He’s Hollywood’s highest paid A-lister, thanks to monetising his social media, but Dwayne Johnson has exclusively revealed to RSNG that he’s definitely returning to the WWE ring that made him world famous. It raised some questions: why go back when he’s clearly so good at going forwards; which lessons can we learn from his amazing productivity; what inspired his hilarious rant in ‘Fighting With My Family’ and did he really hit a golf ball 490 yards?
RSNG You deliver a brilliant rant in the trailer for Fighting With My Family – what inspired it? DWAYNE JOHNSON, THE ROCK ‘It’s a rant, first and foremost, but more than that, it’s the ethos behind the film and me as a person, too. It was very easy to spin that out as it’s a mantra I’ve lived by for decades. There is nothing in life that means you need to be quiet or meek or even polite (at times) – if you want to achieve something you need to be ruthless and raw in going out to get it. That’s the mantra.’
‘In any movie role you are always looking to attach something of yourself or your own life to it, because I believe only when you invest that heavily – to the point where you really feel it is you and it is real – can you give the audience the authenticity of that world?’
What I want people to believe is their own potential, then question it and go out to better it
RSNG When’s the last time you disagreed with your own family and who won? DJ ‘Family disagreements are more a process of everyone being encouraged to speak their minds openly, and I think that’s really important. We have a rule that there is nothing that cannot be said, as I believe when you hide away feelings and emotions that can really be damaging, not just for yourself, but for those around you.’
‘That’s exactly what I did when I was growing up, and it set me a long way back. Only when I started opening up about my feelings and experiences – whether that was feeling an outcast, being bullied or something else, did I find I could work a way forward because, essentially, I wasn’t having to do that by myself.’
‘As for who wins the arguments, well I never set out to win one, just to impart my knowledge. I guess the women in my life ultimately are the ones who will feel they emerge having gotten their point across best! And that’s fine by me – I don’t mind being corrected on anything as long as I’ve been listened to and I’m certain that everything is OK.’
RSNG What’s your top workout or exercise right now and why? DJ ‘I tend not to change too much – variety is important but so is consistency, and unless I’m away on a long shoot then I’ll stick to a similar routine because I have my gym and my home comforts and my standard. I like to know what’s coming; I like to know what I need to tackle each day, and that will always start with a coffee and a 4am run, usually outdoors, then back to the gym for the cross-trainer.’
‘I’m then looking at iron therapy – 100lb (45kg) dumbbells, deadlifts, then pull-ups, squats; but it’s always the weights that get me in that headspace where I can be content and creative. Without the weights I don’t feel I’ve got to where I need to get to in my head.’
I’d seen a very dark side of myself and I fear him ever returning
RSNG Your output of work is amazing – how do you juggle all of your commitments? Got any productivity hacks for us? DJ ‘This comes from failing to make it as a pro footballer. I was depressed, very down, and really wondering what the point of it all was, as I had invested so much of myself into that life. For a long while I was extremely depressed and it was only through time and some incredible support from my friends that I managed to get through it at all, because I felt it was the end of the road for me.’
‘However, when I finally picked myself up I made a pledge that I’d never end up being that person ever again. I’d seen a very dark side of myself and I fear him ever returning. I have a very simple way to keep him away, and that’s with positive mentality, positive spirit, positive confidence, always. To achieve that, I get up every day and exercise – gym, weights, cardio, Pilates, yoga… whatever.’
‘From there, professionally, I embrace every opportunity that comes my way because, well, I can. I am blessed that directors want to put me in their movies, so why would I not be there every day of the week trying to do the next thing? This is what my experiences have made me to be.’
‘I think a lot of the time I am waiting for an original idea to come along, and those things become more attractive the further you go because, let’s be honest, no-one wants to do the same thing every day of their lives, and in that respect I’m no different to anyone else who needs to earn money.’
The connectivity with the audience on WWE is like nothing I’ve experienced in any universe since
RSNG What’s been the inspiration behind your rumoured return to the WWE? Can you tell us any more about it? DJ ‘You know, I didn’t think I’d miss it as much as I have, but it’s going to happen soon and it now feels like the right time to get back into that world. I don’t know how long for or how it will be styled, but I’ve said a few times, the connectivity with the audience on WWE is like nothing I’ve ever experienced in any universe since, and I think that really hit home for me the more movies I was making. Obviously with film you are completely separated from the audience, and when you’ve been so used to it, it’s lucky to be offered a way back.’
‘I’m at the age now where the opportunity perhaps won’t come along a few years from now, and I’d hate to be in a position where I missed that chance.’
RSNG Did you really hit a golf ball 490 yards recently? And if so what’s your advice for a monster drive? DJ ‘The point to this claim is important – it’s to say, don’t believe those who say you cannot do something, always challenge the perceptions of others, and continue to go after your best. These are the messages. Whether I hit a ball 490 yards doesn’t actually matter; some people believe me, some don’t. What I want people to believe is their own potential, then question it and go out to better it.’
RSNG When was the last time you were surprised by life? DJ ‘When I hit a golf ball 490 yards!’
WHAT NEXT? Watch The Rock deliver one of cinemas best ever rants in the trailer for Fighting With My Family…
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