Dwayne Johnson may now be known as action hero extraordinaire and, lately, as a bonafide dramatic actor thanks to his turn as MMA star Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, but it didn't always used to be that way.
On his way up in Hollywood, Johnson became attached to an unfortunate string of box office failures or family-friendly movies that were savaged by critics.
For every Southland Tales or Walking Tall there was a Race to Witch Mountain, Game Plan, or, god forbid, a Tooth Fairy – the 2010 comedy that's currently sitting at a miserly 17% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Speaking on The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Johnson reflected on his early career cold streak.
"The truth is – and I can look back on that time with real clarity these days – those days, things were a little cloudy. I loved making those movies. I also think I manifested those because I don't think I was ready for anything other than easy, light, family films that made me feel good," Johnson said.
As Johnson revealed in candid fashion, his divorce from Dany Garcia (who is now his manager), led to the actor pulling back from any meaty roles in favor of lighter fare that had a "happy ending."
Johnson explained, "I was trying to figure my stuff out, and that was the only thing that I really wanted to do artistically; I didn't want anything that was going to challenge me to rip my guts out, I wanted stuff that has a happy ending, and so that's what that was."
Despite those bumps in the road, Johnson ultimately came out of his film funk thanks to his turn as Hobbs in 2011's Fast Five. From there, the parts stacked up – several Fast films, Pain and Gain, Jumanji, Moana – before becoming a household name. And to think it almost fell apart thanks to a role that was, quite literally, like pulling teeth.
Johnson is next set to star as Maui in the live-action Moana remake, set for release on July 10, 2026.
For more, check out our guide to upcoming movies.
