- Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson opened up about what it's like to be famous in a candid Instagram video on Saturday.
- In response to questions from fans, the wrestler-turned-actor said he sees no drawbacks to fame.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson opened up about what it's like to be famous in a candid Instagram video on Saturday.
In response to some questions from fans, the wrestler-turned-actor said that he doesn't see any downsides to being famous.
"For me, the drawbacks are — there are no drawbacks to fame," Johnson said in the clip. "I have been a lucky son of a bitch to have been famous for a long time, and I realize that there are no drawbacks to fame because I remember how shit once was."
The 51-year-old continued to talk about the struggles he faced early on in his career.
Johnson said that prior to becoming famous, he couldn't pay rent and was struggling to figure out who he was.
The struggle to get by each day always remained at the forefront of his mind, he added. In a way, these worries also helped to keep him grounded even as he became one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.
"I always say, 'I'm a day away from being evicted again' so it keeps me hungry," Johnson added. "So for me, there are no drawbacks to fame."
In the video, the actor acknowledges that he has many celebrity friends who disagree with his point of view.
"And that's OK, having a difference of opinion. It invites dialogue. It invites discussion," he said.
That said, Johnson admits he had to learn to live without being able to go out in public as easily or as often.
"I miss going to the mall, man. I miss going to the stores. Just hopping in my car and going to the grocery store, drug store, the mall, wherever," Johnson said in the clip.
Even so, he stresses that being recognized in public isn't a drawback for celebrities like him, since it's what he "signed up for."
Johnson underwent five knee surgeries while playing college football at the University of Miami. The next step in his career led to the 1996 debut of "Rocky Maivia," his original name as a wrestler. He went on to win the WWE heavyweight title six times.
In 2001, he made his feature-film debut in "The Mummy Returns." Most recently, Johnson played the titular role in the DC Comics superhero movie "Black Adam," which was released in 2022.