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Great Lives from History: African Americans

Dwayne Johnson

by Alison S. Burke

Actor and professional wrestler

With his chiseled physique and theatrical sensibilities, Johnson was one of the most popular wrestlers in the history of World Wrestling Entertainment before he transitioned to a successful acting career. He appeared in a string of hit films in genres ranging from action to fantasy to comedy.

Areas of achievement: Film: acting; Sports: football; Sports: miscellaneous

Early Life

Dwayne Douglas Johnson was born on May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California. He was the only child born to Rocky, a black Canadian, and Ata Johnson, a Samoan born in the Pacific Islands. Johnson was raised to respect and celebrate both parts of his cultural heritage. His father and his maternal grandfather, Peter Maivia, were professional wrestlers. Johnson’s father was one of the first black wrestling champions and was known as “Soulman.” His grandfather, whose body was covered in Samoan tattoos, was called “The High Chief.”

The family moved around a lot while Johnson was young. By the time he started kindergarten, he already had lived in five states. As a child, Johnson had difficulty making friends because the family moved so frequently. Other children teased him about his large size and his father’s profession. He became quick-tempered and rebellious. By the time his family moved to Pennsylvania, Johnson had been arrested a number of times for theft and fighting. He attended Freedom High School in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and joined the track and football teams. His interest in sports helped give him direction and stability.

Johnson showed talent in football, and in his senior year, he was named a USA Today All-American. After being recruited by several schools, he accepted a scholarship offer from the University of Miami, a football powerhouse, where he played defensive tackle. He was the first person in his family to attend college. At the end of his first semester, however, Johnson had a grade-point average of 0.7. He was placed on academic probation.

Johnson worked hard to raise his grades and returned to the field. However, he suffered a back injury his senior year that caused his play to decline. His dream of being drafted into the National Football League (NFL) was not realized; instead, Johnson was drafted by a Canadian team, the Calgary Stampeders. He graduated from Miami with a degree in criminology headed for a short-lived football career in Canada. Because of his injury, Johnson received little playing time and even less money. He soon was cut from the team and moved home with his parents. Johnson later referred to this time as a defining moment in his life; he decided to join the family business and train to be a wrestler.

Life’s Work

In 1996, Johnson made his professional wrestling debut at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, one year after leaving Canada. He adopted the stage name Rocky Maivia as a tribute to his father and grandfather. The next year, when he was twenty-four years old, Johnson won his first championship in the World Wrestling Federation (later renamed World Wrestling Entertainment, or the WWE). He became the youngest wrestler to win a championship belt. In August, 1997, Johnson returned to the ring with a new name: “the Rock.”

Johnson became one of wrestling’s most popular figures. His success in the ring and appeal to fans led to merchandising opportunities, including action figures and video games. In 2000, Johnson published his autobiography, The Rock Says, which became a best seller. Soon, Hollywood took notice of his charisma.

Johnson made his debut as an actor in 2001 in The Mummy Returns. The success of the film was followed with Johnson’s leading role in a spinoff, The Scorpion King, in 2002. He received $5.5 million for the role, the highest salary ever paid to an actor in his first starring role. Johnson continued to make occasional wrestling appearances but remained focused on his acting career, starring in many action films, comedies, and family films. His size and athleticism led to roles as a professional football player in The Game Plan (2007) and a hockey player in The Tooth Fairy (2010). He starred in more than a dozen films in the 2000’s, including Walking Tall (2004), Gridiron Gang (2006), Race to Witch Mountain (2009), and Faster (2010).

In 2006, Johnson founded the Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation, which supports at-risk and terminally ill children. He was married from 1997 to 2007 to Dany Garcia, with whom he has a daughter.

Significance

Considered one of the most popular wrestlers in the history of professional wrestling, Johnson successfully crossed over from the WWE to the film industry. Aided in both pursuits by his charisma and comic timing, he became an in-demand star of family films and comedies.

Citation Types

Type

Format

MLA 9th

Burke, Alison S. "Dwayne Johnson." Great Lives from History: African Americans, edited by Carl L. Bankston, Salem Press, 2011. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=GLAA_143658003077.

APA 7th

Burke, A. S. (2011). Dwayne Johnson. In C. L. Bankston (Ed.), Great Lives from History: African Americans. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.

CMOS 17th

Burke, Alison S. "Dwayne Johnson." Edited by Carl L. Bankston. Great Lives from History: African Americans. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2011. Accessed December 14, 2025. online.salempress.com.

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