Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says his years in professional wrestling played a major role in shaping his work as an actor.
Speaking on The Hollywood Reporter Actor Roundtable alongside Adam Sandler, Jacob Elordi, Michael B. Jordan and others, Johnson reflected on how performing as The Rock in WWE prepared him for Hollywood. He noted that wrestling required larger-than-life expression, but also taught him discipline and awareness in front of a live audience.
“In wrestling, it’s very big and over the top as you’re performing for everybody in a stadium,” Johnson said. “One of the main takeaways was it really forced me to live… it forces you to listen, to really hone that skill set of listening to the audience and keeping you on your toes.”
Johnson, who has transitioned into one of Hollywood’s highest-earning stars, has appeared in nearly 50 films across live-action roles, animation and cameos since leaving WWE full-time.
What Is The Rock’s Next Movie?
The Rock has a number of upcoming projects that are currently in production, two of which are slated for a 2026 release. Those films are a live-action version of the Disney animated movie Moana, and a third instalment in the Jumanji movie series.
Last year, he appeared in two movies, as Zeke in Zootopia 2, and he starred as Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. Zootopia 2 made a whopping $1.593 billion at the box office against a budget of $150 million, and The Smashing Machine only made $21 million at the box office against a budget of $50 million.
