Dwayne Johnson
Actor · Professional wrestler · Producer · Author
b. 1972 · Born in Hayward, California, United States · 4 min read
- Verified: 13 November 2026
- Sources: 4
- Independently reviewed
American actor and former professional wrestler known as The Rock; a ten-time world champion in WWE who became one of Hollywood's leading action stars in the Fast & Furious and Jumanji films.
Early Life
Dwayne Douglas Johnson was born on 2 May 1972 in Hayward, California, the son of professional wrestler Rocky Johnson and Ata Johnson, a member of the Samoan Anoa'i wrestling family. His father was a Black Nova Scotian wrestler and his mother is of Samoan descent, so Johnson grew up around professional wrestling and spent part of his childhood in New Zealand. His family moved frequently, and his teenage years in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, were unsettled; he has spoken openly about getting into trouble with the police before American football gave him direction. He played football at Freedom High School in Bethlehem and earned a scholarship to the University of Miami.
Education
Johnson graduated from Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in 1990. He attended the University of Miami on a football scholarship, playing defensive tackle for the Miami Hurricanes, who won the national championship in 1991. He graduated in 1995 with a bachelor's degree in general studies. After college he signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League in 1995 but was cut from the team after two months, which led him to follow his father and grandfather into professional wrestling.
Career
Johnson made his professional wrestling debut in 1996, first as Rocky Maivia and then as The Rock, becoming one of the defining stars of WWE's Attitude Era. His rivalries with Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H and John Cena headlined major events, and he won the world championship ten times, the Royal Rumble in 2000, and the Intercontinental and tag team titles. He moved into acting with The Mummy Returns (2001) and his first leading role in The Scorpion King (2002), followed by family films such as The Game Plan (2007) and Tooth Fairy (2010). His role as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five (2011) made him a fixture of the Fast & Furious franchise, and he went on to star in San Andreas (2015), Central Intelligence (2016), Moana (2016) as the voice of Maui, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Rampage (2018), Hobbs & Shaw (2019), Jungle Cruise (2021) and Black Adam (2022). He starred in and executive-produced the HBO series Ballers from 2015 to 2019 and the semi-autobiographical comedy Young Rock from 2021 to 2023. He returned to WWE programming in 2024 and joined the board of TKO Group Holdings, WWE's parent company.
Achievements
Johnson's central achievement is a rare double career at the top of two industries: a ten-time world champion in WWE and one of the most bankable film stars of his generation. His run as The Rock helped define WWE's Attitude Era in the late 1990s, and his move into film produced leading roles in the Fast & Furious and Jumanji franchises, the voice of Maui in Moana, and the HBO series Ballers. As a producer through Seven Bucks Productions, he has built a business spanning film, television and consumer brands, including Teremana tequila and the Project Rock line. His films have drawn large audiences worldwide, and his social media following is among the largest of any entertainer.
- Won his first WWE Championship at Survivor Series in November 1998
- Won the 2000 Royal Rumble and became a ten-time world champion in WWE
- Made his film debut in The Mummy Returns (2001) and took his first leading role in The Scorpion King (2002)
- Joined the Fast & Furious franchise as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five (2011)
- Voiced Maui in Moana (2016) and returned for Moana 2 (2024)
- Starred in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
- Starred in and executive-produced the HBO series Ballers (2015-2019)
- Co-founded Seven Bucks Productions with Dany Garcia in 2012
- Launched the Teremana tequila brand in 2020
- Returned to WWE in 2024 and joined the board of TKO Group Holdings, WWE's parent company
Legacy
Johnson is regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time and as one of the most successful wrestlers to cross over into film. His charisma as The Rock set a standard for wrestling promos, and his film career showed that a wrestler could become a mainstream Hollywood leading man. Through Seven Bucks Productions he has also become a significant producer and businessman. His 2024 return to WWE, where he performed as the Final Boss and joined the board of TKO Group Holdings, showed that his wrestling career remained active alongside his film work. Because he is a living person whose career continues, this profile records only documented milestones and will need regular updating from reliable sources.
Contributions
Johnson's contribution was to carry professional wrestling into mainstream entertainment and then to carry that stardom into Hollywood, where he became one of the most commercially successful actors of his generation. As The Rock he helped make WWE's late-1990s boom a cultural moment, and as an actor and producer he built a career spanning action, family and comedy films, television and business ventures.
Notable Works
- The Mummy Returns (2001)
- The Scorpion King (2002)
- Fast Five (2011)
- San Andreas (2015)
- Moana (2016)
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
- Hobbs & Shaw (2019)
- Black Adam (2022)
Milestones
- 1972 — Born on 2 May in Hayward, California Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 1991 — Won the national championship with the Miami Hurricanes Source: Wikipedia
- 1995 — Graduated from the University of Miami; brief spell with the Calgary Stampeders Source: Wikipedia
- 1996 — Made his professional wrestling debut as Rocky Maivia Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 1998 — Won his first WWE Championship at Survivor Series Source: Wikipedia
- 2000 — Won the Royal Rumble Source: Wikipedia
- 2001 — Film debut in The Mummy Returns Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2002 — First leading film role in The Scorpion King Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2011 — Joined the Fast & Furious franchise as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2012 — Co-founded Seven Bucks Productions; began starring in Ballers in 2015 Source: Wikipedia
- 2016 — Voiced Maui in Moana Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2017 — Starred in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica
- 2024 — Returned to WWE programming and joined the TKO Group Holdings board Source: Wikipedia
Timeline
- 2 May 1972
Born in Hayward, California
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 1990
Graduated from Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 1991
Won the national championship with the Miami Hurricanes
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 1995
Graduated from the University of Miami; signed with the Calgary Stampeders and was cut after two months
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 1996
Made his professional wrestling debut in the WWF as Rocky Maivia
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 1998
Won his first WWE Championship at Survivor Series
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 2000
Won the Royal Rumble
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 2001
Made his film debut in The Mummy Returns
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2002
Took his first leading film role in The Scorpion King
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2011
Joined the Fast & Furious franchise as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2012
Co-founded Seven Bucks Productions with Dany Garcia
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 2015
Began starring in the HBO series Ballers, which ran until 2019
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia - 2016
Voiced Maui in Moana
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2017
Starred in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica - 2024
Returned to WWE programming and joined the board of TKO Group Holdings
Year only — exact date unknown Source: Wikipedia
In Their Words
“Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?” Source: Dwayne Johnson as The Rock, WWE television (WWE) — His signature catchphrase as The Rock during WWE television broadcasts in the late 1990s and 2000s.
Related Personalities
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Dwayne Johnson?
Dwayne Johnson was born on 2 May 1972 in Hayward, California, United States, so Johnson is 54 years old as of November 2026. Johnson's age changes every year on 2 May. He is an American actor and former professional wrestler known as The Rock.
Source: Encyclopaedia BritannicaWho is Dwayne Johnson?
Dwayne Johnson, known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and former professional wrestler. He was a ten-time world champion in WWE during the Attitude Era and went on to star in the Fast & Furious and Jumanji films and to voice Maui in Moana.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WWEWhy is Dwayne Johnson called The Rock?
Johnson took the ring name The Rock after first wrestling as Rocky Maivia, a combination of his father Rocky Johnson's and his grandfather Peter Maivia's names. The Rock persona, with its catchphrases and crowd work, made him one of WWE's biggest stars in the late 1990s.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WWEWhat are Dwayne Johnson's most famous films?
Johnson's best-known films include The Scorpion King (2002), the Fast & Furious films from Fast Five (2011), San Andreas (2015), Moana (2016), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Hobbs & Shaw (2019) and Black Adam (2022). He also starred in the HBO series Ballers (2015-2019).
Source: Encyclopaedia BritannicaWhat businesses does Dwayne Johnson own?
Johnson co-founded the production company Seven Bucks Productions with Dany Garcia in 2012. His business ventures include the Teremana tequila brand, launched in 2020, and the Project Rock training line. He also returned to WWE in 2024 and joined the board of TKO Group Holdings, WWE's parent company.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica ; WWESources & References
- Dwayne Johnson — Encyclopaedia Britannica — Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed 13 November 2026)
- Dwayne Johnson — Wikipedia (cross-check) — Wikipedia (accessed 13 November 2026)
- The Rock — WWE Superstars — WWE (accessed 13 November 2026)
- File:Dwayne The Rock Johnson 2009 street portrait.jpg — Wikimedia Commons (portrait file page) — Wikimedia Commons (accessed 13 November 2026)