Originally published July 17, 2016. Updated April 15, 2018.
This week, Neil Calloway argues that Dwayne Johnson isn’t as successful as you might think…
A while back Dwayne Johnson posted a photo on Instagram, with a caption about how in 1995 he only had $7, and in 1996 he was wrestling in flea markets for $40, before finding fame, first as a star of the WWE, and then in Hollywood. You could be cynical and mention he has a family history of wrestling success, and played American football earlier in his career, but it’s an impressive achievement to go from just another wrestler to the highest paid actor in the world (bizarrely, he was also the first civilian to announce the death of Osama bin Laden; The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase never got that level of security clearance).
Many wrestlers have tried to move from the ring to the big screen, but not many have succeeded (when did you last watch Suburban Commando?). A couple of wrestlers – Andre the Giant, Jesse Ventura, might have had some success in a couple of films, but a sustained, successful acting career is rare.
However, since appearing in The Mummy in 2001 (where Vince McMahon was credited as a producer because he owns the rights to the name “The Rock”) Johnson has carved out a successful career as an action star, probably the closest thing to an heir to Arnold Schwarzenegger we have; someone who had success in another field before slowly but surely becoming the biggest star in the world. As yet, it’s unclear whether Johnson will run for office (he recently said he hasn’t rule it out), but here’s the thing; unlike Arnold he was born in the US, so he can run for President.
With earnings of $64.5 million, last year he was the highest paid actor in the world. It’s an impressive feat, but to put it in perspective, Taylor Swift earned almost three times as much with $170 million, and as far back as 1989 Jack Nicholson made $60m from Batman. The fact is, in an age where films are less star driven and fewer actors and being made large salaries, it’s easier than ever to become the highest paid star in the world.
Last year Johnson starred in Furious 7 and San Andreas; Furious 7 came in at number 3 at the worldwide box office, but San Andreas was only 15. Face it, do your parents know who Johnson is? In the 1980s they surely would have known who Arnold Schwarzenegger was. How many people do you know that do impressions of Johnson? None, I’d wager. That might not be entirely his fault; he hasn’t yet been given a big, defining role yet, but that may change.
In the same way that, in an era of downloads available instantly, it is now easier to have a number one single, in a time when actors are getting paid less and fewer star oriented films are being made, it is now easier to become the highest paid star in the world. Johnson’s success should be applauded, but let’s not kid ourselves he’s an icon just yet.
Neil Calloway is a pub quiz extraordinaire and Top Gun obsessive. Check back here every Sunday for future instalments.
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