Dwayne Johnson has maintained a steady and successful career in Hollywood ever since he departed from the WWE. Apart from his acting career, Johnson is known for being a fitness freak and a constant advocate for health and physical and mental stability. He maintains his religious routine at the gym every day and continues to do so to this day. For him, going to the gym and working out is so much more than being a hunk and building abs and physical strength. He has a personal connection to the place that is emotionally and psychologically rooted in his relationship with his family members. But Johnson says it specifically became a bonding experience with a particular family member of his that he did not necessarily have a close relationship with at the time.
Dwayne Johnson’s Gym Devotion is Rooted in His Relationship with His Father
Dwayne Johnson had a tumultuous relationship with his father Rocky Johnson when he was growing up as a teenager. They did not see eye to eye on many things regarding his career, interests, familial bonding, and what a man should be and should do. But Johnson says that the gym proved to be a special place where his old man and he got to bond and spend time together. He talked about this aspect of his life to The Pivot Podcast saying,
“At 13, he (his dad) was on his own. So his capacity for love was what is was, very limited. So my point is that was my dad as I started coming on my own as a teenager, that limited capacity of love. So we were like this ( shows a hand sign of butting heads) for a very long time. But the thing that always kept us together was him saying ‘ Come to the gym with me’. And so the gym was introduced in my life when I was a kid and it always meant something to me so. And it is my anchor, I feel like I need that in my life”
This bonding experience between his father and him proved to be an experience that he will always cherish in his life. Thus his devotion to the gym is not just for maintaining his body and physical fitness, but also to have a spiritual connection with his late father.
Dwayne Johnson’s Friends and Family Helped Overcome His Depression
In the same interview on The Pivot Podcast, Dwayne Johnson opened up about his struggles with mental health and depression. He talked about this aspect of his life saying,
“I’d gone through two, three bouts of depression over years, and the football one for me was a big one. My first bout of depression was down there in Miami. Didn’t want to go to school. I was ready to leave. I left school. I didn’t take any midterms and I just left. I just didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know what mental health was. I didn’t know what depression was. I just knew I didn’t want to be there. Years later, and went through it again when I got a divorce… Didn’t know what it was”
His friends and family supported him throughout his life and helped him cope with his illness. He is now happy and grateful to all those people, including his daughters. He said, (on The Pivot Podcast)
“Luckily, at that time, I had some friends who I could lean on and say, ‘You know, I’m feeling a little wobbly now. Got a little struggle happening. I’m seeing a little grey and not the blue’. The saving grace for me has really been my daughters, the three of them, and being a girl dad. Because you look at them, and you realize, ‘Well, I mean, really, this is what it’s all about.’”
Johnson’s immense love and care for his kids and his friends are evident in several of his social media posts. He is a humble soul who wants good for others and is grateful to anyone who supported him through his rough years when he had nothing. He is what he is today because of them.
What is Dwayne Johnson Working on Now?
Dwayne Johnson made a comeback to the Fast and Furious franchise by making his return in the post-credits scene of Fast X (2023). He also announced a solo Luke Hobbs movie which will serve as a bridge between the events of Fast X and the next Fast and Furious Film which is supposedly the final film of the franchise.
He also has Red One, opposite Chris Evans, which is being developed as a potential franchise material. It is a joint production between his home banner Seven Bucks Productions and Amazon Studios. It is expected to be released in December 2023.
Also read: Best Dwayne Johnson Movies That Deserve More Recognition
Source: The Pivot Podcast
