those around him: “All this shit that at that time, if you don’t know any better and you’re trying to stay focused on the North Star, you buy into it because you’re trusting the people who are around you.”

On arriving at the decision to maintain his identity: “I bought into it a little bit for a few years. Until finally I said, ‘I can’t do this anymore. I gotta be me. I love wrestling, it’s my life. If I wanna call myself The Rock, I’m gonna call myself the motherfucking Rock …’ Fired everybody, hired a brand new team … And at least if I fail, then I fail being myself.”