How Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson fought depression – and 4 other things you may not know about him
The Hollywood star, who turns 47 on May 2, comes from a wrestling family, and named his film company Seven Bucks after being short of money
We’ve loved Dwayne Johnson since he first started as a professional wrestler in the mid-1990s with the WWE – then known as the WWF – with the nickname “The Rock” – and throughout his hugely successful film career, including his hilarious partnership with comedian Kevin Hart in the hit 2016 action-comedy film, Central Intelligence.
As one of the most famous icons of our time, and with almost 140 million followers on Instagram, the American star is admired around the world for his astounding work ethic, whether it’s in his acting career or killer workouts.
To celebrate his 47th birthday, on May 2, check out 5 interesting things about him – and see how well you actually know him.
1. Wrestling is in his family
Johnson, still widely known by his nickname, The Rock, remains one of the most beloved and respected professional wrestlers today. But did you know that he was born into a family of skilled wrestlers?
His grandfather, Peter Maivia, was a successful professional wrestler, and so, too, was Johnson’s father, Rocky, who was the first black tag-team champion in WWE history, along with his wrestling partner Tony Atlas.
His grandmother, Lia Maivia, was one of the first female professional wrestling promoters in the business.
2. Story behind a name