Family, and mom favorite Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has paved his path in the film industry. After getting cut from the Calgary Stampeders two months into their 1995 season, Johnson turned to professional wrestling. Although he gained much mainstream fame in this career, and his famous nickname, the call to silver screen fame brought him to where he is today.
Johnson started his career in football, starting in high school and then playing for the University of Miami. As a part of the 1991 national championship team, football seemed to be the path his life would follow. Due to serious injuries to multiple areas of his body, Johnson ended up playing in the Canadian Football League, shortly getting cut. Johnson ended up following the path of his family and found a career in wrestling. Following some time in the WWE's minor leagues, he made his television debut on the 1996 Survivor Series. This debut quickly lead to fame; he is considered one of the greatest ever to enter the ring, winning the heavyweight title six times.
This popularity as a wrestler soon brought "The Rock" into Hollywood's spotlight. One of his first and most important appearances was on "Saturday Night Live" as the host. The success of this episode showcased Johnson's true skills. In 2001, "The Mummy Returns" highlighted him as an evil ruler in his feature-film debut. His film career continued to trend upwards, making $5.5 million from "The Scorpion King," the most any actor has ever made for their first lead role, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.
However, it wasn't until his role in "The Rundown" in 2003 that Johnson started to gain recognition as an action hero. In order to further his career, he attempted to drop the infamous nickname "The Rock" to avoid being typecast. Movies like "The Game Plan" and "The Other Guys" helped to show his range in acting and wipe away the wrestler stereotype. Eventually, Johnson found his place and began to appear as part of the "Fast and Furious" franchise. In his lifetime, he has grossed nearly $6 billion from the box office. This sum doesn't happen to include money made from his YouTube channel, production company or endorsement deals. Needless to say, The Rock has done very well for himself.
The actor's career has continued to grow, allowing him to showcase his talents in many movies. For some of his more involved roles, he put on 12 to 15 pounds of muscle. Even with so many career opportunities in Hollywood, Johnson has found himself drawn back to Wrestlemania, for no reason other than his love for the business. Even back on the road with wrestling Johnson continues to film movies, barely taking a break.
