Dwayne Douglas Johnson (born May 2, 1972), also known by his ring name The Rock,[3]

is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of

the greatest professional wrestlers of all time,[6][7] he was integral to the
development and success of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) during the
Attitude Era, an industry boom period in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Johnson
wrestled for the WWF for eight years prior to pursuing an acting career. His films
have grossed over $3.5 billion in North America and over $10.5 billion worldwide,
[8] making him one of the world's highest-grossing and highest-paid actors.[9][10]
[11]

After accepting an athletic scholarship to play at the University of Miami, he was

a member of the 1991 national championship team, but largely spent his four college
football years in backup roles behind elite players, including future NFL player
and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Warren Sapp.[12] Johnson aspired to play
professional football but went undrafted in the 1995 NFL draft. Following his
graduation, he signed with the Calgary Stampeders but was cut from the team in his
first season.[13] In 1996, Johnson's father Rocky, a longtime professional
wrestler, assisted in helping him secure a contract with the WWF.[2] Johnson
quickly rose to global prominence, aided by a gimmick he employed as a charismatic
trash talker. Johnson left WWE in 2004 and returned in 2011 as a part-time
performer until 2013, making sporadic appearances until retiring in 2019.[14] A 10-
time world champion, including the promotion's first of African-American descent,
[15] he is also a two-time Intercontinental Champion, a five-time Tag Team
Champion, the 2000 Royal Rumble winner, and WWE's sixth Triple Crown champion.
Johnson headlined the most-bought professional wrestling pay-per-view (WrestleMania
XXVIII) and was featured among the most watched episodes of WWE's flagship
television series (Raw and SmackDown).[16][17]