Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a true jack of all trades. From renowned athlete to award-winning actor and New York Times bestselling author of his book The Rock Says…, Celebrity Speaker Dwayne has it all down.

While growing up, Dwayne traveled around a lot with his parents and watched his father perform in the ring. During his high school years, Dwayne began playing football. After playing on a full football scholarship for the University of Miami as a defensive tackle, Dwayne couldn’t stay away from the wrestling ring. You could say it was in its genes—The Rock is a third generation wrestler and numerous uncles, cousins, and relatives all wrestled; his father and professional wrestler Rocky Johnson also served as his trainer. During his 1996-2004 career, Dwayne had seventeen championship reigns and holds the record for most WWF Championship wins.

Now widely considered one of the all-time greatest wrestlers, Dwayne has found just as much success on the big screen as he did in the ring. With film revenues exceeding $2 billion worldwide, Dwayne Johnson has solidified himself as a global box-office powerhouse in both film and television. Some projects include the blockbuster San Andreas for Warner Bros. and the critically acclaimed Ballers for HBO, directed by Peter Berg. Also adding to a slew of tentpole films in 2016, Johnson completed filming Central Intelligence opposite Kevin Hart for New Line and is attached to the big-screen adaptation of Baywatch, as well as the remake of the cult classic Big Trouble in Little China for Fox and The Janson Directive for Universal. Also in 2016, Johnson had a voice role in Disney's animated film Moana.

Previously, Johnson was a part of the competitive sports entertainment world, WWE. His character, “The Rock,” became one of the most charismatic and dynamic characters the industry has ever seen. In March 2012, Johnson made a record-breaking return to the WWE where he crushed John Cena at Wrestle Mania XXVIII in Miami.

Not content to simply be in front of the camera, Johnson penned an autobiography, The Rock Says, which reached No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list shortly after its publication in January 2000. A dedicated philanthropist, Johnson created the Rock Foundation in 2006, with a mission to educate, empower, and motivate children worldwide through health and physical fitness; he served as the national spokesperson for the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s Diabetes Aware Campaign; a committed Celebrity Cabinet Member for the American Red Cross; and serves as a National Celebrity Wish Ambassador for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In 2008, the United States Congress and the United States Joint Leadership Commission recognized Johnson with the prestigious Horizon Award, the U.S. Congressional Award given to an individual in the private sector who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and provided opportunities for youth nationwide.