Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is now one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood —but before he became one of the highest-paid actors in the country, he was living on meager paychecks while trying to make it in the NFL.
Here we break down his success story...
Dreams of the NFL
Johnson's childhood dream was to play in the NFL. After being a football star in high school, he was enlisted into the Miami Hurricanes, and went on to become part of the 1991 national championship team.
However, a career in American football was not to be for the eventual Hollywood star. After suffering serious injuries to his shoulders and back, he failed to be signed into the NFL draft.
He went on to play in the Canadian Football league, where he was making just $250 per week, and he was ultimately cut from the Calgary Stampeders of the CFL.
Speaking about this time in his life, he later recalled, per ABC News, "The dreams I had, they're dashed. There is no more football. My relationship was crushed. That was my absolute worst time."
Wrestling
With his hopes of NFL glory dashed, The Rock turned to a family pursuit: wrestling.
Funnily enough, Johnson's father, Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson, was a member of the first African-American tag-team champions, and his grandad, Peter Maivia, was a Samoan wrestler, so the sport was very much in his blood.
Unsurprisingly, he was a runaway success. Johnson, who went on to become the first third-generation wrestler in WWE history, made his television debut at the 1996 Survivor Series. Paying homage to his father and grandfather, his first wrestling name was "Rocky Maivia", which contained both of their names.
He became known for moves like The People's Elbow and The Rock Bottom — as well as winning the WWE heavyweight title six times.
But what really emerged from his time there was his natural showmanship.
A career in acting
Following off the back of his wrestling success, Johnson used his fame to transition into Hollywood.
His first acting role came in a 1999 episode of That 70's Show, where he played his father, Rocky Johnson.
From there, he went from strength to strength. The Rock made his debut as a leading man in The Scorpion King — where he was given a whopping $5.5 for the role. In fact, he actually set a Guinness World Record after receiving the biggest paycheck for a first-time actor for his role in the 2002 feature.
A Hollywood star
Over the course of a decade, The Rock went on to become one of the highest-paid actors in America, and starred in a slew of blockbusters.
He's now known for his roles in Jungle Cruise, Jumanji, Baywatch, and Moana. He’s a regular fixture on our screens — and he's also starred in Fast & Furious, which is one of the highest-grossing franchises in the world.
He first appeared in Fast Five as Luke Hobbs — and his participation is often credited for helping reinvigorate the franchise.
Next up, we can expect to see him in Black Adam, DC League of Super-Pets and Red Notice.
