July 30, The Rock stepped out from behind the curtain at Philadelphia's St Union Center and was promptly engulfed by a sound he knows better than anyone—the sound of 20,000 fans screaming their lungs out for him. Four months away from the World Wrestling Federation while filming The Scorpion King not diminish his astronomical popularity. If anything, The Rock is more popular lay than ever. But there were a number of questions waiting for The Rock upon his return— st notably the rumor that he would soon leave behind sports-entertainment become a full-time movie star. RAW Magazine caught up with The Rock during at has to be the most eventful time of his life—one movie released and one pending, his Federation return, and the birth of his first child on August 14—for in-depth and revealing interview.
RAW: Magazine: How did the filming ‘The Scorpion King’ go—was it what you expected?
Rock: The filming of The Scorpion King was fantastic. It was an incredible learning experience. It was certainly what I expected, and much, much more than that. Being my second film, and especially being the principal actor involved, shouldered a lot more responsibility. I learned an incredible amount about making big-budget features. Universal Studios was extremely supportive and spared no expense in making sure I was surrounded by great actors, a great director, a great assistant director, a great cinematographer, and on down the line,
RAW: How did working on this film, in which you are the principal actor, differ from working on ‘The Mummy Returns’?
Rock: First and foremost, it involved a lot more time. With The Mummy Returns my role was obviously a lot smaller. With The Scorpion King, I was Involved in every facet you could imagine. I wanted to be as involved as possible with pre-production and principal photography, as well as the post-production needs. So you're looking total of six months of long, arduous hours. It was different in terms of being Lead and in terms of responsibility— not to mention being in almost every single scene, which basically required to be up at 4 in the morning, in the makeup chair by 5, start shooting at 7 and shoot until 7 or 8 at night. So there is definitely a big difference between The Scorpion King and The Mummy Returns
RAW: As you made ‘The Scorpion King’ , did you feel as if you were being accepted on the set as an up-and coming actor in your own right, rather than being perceived as a sports-entertainment performer? Was that an issue that ever came up?
Rock: It wasn't an issue for The Mummy Returns. Regarding The Scorpion King , I think in any endeavor you earn your kudos and respect. Essentially, I had hundreds of people working for and with me. It was a matter of going out there every day and proving that I take this extremely seriously—just as seriously as I take performing for the WWF fans. Over time, from Universal Studios to the cast and crew to the Teamsters to the caterers—from A to Z—it was important to me to let everybody know that this certainly wasn't something I just threw myself into to capitalize on my popularity. It certainly wasn't a vanity project, and I had to let them know that. I saw an interesting comment on TV the other night. A person was asked, if the same opportunity arose, would he have made a movie like The Rock. And he said, “If Hollywood came knocking and gave me a truckload full of money, I'd have to think about it.” Well, it's quite the opposite for me. Money had absolutely nothing to do with my decision to make the movie. It just so happens I have a fantastic team of agents at Endeavor who are playmakers and hustlers and did end up getting me a record-breaking deal. But the money was never an issue. I've always felt that regardless of what you do in life, if you do it at a level greater than anyone else, the money will come. My main reason for doing the movie was to continue to excel and better myself as a performer, and above all else, the material was fantastic. Because at the end of the day, it all comes down to the story.
RAW: People have described “catching the acting bug.” Did this happen to you?
Rock: I think being in the WWF has allowed me to entertain literally millions of people on a weekly basis. So much of that has helped me in terms of acting. I know how I feel personally as a performer and an entertainer: I'm always looking for growth, and I'm always looking not only to attain my goals, but to surpass them as well. Acting is certainly something that I enjoy doing. I don't know about necessarily catching the “acting bug.” I think it was more or less something innate, wanting to take advantage of situations I was in and doing something that I really love doing—which is entertaining. Acting is another aspect of entertaining for me.
RAW: Are you already looking ahead to your next film project? There are rumors that Universal has two more lined up for you.
Rock: Well, Universal has been working very diligently in finding great material for me, working in conjunction with Kevin Mischer, former president of production and co-producer of The Scorpion King. One of the projects in the works as of now is called Hunting Bronze, a two-hander action/comedy, with Universal hoping to get Ben Stiller, Chris Tucker or Owen Wilson. And the second project is untitled, being written by Brian Helgeland, who won an Oscar for L.A. Confidential. So it's a matter of waiting it out, waiting for the right script and the right material, because it's all about the writing and the story involved. The Scorpion King was that picture, and we're all very excited about it.
RAW: You’ve been very selective about your film career I imagine you've turned down dozens of roles.
Rock: Yes, I have. The thing about it is, over time, the scripts that come across my desk change. Now it's just a matter of waiting it out and getting the first drafts and going from thereof course, discussing it with Vince [McMahon] and finding out what the best possible scenario is. But right now, I can wholeheartedly say that I'm concentrating solely on being back in the WWF laying the smackdown and electrifying the crowds as only The Rock can. And truth be told, there's no greater feeling than that. I can honestly say that now, having been gone for four months on a film project. While it was great to tell that lengthy story—that two-hour story I was able to tell, full of a myriad of emotions—there's nothing greater than being able to go out there and lay the smackdown on candy asses.
RAW: That brings me to my next question. When you hit the ring in Philadelphia on July 30 for your first appearance since coming back and heard that massive pop, did it remind you of or rekindle your passion for the business?
Rock: It didn’t necessarily rekindle my passion, because that wasn't a fire that was ever put out or had to be re-lit. It did, however, put that Brahma Bull stamp of approval, so to speak, on the fact that there is absolutely, unequivocally nothing like performing in front of WWF fans. The anticipation of something can be a wonderful thing. That night was so special to me, as I know it was to everyone involved. I have to give a quick shout-out to everyone involved who made my comeback that particular night so successful. Coming back, I realized what a great time I always had with some of my partners. The camaraderie in the locker room is second to none and something I missed. Like telling Tazz right before he goes out, “The great thing about your performance tonight is that no one really expects much from you anyway, so go out there and do the best you can.” (Laughs) Or talking about having kids with Chris Jericho and reminding him that when he finds the right guy, he'll enjoy having kids (laughs). Actually, Chris has a gorgeous wife and he's a very lucky man. Or listening to D-Von Dudley singing “It's Raining Men” all day long. Why he sings that every day, I'll never know. I can tell you what I tell him: “D-Von, just because you've washed one window doesn't make you a window washer, my friend.” And, of course, Kurt Angle... ah, never mind. That's my boy.
RAW: I saw you backstage before that show, and you looked as fired up as you‘ve ever been.
Rock: Oh, I was genuinely excited. Anytime you're in a situation like that, if you ever have the opportunity to be involved in that type of magic, to actually stand in the eye of a hurricane as I did that night in Philly—as I do every single night I go out there—it's such a magical feeling. There are very few people—and I stress very few people— who are able to experience that feeling. I'm extremely lucky and extremely grateful for the position I'm in. I think my genuineness come through.
RAW: How will the acting experience you've gathered over your two films carry over into your work in the Federation? Will Dwayne Johnson's acting experience change The Rock?
Rock: Again, I think the great thing that I was able to parlay into acting, and especially into The Scorpion King, was that I've been performing in front of the fans. There are changes, however. In the WWF I don't play to a certain camera. We have cameras all around and basically they're on The Rock's clock. I'm able to go out and freestyle my performance, ad-lib when I feel I have to and, more importantly, just listen to my audience. In terms of movie acting, we have to play to certain cameras. It's reset the lighting, reset the cameras, check the gates and make sure everything is right before we move on. It's a tedious process. As for my acting abilities—Dwayne Johnson's acting abilities—carrying over to The Rock, I believe it's definitely helped in terms of showing my emotions and conveying them. Conveying my anger, my pain or my frustration and being as real as I possibly can be. And believe me when I say this—my passion carries over. These roles are close to my heart—The Rock is Dwayne Johnson with the volume turned up to maximum capacity. Adjust the bass, adjust the treble, flip on those subwoofers and smell what The Rock is cookin'! So I think the acting will help, but at the same time, you're certainly not going to get a lesson in histrionics from The Rock. The Rock will still be as real as ever.
RAW: So The Rock won't turn into Laurence Olivier anytime soon?
Rock: No, you won't see The Rock turning into Olivier, but The Rock is the most electrifying thespian the world has ever seen!
RAW: story in Premiere magazine in which you were quoted as saying you'd consider leaving the WWF movies has gotten a lot of play, even though you've said you were misquoted. Would you care to clarify the situation one last time so the rumors stop? -
Rock: Yes, I will, absolutely, and I know it's safe to say that this won't be the last time I'll be answering this question, and I have no problem with it. Was I misquoted? Yes, absolutely. Was it done in a malicious' manner? No, not at all. I know the writer very well and have a good relationship with him. He didn't mean to misquote me in the way he did. I've said that before. I have said that acting is certainly something I want to do. But I have always—and I emphasize the word a/ways—followed up with, “but I will say that there is absolutely nothing like performing in front of the WWF audience and hearing literally 20,000 fans go completely ballistic when my music hits.” And the wonderful thing about performing for them is that they know every time they chant my name and give me all their passion, I feed off that. That's no line of bull****, that's the absolute truth. You can see that in my performance. As wild and as frenetic as the crowd gets, the more frenetic and passionate I get. Within my performance, with every punch, with every kick, with every DDT, with every Rock Bottom, with every People's Elbow, as geeked up as they are, I'm right there with them. I certainly feed off the energy they supply. I certainly understand why a misquote like that would get a lot of play. There are a lot of haters out there, and a lot of disingenuous people. But I've always felt with disingenuous people, it always comes down to recognition. Once I recognize that you're an a**hole, there's absolutely nothing you could ever do to affect me.
RAW: if I can play devil's advocate for a minute, it has to be tempting to give up the bumps, the injuries and the endless life on the road once and for all, especially now that you're a father and now that you have an incredibly attractive career alternative.
Rock: To me, the same could be said about acting. I don't necessarily buy into that, because I have a stunt double who is able to take my bumps for me. (Laughs) But like I said, there is nothing like performing in front of a live audience, and anybody in the entertainment industry who performs in front of a live audience on a daily or weekly basis understands what I'm talking about. I've talked about growth, and I think in life.. .I can't speak for everybody, but I'm always looking to grow as a person and as a performer. I honestly believe that my fans certainly will never fault me for wanting to grow [or] for wanting to take advantage of opportunities. I think they find solace in the fact that I will always be part of the WWF and I will always, above all else, regardless of the venue, entertain them, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year—and one extra in a leap year.
RAW: landscape of the Federation could not have changed more dramatically in the months you were gone—the formation of the Alliance, Triple H and Chris Benoit out with injuries. Did those changes up the ante for you personally in terms of your comeback? Did you feel more pressure to fit into a different landscape?
Rock: No, not necessarily. I've always felt that an individual's pressure depends on how much pressure they put on themselves. So I never put that much pressure on myself. I'm extremely confident in my abilities and in what I can do, whether it be on the microphone or on my physical performance. I was just so excited to come back and be a part of everything that was going on and be a part of all those changes.It's such a fascinating industry we're in because it's a live show every single week. I give credit to our writers who have the extremely difficult task of writing a live show—three live shows now with the addition of Excess—every single week. You know, Saturday Night Live has literally double-digit writers who do one two-hour show every week. That should give you an idea of how hard our writers work. I was just extremely excited to come back and work with new characters, and see what blossoms and unfolds, and what works and what doesn't. With all the new faces, it's certainly appealing to come back and lay the smackdown on all of them. The WWF is The Rock's ship—they're all just passengers, and the captain is back! (Laughing) I'm just joking.
RAW: you describe the whirlwind your life has become in the past several months, starting with WrestleMania X-Seven, the premiere of The Mummy Returns, the filming of The Scorpion King, your comeback at SummerSlam, and the birth of your daughter in August?
Rock: I've always felt that all the successes I've been blessed with are just that—a blessing. I certainly don't believe the Good Lord would burden me with all these responsibilities and successes if he felt I couldn't handle it. I give thanks on a daily basis for everything I have, including the strength that I'm blessed with—not on a physical or spiritual basis, but from a character standpoint. At the end of the day, it's all good, and to steal a phrase from The Rock, I believe the “just bring it” attitude is certainly something that transcends all walks of life. That's my team—you're either on “Team Bring It,” telling life's obstacles, adversities and successes to just bring it, or you get completely buried.
RAW: your second career as a movie star taking off your magazine covers—Rolling Stone, Ebony and others—and your status in the World Wrestling Federation all pushing you further into the celebrity world, what keeps you grounded? What is to stop you from “going Hollywood”?
Rock: Number one, I give credit where I believe credit is due, and that comes from the solid foundation that I've been brought up with, from my mom and dad, and the family I have around me. To have that strong supporting cast is something that I will forever be grateful for. And that's my personal life. Professionally, I have a small group of people around me who help me on a daily basis, from my agents and attorneys to my co-workers—my teammates, more affectionately known as “the boys”— to, of course, Vince McMahon, who is not only a great impresario, but has also become a friend. I'm not afraid to say I need and appreciate their help. I'm genuinely and sincerely grateful for everything I have, and I've always said that hard work pays, and that you can never teach desire. I've worked my ass off every single second of the day to better my own performance and better those performances around me. I believe it's that genuine truthfulness that keeps me grounded and keeps me laying the smackdown every single day. And my mom would whip my ass if I got out of line anyway. The last thing I would ever want is for my mom to kick my ass in public.., so thanks, Mom!•