Hollywood hunk Dwayne Johnson’s latest movie, Baywatch, opened yesterday in cinemas. Here are some of Johnson’s aka The Rock’s big screen works
1. THE MUMMY RETURNS (2001)
In Johnson's first big screen appearance (not related to wrestling), he plays the Scorpion King, a cursed warrior who sold his soul to the Egyptian god of the afterlife, Anubis, for victory in war. The actor suffered from food poisoning and sunstroke, losing over 5kg during the shooting process. He reprised his role in the prequel, The Scorpion King (2002).
2. THE RUNDOWN (2003)
The Mummy Returns director Stephen Sommers was originally pegged to helm this action comedy before it went to Peter Berg. The Rock plays a bounty hunter who heads for Brazil to retrieve his employer's wayward son. Johnson’s stunt double was actually his cousin Tanoai Reed, who won Best Overall Stunt by a Man at the 2004 Taurus World Stunt Awards.
3. GRIDIRON GANG (2006)
This sports drama based on the true story of the Kilpatrick Mustangs during the 1990 season, sees Johnson as an inspirational figure who forms a football team for at-risk kids. In the practice scene, Johnson wore a No.94 jersey, a nod to his time with the Miami Hurricanes, where he wore the same number.
4. RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN (2009)
In this remake of the 1975 Disney film, Escape To Witch Mountain, Johnson plays a Las Vegas cabbie who works with a UFO expert (played by Carla Gugino) to protect two young siblings with paranormal powers from a shadowy organisation with a nefarious agenda. Johnson also starred with Gugino in Faster (2010) and San Andreas.
5. FAST FIVE (2011)
Arguably his most famous role to date, Johnson plays the heroic Luke Hobbs, a diplomatic security service agent in this successful action film franchise. Although his role was actually written for Tommy Lee Jones, co-star Vin Diesel revealed that Johnson was brought in instead, after a fan suggested that she would love to see the two work together onscreen.
6. JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND (2012)
Based on a Jules Verne novel, this family movie sees The Rock following his stepson on an adventure to find his missing grandfather on the Mysterious Island. Brendan Fraser, who starred in Journey To The Centre Of The Earth (2008), was Johnson’s co-star in The Mummy Returns.
7. HERCULES (2014)
The Rock plays the titular hero in this action fantasy adventure based on the graphic novel, Hercules: The Thracian Wars. Johnson, who was paid RM51 million for the role, went through a gruelling eight-month training routine as preparation.
8. SAN ANDREAS (2015)
This disaster movie sees Johnson as a Los Angeles Fire Department helicopter-rescue pilot going on a dangerous journey with his estranged wife (Gugino) across the earthquake-ravaged state to rescue their daughter. Alexandra Daddario, who plays their onscreen daughter, is only some 15 years younger than Johnson and Gugino. The cast performed a number of their own stunts as director Brad Peyton wanted audiences to see their faces.
9. CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE (2016)
Johnson and comedian Kevin Hart star as two old high school friends who team up to save the US from a terrorist in this action comedy. Throughout the movie, The Rock wears a fanny pack that is made fun of — it’s a reference to a picture from the 1990s of Johnson sporting a fanny pack, which went viral with a series of hilarious memes.
10. MOANA (2016)
In his first musical film, and second animated film after Planet 51 (2009), Johnson provides the voice for Maui, a legendary shape-shifting demigod who sets off on an adventure with the titular teen heroine after she is chosen by the ocean to restore the heart of Te Fiti.
Johnson has apparently said that voice-acting is the most difficult form of acting. The actor had always wanted to work with directors John Musker and Ron Clements, having loved Aladdin when it came out in 1992. Moana is the second Polynesian-themed Disney animated feature film since Lilo & Stitch (2002).