Dwayne Johnson’s Decision to Become a Professional Wrestler Resulted in an Ugly Fight With His Dad For 1 Sole Reason

Professional wrestler-actor Dwayne Johnson, who is popularly known as The Rock, is regarded as one of the greatest of all time. He is also known to be one of the integral members in the development and success of WWE during the Attitude Era. Johnson has also seen success in the entertainment industry, appearing in movies including the Jumanji series, the Fast & Furious series, Hercules, Race to the Witch Mountain, and more.

Dwayne Johnson is gearing up to not only produce but star in his upcoming movie The Smashing Machine, in which the actor plays a character based on MMA fighter Mark Kerr. Kerr rose to prominence in the ‘90s and struggled with addiction, which nearly killed him. He describes that the movie is nothing like anything he has chosen to work on in the past. Talking about the movie, Johnson also shared how his father never approved of his wrestling career.

Dwayne Johnson recalls his complicated relationship with his father

Actor Dwayne Johnson recently appeared on the cover of GQ, where he revealed that before he became one of the greatest professional wrestlers, he was trying out for football. He shared that he wanted to be a professional football player, and he was a defensive tackle, but things didn’t work out. Then he thought of wrestling and shared it with his father, Rocky Johnson, who was also a professional wrestler. The actor shared he told his father,

I think I’m going to like professional wrestling. So we fought. He didn’t want me to get into it. And then I wound up having the career that I had. And he was proud. But he also wrestled with a lot of my success, and I know that as his son.

Johnson further shared that when his father was alive because they had different views on things, their relationship was complicated. He clarified it was loving yet complicated as it would vacillate back and forth all the time.

Rocky Johnson passed away four years ago, and Dwayne Johnson recalled that he didn’t get a chance to say goodbye or set things right with him. But he mentioned that after his father’s death, he started to look at things differently. One thing he said he inherited from his father is the idea of fighting for something that he believes in. He further mentioned,

I think one of the most important things that I learned from my dad is that regardless of your circumstances, even if things are fucked up around you, you can change that by going to work.

During the conversation, Johnson acknowledged that he does not think his father actually liked the success the actor received as a wrestler. But he also mentioned that he understood the way his father loved him later in life when he realized that Rocky Johnson was ‘thrown out’ of his house when he was 13 by his mother.

He added that his father’s mom chose her boyfriend over him, which damaged his father. This eventually resulted in him showcasing love in a limited capacity, and that’s what Johnson grew up with.

Dwayne Johnson says The Smashing Machine is an opportunity for him to challenge himself

The actor who follows the mantra of taking care of the audience first before anything else says his upcoming movie, The Smashing Machine, is an opportunity for him. He said,

I realized that I had to stretch myself in ways that I hadn’t been stretched yet. I also challenged myself in ways that I hadn’t been challenged.

Johnson added that being a part of the movie has allowed him a different kind of expression—maybe a more personal one—to creep into his art. He shared that one starts to realize that if someone’s personal struggles fit the material, then it’s important.

The professional wrestler mentioned during the interview that he has evolved and grown over the years, and The Smashing Machine allowed him to realize that. The movie allows him to disappear into the character of Mark Kerr.

When asked if he liked the feeling of disappearing, he said he loved it. His co-star and dear friend Emily Blunt also shared during the interview that she does not know anyone except Johnson, who has been through struggles and has come out on the other side without letting it affect how he treats people.

Emily Blunt plays Mark Kerr’s then-wife in the upcoming movie directed by Benny Safdie. The Smashing Machine is set to release in 2025.