Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is the epitome of Hollywood masculinity. His on-screen magnetism and talk show couch affability have endeared him to millions. Now though, the Rock seems to be crumbling.

The Rock, who has referred to himself as ‘the hardest worker in the room’, has developed a reputation in the industry for his lateness and lack of professionalism on set. In April, the Hollywood trade publication The Wrap published a exposé, one that cast The Rock in the most unflattering of lights. According to the piece, The Rock used to pee in a bottle during movie shoots, rather than use the restroom – you know, like a respectable, housetrained human being. There were also allegations that on one production, he added $50 million to the bill by failing to appear on set. One insider told the publication: ‘The only thing Dwayne was consistent at was being chronically late’. (Although, it should be said, that other sources in the piece said that he was no more than an hour late.)

A few weeks before The Wrap expose was published, The Rock was three hours late arriving ahead of his main event match at WrestleMania 40. For WWE World, a WWE fan event in Philadelphia leading up to WrestleMania 40, Johnson showed up two hours late, drawing boos from the crowd and criticism from the local Philadelphia press. The Guardian’s Marina Hyde said in a recent edition of her podcast The Rest is Entertainment that she’d spoken to those who’d worked with Johnson who said, in no uncertain terms, that he’s ‘a diva’.

To compound matters, Matt Belloni, a prominent figure in the entertainment industry, has accused Johnson of manipulating box office statistics and feeding false narratives to the media in an attempt to bolster his films’ reception. Last month, reports surfaced detailing a purported clash between The Rock and Ryan Reynolds, arguably the most affable actor in Hollywood, on the set of the Netflix’s Red Notice. Sources suggest that tensions ran high as the two Hollywood heavyweights allegedly engaged in an on-set altercation, raising concerns about their ability to collaborate effectively.

Johnson first forged his identity in the testosterone-fuelled world of professional wrestling, where his character captivated audiences and earned him legions of fans. In blockbuster films, he often plays characters who mirror his wrestling alter ego – men of action, moral righteousness, and almost superhuman strength. Whether he’s saving the world from imminent doom or dispatching bad guys with a single punch, The Rock’s characters are really just an extension of this persona. But The Rock was never real. He was a construct, a figment of the WWE’s imagination, designed to entertain and inspire. When Hollywood came calling, Dwayne Johnson faded into the background, and The Rock – this meticulously crafted fabrication – took centre stage. In many ways, The Rock epitomises Hollywood itself – a land of make-believe. Marlon Brando famously said that the vast majority of ‘successful people in Hollywood are failures as human beings’. One wonders what the great man would have made of The Rock.

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  • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝@feddit.ukOPM
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    5 months ago

    Some of the more mundane things they mention, like exaggerating his height and being bombastic and over-the-top are just holdovers from wrestling. Having an argument with Ryan Reynolds on set and being habitually late seems very unwise, especially if your films are no longer big box office draws.

    • Codename_goose@sh.itjust.works
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      5 months ago

      There is a bit of advise for actors/actresses from a director (forgot their name) where they said “if the only thing about you is that you are on time/early, and you are pleasant to work with, you will always find a job in acting. If you don’t care and lack punctuality, and are hard to work with or around (if necessary) then you will find fewer and fewer opportunities as time goes on.”

        • Delphia@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          When I became a supervisor at work I learned just how valuable your clock punchers were. Forget the flakey people who can be your best guy 3 weeks a month and your biggest liability the 4th week. “Turns up, does work, fucks off” is such a godsend.

          • TachyonTele@lemm.ee
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            5 months ago

            Yup. We had to put a plan together for layoffs once and I immediately pointed to a group of people to keep. They said why, they’re not our top performers?

            Told them those are the people that want to do OT every time no questions asked, and are always on time.

            A couple of the top people were not reliable.

            Thankfully we managed to not lay anyone off.

      • ChicoSuave@lemmy.world
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        5 months ago

        The Rock is now the money behind a lot of his movies so finding work isn’t an issue. Getting people to see his movies, well, that’s trickier.

        • LemmyKnowsBest@lemmy.world
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          5 months ago

          So why is he making movies if nobody’s watching them? that seems like a garbage can for the film industry to put money in.

          • ChicoSuave@lemmy.world
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            5 months ago

            He’s riding that career momentum from FF5. Most of his current work is just getting paid for showing up and he doesn’t care about his movies. Remember Black Atom? No one else does.

              • ChicoSuave@lemmy.world
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                5 months ago

                Fuck, you’re right. I’m keeping it spelled wrong because some folks will legit not remember the name either.