THE ROCK (Mathayus) conquered the world of professional wrestling as a record-setting, six-time champion of the World Wrestling Federation before he entered the demanding realm of film acting. His striking debut as the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns led to his starring role as the same character in The Scorpion King, a film designed to showcase his prowess as an athlete as well as his natural ease as an actor.
Dwayne Douglas Johnson was born in San Francisco, California, in 1972, the son of successful professional wrestler Rocky Johnson and the grandson of Samoan wrestling legend Peter Maivia. As a child, he grew up with wrestling greats as family friends and learned the fine points of the sport before leaving home to play college football at the University of Miami. At 6'5" and 250 pounds, he was a gifted defensive tackle who was kept from the starting lineup only because All- American Warren Sapp already had the job. He was a member of the university's NCAA National Championship team in 1991 and graduated in 1995 with a degree in Criminology. He then went on to play professional football, but injuries soon forced him to leave the game.
As luck would have it, he turned to wrestling and adopted the name of 'Rocky Maivia,' which he eventually shortened to 'The Rock.' He became the youngest WWF World Champion at the age of 26. Moving swiftly up the WWF ladder, The Rock came to be known as the 'People's Champion,' a monumentally popular and innovative wrestler who is now recognized the world over as a modem athletic icon.
Having always wanted to act, The Rock made a few television appearances in small roles on Star Trek: Voyager, That 70's Show, and, most notably, an eye-catching hosting stint on Saturday Night Live that displayed his talent for acting and singing. Film offers soon came, with The Rock choosing his role in The Mummy Returns as his cinematic launching pad.
Although still seriously dedicated to professional wrestling and his growing acting career, The Rock is also looking forward to more adventures onscreen as well as in his private life: his wife, Dany, gave birth to their first child shortly after the filming of The Scorpion King ended.
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