Variety recently ran a new interview with The Rock to promote his new film San Andreas, which opens on May 29th.
The Rock talks about his new film being more than ‘just’ an action movie, his WWE return in 2011, taking risks in acting, and more. You can read a few excerpts below:
The Rock Talks San Andreas, and the research that went into it:
“We had the top seismologists challenge the script. They walked away saying everything in this script is plausible, including the tsunami. I had never gone into a project that had that level of research and detail by the experts.”
His character, Ray, and how he relates to him:
“He’s your blue-collar guy, a divorced man who is trying to maintain a good relationship with his daughter. I know that guy very well, in that I’m divorced and trying to maintain a great relationship with my daughter (Simone) who’s 13 now and coming in to her own.”
Why he went back to WWE after a successful film career:
“I felt like I knew how to connect with people in a genuine way, and that’s what the platform of wrestling allowed me to do. I want to give back to this world of wrestling. Had it not been for wrestling, a lot of opportunities would not have come my way.”
How he took risks and how he transitioned from a wrestler to an actor:
“There wasn’t a blueprint of the half-black, half-Samoan former football player-wrestler, who then made his way to Hollywood. I was willing to take the risk and then I became myself — it sounds funny to say that.”
Now transitioning from films to television:
“(White Buffalo) [his production company] is an extension of what I’ve always envisioned for my career, because when I first came to Hollywood about 15 years ago, I didn’t come from Juilliard, I (came from) wrestling. It was incredible just to be able to cut my teeth every night in front of 40,000 people, but when I got to Hollywood my goal was (to diversify). I felt like if I had diversity as an actor and in my career, then that would give me longevity.”
