Biography
Youth
Dwayne Douglas Johnson was born on May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California. His father, Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles), was a professional wrestler, and his mother, Mataniufeagaimaleata "Ata" Fitisemanu, comes from the famous Anoa'i wrestling family. His father was a Black Nova Scotian with some Irish ancestry, while his mother is Samoan. Johnson lived in New Zealand with mother for a time. He played several sports, from rugby to football.
Education
Dwayne Johnson attended several elementary and high schools since his family moved around a lot. He ultimately graduated from Freedom High School in Bethlehem Township, Pennsylvania. While there, he had some run-ins with the law for fighting and theft, but things changed when the football coach recruited him for the team, which taught him discipline. Johnson went on to attend the University of Miami and played for the Miami Hurricanes, winning a National Title with them in 1991.
Career
Johnson attempted to continue his football career, but got cut by a Canadian Football League team. A year later, he tried his hand at pro wrestling, where he became one of the biggest stars in the history of the industry. Johnson parlayed that success into Hollywood roles, debuting in The Mummy Returns (2001). He did well enough there to garner his own spin-off film, The Scorpion King (2003), which led to a memorable career as an actor.
After some solid early roles in The Rundown (2003) and Get Smart (2008), Johnson eventually became one of the highest-grossing actors in Hollywood. Fast Five (2011) and its sequels, Moana (2016), and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) all proved his box office power. Johnson led a superhero film in Black Adam (2022), starred in a massive Netflix film in Red Notice (2021), and shined in The Smashing Machine (2025).
Personal Life
While at the University of Miami, Johnson met Dany Garcia and the two were married in 1997. She is a businesswoman, bodybuilder, and producer. Together, they have one daughter, Simone, who was born in 2001. They split in 2007 and were divorced in 2008, though the two still work together on a production company. During that time, Johnson met Lauren Hashian, daughter of the drummer from the band Boston. They were married in 2019 and have two daughters, Jasmine and Tiana. Johnson has also been open about his battles with episodes of depression.
