DWAYNE JOHNSON

It’s easy to look at Dwayne Johnson now and assume the bloke was born with millions in the bank and a Hollywood career waiting for him. Truth is, things weren’t always sunshine, muscles and motivational Instagram videos. After his dreams of becoming an American football star went sideways, he found himself skint, frustrated and with just seven dollars to his name. Not exactly the start you’d expect for the biggest action star on the planet.

Thankfully, life had other plans.

Before Hollywood came calling, Dwayne was busy becoming one of the most entertaining men to ever step inside a wrestling ring. As The Rock, he wasn’t just another bloke in tiny trunks throwing people through tables. Armed with a raised eyebrow and enough confidence to power Las Vegas, he became a global phenomenon. The insults, the catchphrases, the swagger – the man could have made reading out the weather forecast feel like a pay-per-view event.

Mind you, not everyone thought wrestling stars could make the jump to films. Hollywood had seen a few attempts before and wasn’t exactly convinced. Dwayne had other ideas. He stormed onto the big screen, brought fresh life to the Fast & Furious films as Luke Hobbs, turned Jumanji into one of the most surprising box-office hits of recent years, and somehow became a singing demigod in Moana. Which is quite a sentence when you stop and think about it.

What separates him from a lot of stars is that he’s not just the bloke standing in front of the camera. Through Seven Bucks Productions, he’s helped build an empire behind the scenes too. Whether he’s fighting giant apes in Rampage, chasing criminals around Europe in Red Notice or crashing through buildings because apparently doors are optional, Dwayne knows exactly what audiences want. And fair play, he usually delivers.

Lately, he’s been trying to shake things up a bit. Alongside returning to the world of Moana and leading festive action film Red One, he’s stepping away from the polished superstar image to play legendary MMA fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. It’s a role that surprised a lot of people and could show a completely different side to the bloke.

After more than twenty years at the top, Dwayne Johnson still feels like one of the last proper showmen. And honestly, cinema would be a lot less fun without him.

Insomniacs Trivia

• The Doughnut Redemption: When he was a broke teenager in Hawaii, Dwayne used to nick a chocolate doughnut from the same Dunkin’ Donuts every day because he couldn’t afford breakfast. Years later, after becoming a global superstar, he returned to the exact same shop, bought every doughnut in the place and left them for customers and staff as his own slightly delayed way of making things right.

• The Wrestling Name Ban: Early in his acting career, some advisers thought his WWE background would hold him back. They actually told him to drop “The Rock” and distance himself from wrestling altogether. Dwayne ignored them, embraced the nickname and ended up turning it into one of the most recognisable brands in entertainment.

• The Willy Wonka What If: Before Johnny Depp landed the role in Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dwayne Johnson was reportedly one of the names considered. Somewhere in another universe, Willy Wonka looks like he could bench-press the Oompa Loompas.

Insomniacs Take

Dwayne Johnson is basically human caffeine. The bloke attacks life with so much energy that you feel tired just watching him. He might not always pick Oscar bait, but that’s never really been the point. He knows exactly what people want when they buy a ticket to one of his films, and he delivers it with a grin the size of Blackpool Tower. He’s a proper entertainer, a proper grafter, and one of those rare stars who seems genuinely chuffed to be living the life he’s got.

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