Dwayne " The Rock " Johnson is a force of nature . The 6'5 " , 260 lb heavyweight has laid the smackdown on every facet of popular acculturation – pro wrestle , moving-picture show , medicine , tv , comedy , Sexiest Man Alive – and destroy them , make over each industriousness in his own hulking , grinning range of a function . He ’s also salutary withInstagram . There ’s nothing this enormous man ca n’t do .
But despite The Rock ’s entire ascendence of multiple entertainment spheres , there ’s stack of lesser - known trivia you might not know about America ’s go - to catch phrase - spouting , eyebrow - arc tough - guy cable - call on - box - office - ruin - sweetheart . have ’s take a closer look :
1. He’s a third-generation wrestler
Not only was The Rock ’s father Rocky Johnson a NWA Georgia Champion and a member of the first inglorious shred team to win the WWF Tag Team Championship , his grandad Peter Maivia was a NWA Hawaii heavyweight whiz . How nerveless was The Rock ’s grandfather ? He almost kick James Bond ’s ass inYou Only subsist Twice .
2. In high school, his classmates thought he was an undercover cop
Not surprisingly , The Rock did n’t exactly look like youraverage pimply teenager . With his impose form and creepy-crawly moustache , he made his classmates thinkhe was a narcotics agent .
3. He lost his virginity when he was 14 to an 18-year-old
In hisNew York Timesbestselling memoirThe Rock Says , Johnson account his first sexual encounters in astonishingly candid detail . " I ’ve always been attract to older women , and they ’ve often reciprocated , " he writes in the book . " That ’s one of the benefit of being an early bloomer , I guess . I lost my virginity to an eighteen twelvemonth old girl named Maria . Maria was not but an familiarity or a conquest . She was , at the time , the love of my liveliness . She was THE ONE . " The full tale from the book involves a public parking lot and a cop – really , you should probably just read it yourself .
4. His original wrestling name was Flex Kavana
After a successful college career as a football game player and a short least sandpiper in the Canadian Football Leage in 1995 , Johnson made his wrestling unveiling with this really uncool nickname . It ’s severe to picture the name Flex Kavana on a giantFast And Furiousposter .
5. He picked up the word “jabroni” from the Iron Sheik
Sometimes it feel like The Rock is speaking his own language , but one of his favorite words , " jabroni , " in reality comes from another wrestle caption . " The Iron Sheik was renowned for saying the news constantly backstage , " Johnson toldEsquirelast year . " Jabroni , jabroni , jabroni . Around 1998 , I thought , Why ca n’t I say it on telecasting ? So I started say it publicly , but the Iron Sheik was known for it . "
6. He played his father on an episode ofThat ’70s Show
Johnson did n’t really have to extend very much as a histrion to work his father in an early sequence ofThat ' 70s Show , but he did have his own against Red Foreman . I wish to think of Kurtwood Smith as the call up man ’s Vin Diesel .
7. He eats seven meals a day
In the fourth dimension it takes you to finish reading this article , The Rock will likely eat one of hismany day-by-day meals . It likely had pod in it .
8. He wrestled a match in an empty arena during the Super Bowl
expectant pro wrestle matches feed off the muscularity of the crowd – so what happens when you wrestle in an empty arena ? Well , just observe this match - up between The Rock and Mick Foley ’s Mankind case , which took place onHalftime Heat , a special that aired during the halftime of Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999 . It ’s very weird . Turns out crowds are there for a reason .
9. He helped Martha Stewart make a cookie cake
The Rock has been a tag team champion in the WWE many times , so it ’s not surprising that he piddle a double-dyed mate for Martha Stewart in thissurreal clipfrom her daytime show . The twain spend the beginning of the video going over what The Rock eats every day , and at one compass point the Rock articulate , " I usually have one or two steak a day , " which both micturate sense and is a little terrifying .
10. He bro’ed out on stage with Bill Gates when the Xbox came out
" The Xbox is everything The Rock is , " says The Rock in this very charming piece of video game chronicle . " Cutting edge , powerful , stimulating , and , like The Rock , it will be the most thrilling affair coming out this year . " Sadly , the video does not end with Bill Gates getting the People ’s Elbow .
11. He laid the smackdown on the Republican Convention in 2000
Back in 2000 , The Rock advert both the Democratic and Republican Convention as a congressman of the WWF , assure everyone to get out there and vote . But only the Republicans permit the bully Onegive a speechon stage , delivering his signature " If you smell what the Rock is cooking " line and put in the " honorable Dennis Hastert , " who was later indicted andpled guiltyin a Union hush money case .
12. He introduced the first XFL game
The Rock rationalize apretty hilarious promobefore the first game ever played in the XFL , WWE head honcho Vince McMahon ’s short - survive attempt to take on the NFL . " Six years ago NFL wooing decided Los Angeles should n’t have a football game team , " The Rock secern the fanatic bunch . " Well , The Rock and Los Angeles and the entire country for that matter are sick and tired NFL causa telling us what we require . " Would it surprise you if I said The Rock ’s soliloquy terminate with him tell the suits to stick something up their derriere ?
13. He recorded a song called “It Doesn’t Matter” with Wyclef Jean
He ’s no Lauryn Hill , but The Rock does provide some funny vocals on this track off Wyclef’sThe Ecleftic : 2 Sides II a Book . Johnson does n’t exactly spue blistering flaming , but , at the very least , this song is better than the totality of John Cena ’s rap music career .
14. He was the first two-time athlete host inSNLhistory
The Rock ’s appearances onSNLare dependably excellent , but it ’s easy to forget that when he first host in 2000 he was just a wrestling sensation and not famous for his act chop . He ended up doing such a great job that he got invited back multiple times , and evenSteven Spielbergpraised his late appearance on the show . At this pace , you have to acquire that he ’ll be the first athlete to join the five - timers club .
15. He holds two world records
After in brief appearing as the Scorpio King in 2001’sThe Mummy Returns , The Rock sustain his own spin - off moving-picture show and landed in the Guinness Book of World Records for his $ 5.5 million Leontyne Price shred , the highest pay day for a first - time leading world . But what ’s cooler than having one World Record ? Having two . So , the Rock secure his place in story by setting a new disc for themost selfiestaken in three minute at the London premiere ofSan Andreas . What important disk will the Rock break next ? Most pod eaten in a day , probably .
16. He played a fighting alien onStar Trek: Voyager
The Rock ’s threat of " You ’re no bigger than a Tarkanian field shiner " did n’t precisely become one of his most darling gimmick - phrases .
17. He had male breast reduction surgery
As part of his transition into playing and away from wrestling , The Rock act on a less bulky look , which included gettingplastic surgeryto reduce the size of his gargantuan pecs in 2005 . Yes , it could ’ve been potential for The Rock to look even bigger than he already does .
18. His ex-wife is his manager
Like his character Hobbs in theFast and Furiousfilms , loyalty and family are important to The Rock . Johnson got disunite from Dany Garcia in 2007 after 10 geezerhood of marriage , but in 2012 the two conscientious objector - establish 7 Bucks Productions . Also , Garcia re - married a adult male named Dave Rienzi , who is now Johnson ’s strength and conditioning coach , harmonize to a 2014Forbesprofile . As Vin Diesel says inFurious Seven : " I do n’t have Quaker , I got family . "
19. He’s a Canadian citizen
No one seems more All - American than The Rock , correct ? Wrong ! Johnson ’s don was actually expect in Canada , and , because of changes to Canada ’s nationality constabulary that took lieu in 2009 , The Rock also gain Canadian citizenship , despite the fact that he was born in the beneficial onetime U.S. of A.
20. He switched agents after playing the tooth fairy
The Rock has been notable for a retentive time , but it feels like he really took a saltation to another tier of stardom in the last few years , right ? There ’s a rationality for that . In aHollywood Reporterprofile , the actor talk about his dissatisfaction with where his career was going in 2011 , after starring a in a fistful of family picture show like 2010’sTooth Fairy , and how he switch over agencies – leaving CAA to join forces with super - agent Ari Emanuel ’s team at WME – and rent a new publicist to kick thing into gamey gear . blue , Julie Andrews .
21. He could maybe perform your marriage if you ask really nice
The Rock has a minister ’s permit from the state of California and hasmarried peoplein the past . It ’s not impossible . But you ’ll probably need a gamy nutrient budget if the Rock attends your wedding party . He likes cod . A lot of cod .
22. He was Tim Burton’s second choice to play Willy Wonka
This voice like a room better movie than the Johnny Depp version we start , right-hand ? Just conceive of a beefed - up Willy Wonka giving the Rock Bottom to snob - nosed Augustus Gloop .
23. He wears a different cologne for each character
Many actors are known for receive deeply into the characters , but The Rock takes things a pace further : he smell like his characters . That ’s proper , according to theNew York Times , the Rock decides what cologne each of his reference would have on . For his upcoming comedyCentral Intelligencewith Kevin Hart , he wore Kenzo . ForFurious Seven ? " Just babe oil , and the constitution creative person were instructed not to get rid of a drop of exertion , " says theTimes . Think of all the exotic smells the future tense could withstand .
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Dan Jacksonis a stave writer at Thrillist Entertainment , and he sawThe Scorpio Kingin the theater and would go again . He ’s on Twitter:@danielvjackson .
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