How WWE Knew The Rock Was Destined To Be A Hollywood Star

The Rock made his mark in professional wrestling, but the WWE already knew at the time that he had the potential to become a Hollywood star as well.

Before starring in blockbuster movies such as “The Scorpion King,” “The Rundown” and “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw,” Dwayne Johnson, better known as “The Rock,” was one of the perennial stars of the WWE. In 2004, he left pro wrestling to pursue an acting career, a move that WWE CEO Vince McMahon and then-WWE commentator Jim Ross had already predicted would be successful a few years ago.

During the latest episode of the “Grilling JR” podcast, Ross vividly recalled how he and McMahon realized that The Rock wasn’t only meant to be a WWE star but a Hollywood icon as well. According to the AEW executive, he and his former boss acknowledged that The Rock had the charisma of a movie star after watching “The Scorpion King” in 2002.

"About 10 minutes after seeing the 'Scorpion King,' I sat next to Vince McMahon [at the theater in 2002]," Ross recalled. "Not one word was uttered, we gained eye contact in the movie theatre at the premiere and we kind of looked at each other like, 'I see something special here.'”

"He [The Rock] jumped off the screen, man. It wasn't like doing a promo or making his pie jokes, which were entertaining as s---,” he continued. “But he jumped off the screen. When he was on screen, he was the only person you were really looking at. We knew then that there was something extraordinary about this cat.”

Ross went on to admit that they knew The Rock had the potential, but he never expected “The People’s Champion” to reach such a tremendous level of success on the big screen and the film industry.

"To say that I knew he was going to be where he is now, producing television shows, hits around the world, making $90 million last year? No. I'm not going to bulls--- you," he continued.

Throughout his illustrious pro wrestling career, The Rock won 17 WWE titles, including 10 as a world heavyweight champion. He is considered to be one of the most influential figures in the WWE, and he is always grateful for what the promotion has done for him.

“Almost 10 years later in 2012, I returned to the industry (pro wrestling) that’s in my blood,” Johnson wrote on his Instagram post earlier this year. “I returned to the [WWE] to give back. To bring value and impact the bottom line.”