Take it literally, figuratively, athletically, cinematically and very physiologically. In and out of the rin or on and off screen, six-foot, five inch, 260-pound Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has become almost unimaginably "humongous" in every sense of the word. Born May 2, 1979 in California and an integral member of the University of Miami Hurricanes' 1991 NCAA national American football championship team, the present-day, recently turned 40-year-old is a veteran professional wrestler and screen super macho-man who has charmed virtually the whole world - from his native US, to Europe, Asia, Australia and beyond- so much that he really is an icon larger than life.
And why shouldn't he be? Firstly, Johnson is highly regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, having won a total of 16 (nine as a world champion) championships in World Wrestling Entertainment, and is a five time co-holder of the WWE Tag Team Championship. He was the sixth to notch the WWE Triple crown and the winner of the 2000 Royal Rumble, which was the 13th such annual pay-per-view event produced by the WWE that to place at the prestigious Madison Square Garden ,New York City.
His most recent wrestling achievement was a return-to-the-ring defeat of John Cena last April 1, 2012 in a super-hype clash of two fame wrestling superstars of different era in front of 78,000 fans in Miami, Florida, in "Wrestlemani XXVIII," the tagline of which was, most appropriately," Once in a Lifetime."
But Wait......He is not One-dimensional At All
However, and it must be pointedly emphasized, his famed "rock" stardom also emanates from a current film and TV industry career, from which he is now likewise gigantic on a planetary scale. His ascent has been a spectacular one this far but is still exponentially on the rise - an incredible as that reality might seem to be.
The Rock's popularity has been fuelled by his innate charisma, impromptu eloquence and speech-making abilities, all of which have often led to many memorable catchphrases and subsequent merchandising "bonanzas."
Kids and Comedy - The Rock for Everyone
Johnson crosses generational divides; from mature audiences to young adults. Children absolutely love him as well because his highly unique blend of talent is extremely atypical; he can be brute force at a given moment for a particular film feature and then, all of a sudden, become disarming to kids in a movie in which he interacts with them in not just a fatherly fashion but in a friendly, funny and endearing one as well.
One such classic example was his starring role as a minor league hockey player (who hits opposing players so hard he knocks out their teeth) in 2012's comedy film "The Tooth fairy" with Ashley Judd and Julie Andrews. The movie initially received negatived reviews from, the so-called film critics and industry experts but defied the predictions and became decidedly successful at the box office - costing $48 million to make but grossing more than double the budgeted amount by pulling in $112.5 million. Aside from being funny, kids were intricately involved in the plot of this one.
Movie Star Born in Record Fashion
Johnson's first leading role as an actor was in "Scorpion King" in 2002, for which he was paid what was at the time an unheard-of-sum of $5.5 million - the highest salary ever for an actor in his first starring role. Other blockbuster Dwayne Johnson movies include "Be cool," (cost: $53 million, box office: $95 million);
"Walking tall," (cost: $46 million, box office: $57 million); "Gridiron Gang," (cost: $30 million, box office: $31.5 million); "The Game Plan," (cost: $22 million, box office: $150 million); "Get Smart," (cost: $80 million, box office: $231 million); "Race to With Mountain," (cost: $50 million, box office: $106 million); "Planet 51," (in which he did voice-over only - cost: $70 million, box office $104 million); "The Other Guys," (cost: $70 million, box office: $104 million); "Faster," (cost: $24 million, box office: $36 million); and April 2011's "Fast tfive" (cost: $125 million, box office: $630 million); in which he starred opposite Vin Diesel and Paul Walker.
Philanthropy
In 2006, Johnson began "The Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation", which is known for its charitable work with at-risk and terminally ill children. In 2007, Johnson donated one million dollars to his alma mater, the University of Miami, to support the renovation of its football facilities. The donation was distinguished for being the largest donation ever give to the university's athletics department by a former student. As such the University of Miami renamed the Hurricanes' locker room in Johnson's honor.
Most Recent Distinguishing Accolade
The Rock received the Action Star of the Year Award at CinemaCon convention of theater owners in Las Vegas. Hosted by the National Association of Theater Owners, CinemaCon ran from April 23 to 26, 2012 at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. Johnson received the CinemaCon award during Paramount's opening night presentation.
CinemaCon general Mitch Neuhauser said Johnson was "an exciting performer who first gained attention from audiences around the world when he developed the iconic character 'The Rock'. Dwayne Johnson has taken his charismatic presence to the big screen and has proven over and over again that he can entertain audiences of all ages - whether it be in an action-paced film or a family comedy."
TV Too!
The Rock has made it on television too, playing himself (cameos) in "Hannah Montana," "Wizards of Waverly Place," Family Guy" and "Cory in the House," as well as guest hosting long-running television shows such as "Saturday Night Live," which has been around since the late 1970s. He has also appeared in an episode of "Star Trek: Voyager" while likewise having played the role of Cliffjumper on "Transformers: Prime" in 2010.
2012 and Beyond
Earlier this year, Johnson starred in another box office performer "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" from Warner Brothers, which cost $79 million to make and has thus far grossed more than $313 million already. Released in 29th of May this year is Paramount's "G.I Jose: retaliation," while over the horizon for 2013 is "Pain & Gain," a comedy movie. The film is based on a Miami New Times article by investigative journalist Pete Collins about "bodybuilders in Florida who became criminals involved in an extortion ring and a kidnapping plot that goes horribly awry."
It certainly looks like The rock, at just 40 and in the prime of his life, is likely to keep getting bigger and BIGGER. And why not? he is, after all, "The Rock" for all ages
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