Dwayne Johnson Biography: From The Rock to Hollywood’s Highest-Paid Star

October 31, 2026

Daniel Reed

Dwayne Johnson biography: Dwayne Douglas Johnson, born 2 May 1972 in Hayward, California, is an American actor, producer and former professional wrestler known worldwide as “The Rock”. He went from a failed football career and $7 in his pocket to becoming one of wrestling’s biggest stars, then one of Hollywood’s highest-paid actors — and in October 2026 he was back in the news, almost unrecognisable as an elderly man filming Benny Safdie’s fantasy film Lizard Music in Brooklyn.

Quick facts

Full name: Dwayne Douglas Johnson
Born: 2 May 1972, Hayward, California, USA
Nationality: American (also holds Canadian citizenship through his father)
Occupation: Actor, producer, entrepreneur, former professional wrestler
Known for: “The Rock” in WWE; Fast & Furious, Jumanji, Moana, The Smashing Machine
Spouse: Lauren Hashian (married 2019); previously Dany Garcia (1997–2008)
Children: Three daughters — Simone, Jasmine and Tiana

Early life and background

Johnson was born to professional wrestler Rocky Johnson and Ata Johnson (née Maivia). His father was a Black Nova Scotian Canadian and his mother is of Samoan descent, and his maternal grandfather, “High Chief” Peter Maivia, was also a wrestler — making Johnson a third-generation wrestler before he ever stepped into a ring. His family moved often for his father’s wrestling work, and he spent time living in New Zealand as a boy.

Football, not wrestling, was his first plan. He won a scholarship to the University of Miami, where he played defensive tackle and was part of the Hurricanes’ 1991 national championship team. He graduated in 1995 with a degree in criminology and physiology, went undrafted by the NFL, and signed with the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League — only to be cut two months into the 1995 season. Johnson has often told the story of returning to Florida with just $7 in his pocket, the figure that later gave his production company its name.

Wrestling: becoming “The Rock”

Johnson debuted in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in 1996 as Rocky Maivia, a name honouring his father and grandfather. The clean-cut babyface character was initially rejected by crowds, and Johnson’s reinvention as “The Rock” — charismatic, funny and confrontational — turned him into one of the most popular and quotable performers of the Attitude Era. He became a multiple-time world champion, headlined WrestleMania events, and built a catchphrase-driven persona (“Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?”) that crossed over into mainstream culture well beyond wrestling.

He stepped back from full-time wrestling in the mid-2000s to pursue acting, but never fully left: he returned for high-profile runs in the 2010s, wrestled at WrestleMania XL in 2024, and in January 2024 joined the board of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE and UFC, also securing the trademark rights to “The Rock” name.

Hollywood career

Johnson’s screen breakthrough came as the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns (2001), a role spun off into his first leading film, The Scorpion King (2002). He built a run of action hits through the 2010s, joining the Fast & Furious franchise as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five (2011), voicing Maui in Disney’s Moana (2016), and headlining Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and its sequel. Alongside acting he co-founded Seven Bucks Productions with his ex-wife and business partner Dany Garcia in 2012; the company produces many of his films and television projects.

Later career turns have leaned more dramatic. He played former MMA fighter Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine (2025), bulking up and transforming physically for the role, and re-teamed with Safdie for Lizard Music, based on Daniel Pinkwater’s children’s book. In October 2026 he was photographed filming in Coney Island, Brooklyn, as the Chicken Man — a whimsical man in his seventies, in grey wig, beard, ageing prosthetics, bucket hat and overcoat — a look that drew wide coverage precisely because it was so unlike his usual screen image. The film is scheduled for release on 25 December 2027. He is also due back on screen that same Christmas Day in Jumanji: Open World, billed as the concluding chapter of the current Jumanji trilogy, whose poster he unveiled in October 2026.

Business ventures

Johnson’s business portfolio is now as important to his public profile as his films. He launched Teremana Tequila in 2020, co-founded ZOA Energy in 2021, and with Garcia and RedBird Capital bought the bankrupt XFL for $15 million in 2020; the league relaunched in 2023 and merged with the USFL in 2024 to form the United Football League, in which the group holds a reported 50 percent stake. His endorsement and licensing work includes the Project Rock line with Under Armour. (His fortune, and how much of it is paper value, is set out in full in his net-worth article — see the snapshot below.)

Personal life

Johnson married Dany Garcia in 1997; they divorced in 2008 and have remained business partners through Seven Bucks. Their daughter Simone, born in 2001, has followed the family trade as a WWE performer. Johnson married singer Lauren Hashian in Hawaii in 2019; they have two daughters, Jasmine (born 2015) and Tiana (born 2018). He has spoken publicly about his mother’s influence, his Samoan heritage, and his own past struggles, including his mother’s suicide attempt when he was a teenager — a subject he addressed in interviews and in the semi-autobiographical series Young Rock.

Net worth snapshot

Dwayne Johnson’s net worth is estimated at about $800 million as of October 2026, based on Celebrity Net Worth’s widely cited figure, with some trackers giving a $800–850 million range. Forbes, which tracks his earnings rather than publishing a net-worth figure for him, named him the world’s highest-paid actor of 2024 at an estimated $88 million after fees, and he is not on its 2026 celebrity billionaires list. Read the full breakdown, including the uncertain value of his Teremana stake, in Dwayne Johnson’s net worth.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Dwayne Johnson?

Dwayne Johnson was born on 2 May 1972 in Hayward, California, so he turned 54 in May 2026.

What is Dwayne Johnson’s new movie Lizard Music?

Lizard Music is Benny Safdie’s fantasy film based on Daniel Pinkwater’s children’s book, in which Johnson plays the Chicken Man, a whimsical man in his seventies. He was photographed filming in Brooklyn in October 2026, and the film is scheduled for release on 25 December 2027.

Is Dwayne Johnson still wrestling?

He is no longer a full-time wrestler. He makes periodic WWE returns while focusing on film and business, and in January 2024 he joined the board of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE and UFC.

Who is Dwayne Johnson married to?

Dwayne Johnson has been married to singer Lauren Hashian since 2019. He was previously married to Dany Garcia from 1997 to 2008, and they remain business partners.

What is Dwayne Johnson’s net worth?

Dwayne Johnson’s net worth is estimated at about $800 million as of October 2026, according to Celebrity Net Worth, with some trackers giving a $800–850 million range. See his net-worth article for the full breakdown and methodology.