Rita Santos - Dwayne The Rock Johnson: Pro Wrestler and Actor

Dwayne Johnson CHAPTER 1 THE FAMILY BUSINESS Sports were a big deal in the Johnson family. Young Dwayne played several sports in school, and he was good at them. His family cheered for all his teams. But there was one sport they loved most of all: wrestling. WRESTLING HERITAGE Dwaynes father, Rocky Johnson, was from Canada. He was a in Samoa.

She was one of the first women to do the job. From 1982 to 1988, Dwaynes grandmother ran Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling. Dwaynes grandfather, Peter Maivia ( right ), was a professional wrestler who was known as High Chief. Here he is wrestling in 1979. Samoa is an island in the South Pacific. Professional wrestling is a sport that can be a lot like theater.

Wrestlers will often take different names, like a stage name. They might play roles like the hero or the villain. But it is not just acting. Professional wrestlers must train very hard to be able to safely perform each move. If they arent careful, wrestlers can injure themselves or their opponent. LEARNING DISCIPLINE Dwayne was born on May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California.

When he was a young boy, his family moved to New Zealand for his parents work. There he attended Richmond Road Primary School. Then the family moved to Hamden, Connecticut. Dwayne was a student at Shepherd Glen Elementary school and Hamden Middle School. Growing up, Dwayne was very close with his mother, Ata (seen here in 2016). Dwayne Says:Not only do I think being nice and kind is easy, but being kind, in my opinion is important. Dwayne began working out with his dad when he was a young boy.

He had learned from his father and grandfather that was important for athletes. Training isnt always fun, and it takes a lot of time. But Dwayne knew hard work was the way to success. CHAPTER 2 PLAY BALL Dwaynes family moved a lot because of his fathers work. For most of high school he lived in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dwayne loved living on the island.

It reminded him of Samoa. His mothers was very important to him. In the eleventh grade, the family moved again. This time they went to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. There Dwayne was on the schools track and field, wrestling, and football teams. Dwaynes football teammates called him Dewey. ON THE TEAM Dwayne loved wrestling. Dwaynes football teammates called him Dewey. ON THE TEAM Dwayne loved wrestling.

But the University of Miami offered him a to play football. So he moved to Miami. Dwayne was determined to give everything he had as a student and as an athlete. He earned a bachelors degree in criminology and physiology in 1995. While he was at the university, he met his future wife, Dany Garcia. Dwayne played defensive tackle for the Miami Hurricanes.

SUCCESS AND FAILURE Football, like wrestling, can be a dangerous sport. Dwayne made it all the way to the national championship team for the Miami Hurricanes. Then he was injured and lost his place on the team. After Dwayne graduated he joined the Calgary Stampeders. They were a part of the Canadian Football League. Dwayne Says:Success isnt overnight.

Its when every day you get a little better than the day before. It all adds up. Dwayne was cut by the Stampeders after two months. His football dreams seemed to be over. But there was another sport he wanted to try. CHAPTER 3 THIRD GENERATION ON THE MAT Dwayne returned home and asked his father to train him to wrestle. At first, Rocky did everything he could to .

His heart wasnt in football. He knew he could be a champion, just like his father and grandfather. Early in his wrestling career, Dwayne was known as Flex Kavana. Dwayne Says:The road to success and greatness is always paved with consistent hard work. A ROCKY START Dwaynes father finally agreed to train him. Rocky was hard on his son during training. He wanted him to learn to always try his very best.

His training paid off. Dwayne joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1996. He started wrestling under the name Rocky Maivia, to honor both sides of his family. Dwayne attends the 1999 Emmys. In his early years as a wrestler, he struggled with his image. would like. would like.

But the audience was also becoming unhappy with him. Fans were actually beginning to boo him! Dwayne knew he had to change something. BE WHO YOU ARE In 1997, Dwayne injured his knee in a match against a wrestler called Mankind. As he healed, he tried to understand why he was unhappy with his performances. Dwayne realized he wasnt being himself. He was trying to act like someone else.

The audience didnt like it. When Dwayne returned to the ring he decided to be true to himself. when he began to trust himself. Fans loved the change! He became one of the most popular wrestlers of his time. He also became one of the best. He won many championship titles during his wrestling years.

CHAPTER 4 A NEW ARENA Dwayne had made his name in the ring. Now he decided it was time to try something new. As The Rocks popularity grew, he realized that acting was one of his favorite parts of wrestling. He wanted to become an actor. He put as much effort into his acting as he did everything else. Dwayne attends the 2005 London premiere of Be Cool , one of his early films. Dwayne attends the 2005 London premiere of Be Cool , one of his early films.

MOANA Dwaynes dedication to his work helped make people want to cast him in movies. They knew he would do a good job. Over the years Dwayne has played many characters, but one role was extra special to him. In 2016, Dwayne was given the chance to play the Polynesian Maui in the Disney movie Moana. Samoa is a part of Polynesia. Dwayne started a charity to help sick children.