Dwayne Johnson shares rare life experience that shaped his acting career

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson believes his success on screen is deeply connected to his past in professional wrestling.

Johnson has appeared in more than 50 films over the past two decades, including Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Fast & Furious, and his latest movie, The Smashing Machine.

The film, directed by Benny Safdie and inspired by the life of former UFC fighter Mark Kerr, recently earned Johnson his first Golden Globe nomination.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter after the nomination, Johnson said the recognition meant “a few things,” but most importantly highlighted “the importance of listening to the little voice” that pushes people to leave their comfort zone, even when it feels scary.

He also credits his WWE career with teaching him skills that still guide his acting today. During The Hollywood Reporter Actor Roundtable, he explained how wrestling prepared him to perform and react in the moment.

“I think performatively, yes. In wrestling, it's very big and over the top as you're performing for everybody in a stadium,” he said.

“But I think probably one of the main takeaways from wrestling was it really forced me to live… it forces you… to listen. To really make sure that you're really honing in on that skill set of just really listening to the audience and keeping you on your toes.”

Johnson officially retired from full-time WWE competition in 2019 but returned part-time in 2023. His most recent match took place at WrestleMania XL in April 2024.