Dwayne Johnson Biography: Age, Net Worth, Family, Relationship, Height, Career, and Return to WWE 2024

Dwayne Johnson, born on May 2, 1972, and also known as The Rock, is an American actor, entrepreneur, and professional wrestler.

He is currently under contract with WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand as part of The Bloodline.

Widely considered one of the best professional wrestlers in history, he played a crucial role in the growth and success of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) during the Attitude Era, a period of significant expansion in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Johnson competed in the WWF for eight years before transitioning to a career in acting.

His movies have earned more than $3.5 billion in North America and over $10.5 billion globally, establishing him as one of the highest-grossing and highest-paid actors worldwide.

Additionally, he is a co-owner of the United Football League, a professional American football league, and serves on the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of UFC and WWE.

Dwayne Johnson Biography

Johnson was born into a family deeply rooted in the world of wrestling. His maternal grandfather, known as “High Chief” Peter Maivia, made a name for himself in the professional wrestling scene during the 1960s and ’70s.

On the other hand, Johnson’s father, “Soulman” Rocky Johnson, had a career in both American regional wrestling and boxing. In fact, in 1974, he even served as a sparring partner for George Foreman as Foreman prepared for his legendary match against Muhammad Ali, famously known as the “Rumble in the Jungle.”

Interestingly, despite his family’s wrestling background, the younger Johnson initially showed more interest in football than in wrestling.

He excelled as a high-school athlete and was a valuable member of the University of Miami’s football team, which won the NCAA Championship in 1991.

Johnson graduated from the University of Miami in 1995 with a Bachelor of General Studies degree.

Unfortunately, injuries forced him to cut short his football career in the Canadian Football League. It was then that he decided to pursue a career in wrestling.

Johnson’s father was a Black Nova Scotian with a small amount of Irish ancestry. His mother is Samoan. His father and Tony Atlas were the first black tag team champions in WWE history, in 1983.

His mother is the adopted daughter of Peter Maivia, who was also a professional wrestler. Johnson’s maternal grandmother Lia was one of the first female pro wrestling promoters, taking over Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling after her husband’s death in 1982 and managing it until 1988. Through his maternal grandfather Maivia, Johnson is a non-blood relative of the Anoaʻi wrestling family. In 2008, he inducted his father and grandfather into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Johnson attended various schools in different states, including Montclaire Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina, Shepherd Glen Elementary School and Hamden Middle School in Hamden, Connecticut, President William McKinley High School in Honolulu, Glencliff High School and McGavock High School in Nashville, Tennessee, and Freedom High School in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania, where he graduated in 1990.

At Freedom High School, Johnson faced challenges and was involved in minor criminal activities.

However, his football coach recognized his potential and recruited him to join the school’s football team, where he played defensive tackle.

This experience marked a turning point for Johnson, leading him to set goals and focus on personal growth.

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Dwayne Johnson Professional Wrestling Career

Johnson embarked on his professional wrestling journey in 1996 after parting ways with Calgary.

Pat Patterson, a seasoned wrestler, arranged several tryout matches for Johnson with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) during the same year.

Initially competing under his real name, Johnson emerged victorious against The Brooklyn Brawler at a house show on March 10, but faced defeats against Chris Candido and Owen Hart.

Following his stint at Jerry Lawler’s United States Wrestling Association as Flex Kavana, where he clinched the USWA tag team championship twice with Bart Sawyer in the summer of 1996, Johnson was offered a contract with WWF.

He honed his skills further under the guidance of Tom Prichard, Achim Albrecht, and Mark Henry.

Johnson debuted in the WWF as Rocky Maivia, a name that paid homage to his father and grandfather’s wrestling personas.

Despite his initial reservations, he eventually embraced the moniker after being convinced by Vince McMahon and Jim Ross. Referred to as “The Blue Chipper”, he was promoted as the WWF’s first third-generation wrestler.

Despite his lack of experience in the ring, Maivia, portrayed as a clean-cut face character, was heavily pushed from the beginning.

He made his first appearance on Monday Night Raw as part of Marc Mero’s group on November 4, 1996. His in-ring debut took place at Survivor Series on November 17, 1996, where he emerged as the sole survivor in an eight-man elimination tag match, eliminating Crush and Goldust.

Maivia went on to capture the Intercontinental Championship from Hunter Hearst Helmsley on February 13, 1997, on Monday Night Raw, successfully defending the title against Helmsley at In Your House 13: Final Four.

On September 15, 2023, the Rock surprised everyone by making a comeback on SmackDown. He appeared in a segment with Pat McAfee and Austin Theory, taking them out in the process. This was his first televised appearance in WWE since October 4, 2019.

The Bloodline (2024–present)
There was a hint that a former WWE Champion would be making an appearance on the Day 1 edition of Raw on January 1, 2024.

Eventually, it was revealed that the champion was none other than The Rock. This marked his first televised appearance on Raw since 2016.

The Rock didn’t hold back and directly challenged his relative, Roman Reigns, who currently holds the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship. He asked the fans if he should take the seat at “the head of the table”.

The Rock also showed up on the February 2 episode of SmackDown, where he confronted Reigns.[228] During the WrestleMania XL media event on February 8, The Rock surprised everyone by aligning himself with Reigns and turning against Cody Rhodes, who had spoken against the Anoaʻi family.

This was the first time The Rock had turned heel since 2003, and he made sure to make a statement by slapping Rhodes.

In a backstage interview with Triple H, who was asked about the incident, The Rock and Reigns appeared and warned him to fix the situation or face the consequences.

Finally, on the February 16 episode of SmackDown, The Rock officially joined The Bloodline and brought back his iconic Hollywood Rock persona.

The Rock is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, as well as one of the biggest draws in the history of the sport. He has earned a place on the “Mount Rushmore of Pro Wrestling” according to several wrestling legends such as Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and John Cena.

In the book “Cable Visions: Television Beyond Broadcasting,” the Rock is described as the WWE’s biggest star for a significant period and having immense international appeal. R. D. Reynolds, in his book “The WrestleCrap Book of Lists,” acknowledges the Rock as the biggest star for WWE from 1999 to 2004.

The Rock’s “I quit” match with Mankind at the 1999 Royal Rumble is notorious for its brutality and is considered one of the most popular “I quit” matches in history.

The Rock has headlined the most purchased pay-per-view in WWE history (WrestleMania XXVIII), the most purchased domestic pay-per-view in WWE history (WrestleMania X-Seven), the highest-rated episode of Raw, the highest-rated episode of SmackDown, and was part of the highest-rated cable segment in WWE history titled “This is Your Life” with Mankind. His return in 2001 garnered a 7.1 rating, making it the highest-rated segment of the year.

The Rock was also involved in the highest-rated match of the 21st century when his WWF Championship defense against Shane McMahon on May 1, 2000, received an 8.3 rating, second only to “This Is Your Life.”

In 2011, the Rock’s return to an episode of Raw attracted an average of 4.7 million viewers in the United States, with 7.4 million tuning in during his promo. Raw 1000, in 2012, was the highest-rated episode of Raw that year, and his segment with CM Punk and Daniel Bryan was the highest-rated segment of the show.

In 2013, the night after the Rock won the WWE Championship after a decade, Raw achieved its highest rating of the year.

Dwayne Johnson Acting Career

Johnson made his way into Hollywood and the film industry, rising to stardom initially due to his wrestling fame and strong work ethic.

Throughout his acting career, he emerged as one of the most highly-paid and successful actors in Hollywood.

He kickstarted his acting journey on television while still wrestling. In his debut television role in 1999, he portrayed his father in an episode of That ’70s Show titled “That Wrestling Show”. Almost a year later, he guest-starred in the Star Trek: Voyager episode “Tsunkatse” as an alien wrestler who battled the beloved character Seven of Nine.

Even during his absence from WWE, “The Rock” merchandise continued to sell, and he remained prominently featured in the opening sequences of their television programs.

Johnson’s involvement in the Fast & Furious series continued with Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, where he starred alongside Jason Statham.

Directed by David Leitch, the film was based on a script co-written by franchise-writer Chris Morgan and Drew Pearce. Principal photography for the movie commenced in September 2018, and it hit theaters on July 26, 2019.

Johnson is set to reprise his role in Hobbs & Shaw 2, following his absence in F9 and other Fast & Furious installments. In May 2023, reports surfaced that he would make a cameo appearance in a post-credits scene of Fast X.

Additionally, Johnson returned as Bravestone in Jumanji: The Next Level, following the success of Welcome to the Jungle. Production for the film began in early 2019, and it was released on December 13, 2019.

In 2012, Johnson founded his production company Seven Bucks Productions.

Though originally attached as producer and star, Johnson will now serve solely as the former on a film adaptation of The Janson Directive. John Cena will fill the leading role, with Akiva Goldsman attached as screenwriter.

Additionally, he will produce and star in a Netflix exclusive film titled John Henry & The Statesmen, as the titular folklore hero. The film will be directed by Jake Kasdan, from a script by Kasdan and Tom Wheeler.

With the first official teaser trailer released in October 2018, the project marks Kasdan’s and Johnson’s third collaboration, after Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level.

Dwayne Johnson Personal Life

Johnson and Dany Garcia met during their time as University of Miami students in the early 1990s. They tied the knot on May 3, 1997. Garcia is a businesswoman, International Fitness and Bodybuilding Federation professional bodybuilder, and producer. The couple welcomed their daughter, Simone, on August 14, 2001, in Davie, Florida.

In 2003, Johnson had a partial Samoan Peʻa tattoo done on his left side. In August 2004, he was honored with the noble title Seiuli by Malietoa Tanumafili II for his service to the Samoan people and his lineage as a descendant of Samoan chiefs.

On June 1, 2007, Johnson and Garcia announced their amicable separation. Johnson then began dating Lauren Hashian, daughter of Boston drummer Sib Hashian, in 2007. They finalized their divorce in May 2008.

In 2009, Johnson acquired Canadian citizenship through his father. In 2017, he covered his small “Brahma bull” tattoo with a larger half-sleeve tattoo of a bull’s skull.

Johnson and Hashian exchanged vows in Hawaii on August 18, 2019. They are parents to two daughters, Jasmine and Tiana, and reside in Los Angeles with additional properties in Virginia and Southwest Ranches, Florida.

In February 2020, WWE revealed that Johnson’s daughter Simone had begun training at the WWE Performance Center, becoming the first fourth-generation WWE wrestler. She signed a contract with WWE in May 2020 and adopted the ring name Ava Raine in May 2022, appearing on the NXT brand.

Johnson is a staunch supporter of the Samoa national rugby league team and showed his backing during the 2021 Rugby League World Cup when the team reached the finals for the first time.

Dwayne Johnson Net Worth

As of January 2024, Celebrity Net Worth reports Johnson’s net worth is estimated at $800 million. His wealth is a culmination of his varied career as a professional wrestler, actor and entrepreneur.