The Rock wrestles with political ambitions again after White House vote

Dwayne Johnson, who defied doubters to become WWE champion in the ring and Hollywood’s highest-paid actor of 2016, suggests he would be open to running for political office, even US president, one day

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Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

Published: 12:45pm, 15 Nov 2016Updated: 12:49pm, 15 Nov 2016

After parlaying a professional wrestling career as “The Rock” into leading roles in Hollywood, Dwayne Johnson is entertaining the idea of jumping into the political ring, including perhaps even a run for the White House someday.

Johnson, 44, who stars in the upcoming Disney animated film Moana as the voice of demigod Maui, said the excitement surrounding last week’s presidential election had renewed public interest in him running for office.

“I love my country, I’m extremely patriotic and I also feel, especially now, leadership is so important, great leadership is so important, respected leadership is so important,” said Johnson, one of the stars of the highly popular Fast and Furious franchise.

Asked specifically about a potential White House run, Johnson replied: “If I felt like I could be an effective leader for us, and surround myself with really high-quality leaders, then sure, I would.”

It is not the first time Johnson’s name has been mentioned in political circles.

Earlier this year, Johnson took to Instagram to thank a Washington Post journalist who said he had a “weirdly plausible path to a political career” as a mixed-race registered Republican from Florida, a swing state in the presidential election.

A still from Moana, the upcoming Disney movie about a young Pacific Island princess who dreams of becoming an ocean navigator. Johnson provides the voice for the character Maui (right).

While Johnson did not specify which office he might seek, when he might run or which party he would represent, he said he thought that running a business as a producer in Hollywood had given him a discipline he hoped he could apply to politics.