Dwayne Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dwayne Johnson
Johnson in 2023
Born	Dwayne Douglas Johnson (1972-05-02) May 2, 1972 (age 53) Hayward, California, U.S.
Education	University of Miami (BGS)
Occupation	Actor professional wrestler film producer businessman
Years active	1996–2004 2011–2019 2023–present (wrestling) 1999–present (acting) 2000; 2021–present (rapping)
Works	Filmography
Spouse(s)	Dany Garcia ​ ​ (m. 1997; div. 2008)​ Lauren Hashian ​ (m. 2019)​
Children	3, including Simone
Parent(s)	Rocky Johnson (father)
Relatives	Anoaʻi family
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	Flex Kavana Rocky Maivia The Rock
Billed height	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Billed weight	260 lb (118 kg)
Billed from	Miami, Florida, U.S.
Trained by	Pat Patterson Rocky Johnson Tom Prichard
Debut	March 10, 1996
Signature

Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock, is a famous American actor and former professional wrestler. Many people consider him one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.

Early Life: Where Did Dwayne Johnson Grow Up?

Dwayne Johnson was born in Hayward, California, on May 2, 1972. His mother is Ata Johnson, and his father was Rocky Johnson, who was also a professional wrestler. Dwayne's father was from Nova Scotia, Canada, with some Irish family history, and his mother is Samoan.

When he was young, Dwayne lived for a short time in Grey Lynn, New Zealand, with his mother's family. There, he played rugby and went to Richmond Road Primary School. After that, he moved back to the U.S.

Dwayne attended several different schools as his family moved around. He went to elementary and middle schools in North Carolina and Connecticut. He also attended high schools in Honolulu, Nashville, and finally Freedom High School in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1990.

During his time at Freedom High School, Dwayne faced some challenges. He was described as a "troubled teenager" and had some problems before he turned 17.

Sport as a Game-Changer: How Sports Changed Dwayne's Life

At Freedom High School, football coach Jody Cwik saw Dwayne's athletic talent. He encouraged Dwayne to join the school's football team, where he played as a defensive tackle. This experience was a big turning point for Dwayne.

Besides football, Dwayne also joined the school's track and field and wrestling teams. These teams were part of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference (EPC), which is known for having some of the best high school sports teams in the country. Dwayne found himself competing against very skilled high school wrestlers.

College football recruiters noticed Dwayne's talent, ranking him as one of the top ten high school defensive tackles in the nation. He received a full scholarship to the University of Miami, which had one of the best football programs at the time.

College Years: Dwayne Johnson's Football Dreams

As a freshman at the University of Miami, Dwayne was part of the 1991 national championship team. However, he mostly played in backup roles during his four years of college football, as there were many other talented players.

Dwayne hoped to play professional football after college, but he was not chosen in the 1995 NFL Draft. After graduating from the University of Miami that year, he signed with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League. Unfortunately, he was cut from the team during his first season.

Taking Up Wrestling: The Rise of The Rock

Wrestling was a big part of Dwayne's family history. His father, Rocky Johnson, and Tony Atlas were the first Black tag team champions in WWE history in 1983. Dwayne's mother is the adopted daughter of Peter Maivia, who was also a professional wrestler. His maternal grandmother, Lia, was one of the first female pro wrestling promoters. She managed Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling after her husband passed away.

In 1996, Dwayne's father helped him get a contract with the WWF (now WWE). Dwayne quickly became very famous around the world.

He made his WWF debut as Rocky Maivia, combining his father's and grandfather's ring names. He wasn't sure about this name but was convinced by Vince McMahon and Jim Ross. Later, he got the nickname "The Blue Chipper." In 1997, he started calling himself The Rock.

Dwayne left WWE in 2004 and came back in 2011 to perform part-time. He officially retired from wrestling in 2019 but has made a few special appearances since then.

Dwayne Johnson's WWE Titles:

• He has won the world championship 10 times.
• He was a two-time Intercontinental Champion.
• He was a five-time Tag Team Champion.
• He won the 2000 Royal Rumble.
• He was WWE's sixth Triple Crown champion.

Dwayne Johnson was the main event for the most-bought professional wrestling pay-per-view (WrestleMania XXVIII). He also appeared in some of the most-watched episodes of WWE's main TV shows, Raw and SmackDown.

Acting Career and Filmography: From Ring to Big Screen

Dwayne Johnson's first movie appearance was in The Mummy Returns (2001). The next year, he played his first main role as the hero in the action fantasy film The Scorpion King (2002).

Since then, he has starred in many different types of movies, including family films, action movies, adventures, and comedies. Here are some of his films:

• The Game Plan (2007)
• Race to Witch Mountain (2009)
• Tooth Fairy (2010)
• Jungle Cruise (2021)
• Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
• G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
• Hercules (2014)
• Skyscraper (2018)
• San Andreas (2015)
• Rampage (2018)
• Get Smart (2008)
• Central Intelligence (2016)
• Baywatch (2017)
• Red Notice (2021)
• Fast Five (2011)
• Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
• Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
• Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
• DC League of Super-Pets (2022) (he voiced characters like Krypto and Black Adam)
• Black Adam (2022)
• Red One (2024).

In 2012, Dwayne started his own production company called Seven Bucks Productions. He has also started a singing career.

Upcoming Projects: What's Next for The Rock?

Dwayne Johnson will play former MMA fighter Mark Kerr in a sports drama film called The Smashing Machine (2025). He will also play Maui again in the live-action movie Moana (2026). In 2025, he was cast in a crime drama movie directed by Martin Scorsese, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt.

Personal Life: Dwayne Johnson's Family

Dwayne first met Dany Garcia when they were both students at the University of Miami. They got married on May 3, 1997. Dany is a businesswoman, bodybuilder, and producer. Their daughter, Simone, was born on August 14, 2001. Dwayne and Dany announced they were separating in 2007, and their divorce was finalized in 2008.

In 2007, Dwayne started dating Lauren Hashian, whose father was Sib Hashian, the drummer for the band Boston. They first met in 2006 while Dwayne was filming The Game Plan. They got married on August 18, 2019, in Hawaii. They have two daughters: Jasmine (born December 17, 2015) and Tiana (born April 17, 2018). Dwayne and Lauren live in Los Angeles, have a farm in Virginia, and a home in Southwest Ranches, Florida.

In February 2020, WWE announced that Dwayne's daughter Simone began training to become a wrestler. This makes her the first fourth-generation WWE wrestler in her family. In May 2022, she announced her ring name would be Ava Raine and has been appearing on the NXT brand.

Philanthropy: How Dwayne Johnson Gives Back

In 2006, Dwayne Johnson started the Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation. This charity helps children who are at risk or have serious illnesses. On October 2, 2007, he and his then-wife, Dany Garcia, gave $1 million to the University of Miami to help improve its football facilities. The university even renamed the Hurricanes' locker room in his honor.

In 2015, Dwayne donated $1,500 to a GoFundMe to help pay for a surgery for an abandoned dog. In 2017, he gave $25,000 to help with relief efforts after Hurricane Harvey. In 2018, he donated a gym to a military base in Oahu, Hawaii. After the 2018 Hawaii floods, he worked with a non-profit group called Malama Kauai to help fix flood damage. Dwayne has also worked many times with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants wishes to children with critical illnesses.

In July 2023, Dwayne made a very large donation to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. The foundation's president said it was the biggest single donation they had ever received from one person.

Interesting Facts About Dwayne Johnson

• He is one of the world's highest-grossing and highest-paid actors. His films have earned over $3.5 billion in North America and over $10.5 billion worldwide.
• Dwayne wrestled for the WWF for eight years before he started his acting career.
• In 2000, Dwayne published his autobiography, The Rock Says..., which became a No. 1 bestseller on The New York Times Best Seller list.
• Through his maternal grandfather, Peter Maivia, Dwayne is connected to the famous Anoa'i wrestling family.
• Because of his service to the Samoan people and his family history as a descendant of Samoan chiefs, Dwayne was given the noble title of Seiuli (meaning the son of Malietoa) by Malietoa Tanumafili II during a visit on August 9, 2004.
• In 2009, he became a Canadian citizen because his father was born there.
• In 2008, Dwayne helped induct his father and grandfather into the WWE Hall of Fame.
• Dwayne produced and starred in the HBO comedy-drama series Ballers (2015–2019) and the TV show about his life, Young Rock (2021).
• In 2012, he co-founded the entertainment production company Seven Bucks Productions. He is also a co-owner of the XFL, a professional American football league.
• In 2016 and 2019, Time magazine named Dwayne Johnson one of the world's most influential people.
• In 2016, Dwayne started his own YouTube channel.
• In 2016, he voiced the character Maui in the Disney animated film Moana.
• He has a partial Samoan pe'a tattoo on his left side, which he got in 2003. In 2017, he covered a smaller tattoo on his right arm with a larger half-sleeve tattoo of a bull's skull.
• Dwayne is a fan of the rapper Tech N9ne. He was featured on a song called "Face Off" on Tech N9ne's 2021 album Asin9ne.
• He has said that he can eat two large pizzas and a tray of brownies in one sitting!
• As of November 2021, his Instagram account was the fourth most-followed in the world, with over 280 million followers.

Dwayne Johnson Quotes: Words of Wisdom

• "The single most powerful thing I can be is to be myself."
• "Success isn't always about greatness. It's about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come."
• "Life is anything but predictable."
• "With drive and a bit of talent, you can move mountains. I know. I've done it."
• "I'm always asked, 'What's the secret to success?' But there are no secrets. Be humble. Be hungry. And always be the hardest worker in the room."
• "Around every corner, always protect the engine that powers you."
• "We do today what they won’t, so tomorrow we accomplish what they can’t."

Discography: Dwayne Johnson's Music

Singles

As Lead Artist

As Featured Artist

Championships and Accomplishments: The Rock's Wrestling Wins

The Rock in Nashville during his eighth and to date last WWE Championship reign, February 2013

The Rock at Mayhem in Manchester in Manchester, England, during one of his two Intercontinental Championship reigns, April 1998

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Match of the Year (1999) vs. Mankind in an "I Quit" match at Royal Rumble
  • Match of the Year (2002) vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania X8
  • Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1999, 2000)
  • Wrestler of the Year (2000)
  • Ranked No. 2 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2000
• United States Wrestling Association
  • USWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Bart Sawyer
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Best Box Office Draw (2000, 2011, 2012)
  • Best Gimmick (1999)
  • Best on Interviews (1999, 2000)
  • Most Charismatic (1999–2002, 2011, 2012)
  • Most Improved (1998)
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)
• WWE/World Wrestling Entertainment/Federation
  • WWE Championship (8 times)
  • WCW Championship (2 times)
  • WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times)
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Mankind (3), The Undertaker (1), and Chris Jericho (1)
  • Royal Rumble (2000)
  • Sixth Triple Crown Champion
  • Deadly Games WWF Championship Tournament (1998)
  • Slammy Award (10 times)
    • Best Actor (2014)
    • Game Changer of the Year (2011) – with John Cena
    • Guess Who's Back or: Return of the Year (2011)
    • LOL! Moment of the Year (2012, 2013) – insulting John Cena using the history of Boston, Massachusetts, Rock Concert on the 20th anniversary episode of Raw
    • Match of the Year (2013) – vs. John Cena for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29
    • New Sensation (1997)
    • "This is Awesome" Moment of the Year (2015) – with Ronda Rousey
    • Trash Talker of the Year (2024)

Awards and Honors: Recognitions for Dwayne Johnson

Images for kids

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  As part of The Corporation, the Rock feuded with Stone Cold Steve Austin and stole Austin's personalized WWF Championship and his "Smoking Skull" belt.

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  The Rock's popularity was fueled by his charisma and speaking abilities, which led to many catchphrases and merchandising opportunities.

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  The Rock as the WWF Champion in 2000

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  The Rock taunting an opponent at ringside at WWF Raw, October 2001

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  The Rock doing his signature pose before wrestling Hulk Hogan (bottom right) at WrestleMania X8, March 2002

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  The Rock defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin (left) in Austin's final match at WrestleMania XIX in March 2003.

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  The Rock in the ring as WrestleMania XXVII host, April 2011

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  The Rock and John Cena (left) on Raw, agreeing to a match at WrestleMania XXVIII one year in advance

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  The Rock celebrating his victory at WrestleMania XXVIII, April 2012

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  The Rock revealing the brand new WWE Championship design on WWE Raw, February 2013

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  The Rock (right) confronts Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania XXX, April 2014.

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  The Rock in a 2001 Vanity Fair photo shoot

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  Johnson at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City, April 2009

See also

In Spanish: Dwayne Johnson para niños