Happy Birthday to one of the biggest stars alive today: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson!
Yes, May 2 marks fifty years since 'The Great One' took his first breath on our planet - and what an incredible 50 years he has had.
From humble beginnings, Johnson is the son of the late professional wrestler Rocky Johnson and mom Ata Johnson - whose father, 'High Chief' Peter Maivia, was also a professional wrestler.
And despite being one of the most recognizable faces alive on the planet today, there was a time when Johnson was struggling to make ends meet.
In fact, in a 2018 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he revealed that when he was 14, his family was evicted and forced off the island of Honolulu, Hawaii. "We didn’t have a place to live. I wound up moving to a little motel outside Nashville, Tennessee," he told the outlet.
Johnson recalled how he would steal steaks from a nearby grocery store - only to realize he had no way of cooking them in the motel rooms he was staying in.
Despite a promising future, at the age of 22, Johnson found himself cut from the Canadian Football League after signing with the Calgary Stampeders as a linebacker.
"Dream shattered. Sent home with seven bucks in my pocket," he once told his fans in an Instagram video. That specific memory is what led to Johnson naming his production company Seven Bucks Productions - which has since helped to produce some of the actor's greatest movies.
After being dropped from the CFL, Johnson followed in his father's footsteps and trained to become a professional wrestler.
In his first televised match for the WWE (then WWF) in 1996, Johnson was known as Rocky Maivia - a tribute to both his father and grandfather. Soon after, he would become known simply as The Rock.
Throughout his career in the WWE, Johnson went on to win 10 world championships, have two Intercontinental Championship runs, win the Tag Team Championships five times, and main event WrestleMania with the likes of Stone Cole Steve Austin and John Cena.
But mainly, his career in the WWE cemented him as one of the greatest entertainers in the world - and he was soon noticed by Hollywood and given his big break in The Mummy Returns (2001) as the Scorpion King.
From there, Johnson has become one of the most sought-after names in the movie industry - churning out blockbusters such as Hobbs & Shaw, Baywatch, Jungle Cruise, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and Moana.
Per the Daily Mail, Johnson's movies have grossed more than $10.5 billion worldwide.
Off-screen, he is also the co-founder of brands such as Teremana Tequila and Zoa Energy, current co-owner of the XFL, has a successful clothing line with Under Armour. His partnership with ex-wife and businesswoman Dany Garcia has led both of them to great success.
At home, Johnson shares one daughter with Garcia, 20-year-old aspiring pro-wrestler Simone Johnson. He also shares two young daughters with his current wife, Lauren Hashian.
From having just seven bucks in his pocket at the age of 22 to being one of the biggest stars to have ever lived. Happy 50th birthday, Rock!
