The Scorpion King marked a milestone for Dwayne Johnson in more ways than one. Not only did he bag his first lead role in the Chuck Russell-helmed project, but he also amassed a giant paycheck of $5.5 million which went into the Guinness Book Of Records as the most any actor ever made for his starring role. Not to mention, The Rock almost immediately got in the good books of the director, thanks to his jaw-dropping skills and commendable athleticism.
Dwayne Johnson: From WWE to The Scorpion King
Renowned for his WWE and Hollywood stardom, Dwayne Johnson used to be an eminent wrestling figure before he decided to switch gears and turn toward the film industry instead. After almost a decade of professional wrestling, Johnson, 50, left the ring in 2004 but it wasn’t until 2019 that he officially retired from the sport.
Though his initial acting roles date back to 1999 and 2001 with Beyond the Mat and The Mummy Returns respectively, Johnson landed his debut lead role in the latter’s spin-off, The Scorpion King. While the movie received mixed reviews, it gained Universal Pictures a decent profit of $180.6 million against a budget of $60 million. Besides The Rock, the film comprised a star cast including Kelly Hu (X2), Michael Clarke Duncan (Armageddon), and Grant Heslov (Catch-22).
And from there on, it was a smooth ride for Johnson, who went on to reach the peak of fame in Hollywood and gradually also dipped his toes in the production business. Some of his most notable projects include Black Adam (2022), Red Notice (2021), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), and the Fast & Furious films.
Chuck Russell Was Baffled At Dwayne Johnson’s Athleticism
Transitioning from a wrestler to an actor wasn’t facile for The Rock and The Scorpion King being his first major film only increased the pressure tenfold. The stress even ended up exacerbating his time on sets, so much so, that the actor and producer broke down during one instance. “The second session with my acting coach, an hour into it, I’m bawling. It’s very challenging,” he told EW. Even so, he didn’t let his emotions get in the way of his performance, deciding to put his wrestling skills to use during the film’s stunts.
Speaking of which, one such scene wherein Johnson delivered a physical feat that seemed nearly impossible, ended up impressing the director to no end. The scene in question is the one wherein his titular character, who’s lying on his back one moment and jumping to his feet the next. Russell was rendered absolutely bewildered to watch a 6’3 tall man do something like that.
The Scorpion King can be streamed on Netflix.
Source: IMDb
