Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was born on May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California, into a family of professional wrestlers. His father, Rocky Johnson, and his maternal grandfather, Peter Maivia, were both celebrated WWE Hall of Famers. Johnson played football at the University of Miami, where he won a national championship in 1991. After a brief stint with the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League, he went into professional wrestling.
Johnson debuted in the WWF in 1996 under the name Rocky Maivia before adopting his iconic persona, The Rock. He became a seven-time WWF/WWE champion and one of the most beloved figures in wrestling history. His charisma and crowd command caught Hollywood’s attention, and after hosting Saturday Night Live in 2000, studios came calling. His debut as the lead in The Scorpion King (2002) earned him a record $5.5 million.
On television, Johnson has hosted the NBC competition series The Hero and created and hosted The Titan Games. He also starred in and co-executive-produced Young Rock, a sitcom depicting his formative years. In addition to his TV work, Johnson has built a vast business empire, including production company Seven Bucks Productions, tequila brand Teremana, and energy drink ZOA Energy.
