Denton County Living Well Magazine July/August 2018 | Page 11

D wayne “The Rock” Johnson is arguably one of the most recognizable stars in Hollywood. Not just because of his sheer size or good looks (which, don’t get us wrong, do help) but because of his good-humored nature and ap- proachability factor. According to a recent Cnet ar- ticle, he’s one of the most popular actors on social media. From a family of professional wrestlers, Johnson made his WWE debut in 1996. While the WWE is what catapulted him to fame, many knew that Johnson had a star quality that was bigger than the ring. He’s always stayed grateful and true to his WWE roots though, making sporadic ap- pearances throughout the years, even as his film career has taken off. Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that Johnson, 46, was being paid upwards of $22 million for an upcoming film. Some sources commented that was a low-ball figure. “He’s a freak of nature,” says Johnson’s Rampage co-star Jeffrey Dean Morgan to Rolling Stone. “It seems like every month he’s in a movie and making a killing. In the middle of shooting Rampage, he’s off host- ing SNL and doing ads for Apple and running for president and what- ever else. He works out at 3:30 in the morning so he can get to set on time. I don’t know how he does it. And the other thing is, he’s a family dude, so not only is he juggling the nine million things he’s got on his plate for work, he’s also raising kids and got a happy marriage…” Recently, Johnson made news by taking to his popu- lar social media platforms to ask his millions of follow- ers to help his home of Hawaii after the Kauai floods. “Stay strong Kauai!” he wrote on social media. “Thank you to all the rescue workers and volunteers working tirelessly to help rebuild our com- munities and assist our local families. Proud of our fighting spirit and proud to bring our Jungle Cruise production back home to Hawaii.” Johnson’s first leading role was in The Scorpion King in 2002; other notable roles include his reprising character in The Fast and the Furious franchise, Baywatch, and Jumanji. He also con- tributed his vocal talents to the animated film Moana. “Johnson has found a sweet spot with the characters he plays: highly skilled bad-asses who are also sensitive and vulnerable, flawed yet decent men with big biceps and bigger hearts,” according to Rolling Stone. “No one’s going to see me play a borderline psychopath suffering from depression,” Johnson told the magazine. “I have friends I admire, Oscar winners, who approach our craft with the idea of ‘Sometimes it comes Continued, page 10 DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | JULY/AUGUST 2018 9