He’s widely known as one of the biggest and most successful stars of professional wrestling and big-screen movies, but where did Dwayne Johnson grow up?
Dwayne Johnson was born in Hayward, California, but grew up all over the United States. His family moved around a lot to accommodate his father’s professional wrestling career, even living briefly in New Zealand as a child.
Read on to learn more about Dwayne Johnson’s life as he grew up.
On The Road
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was born in Hayward, California, but wouldn’t spend very long there. His father, Rocky Johnson, was a professional wrestler at the time. This led the family around the country, as he moved from show to show.
Throughout his childhood and teenage years, he would come to live in North Carolina, Connecticut, Hawaii, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. There was even a brief period wherein Johnson resided in New Zealand.
This constant transitioning between schools made Johnson a troubled child. He would regularly get into mischief, the misdemeanours becoming more serious as time wore on. Before he had turned seventeen, Johnson had been arrested multiple times.
As he grew up, he eventually landed on sports, and used the activity as an outlet for his emotional struggle. He began playing football and taking part in wrestling and track and field. Wherever he went, he gravitated towards sports.
As an example, when Johnson lived in New Zealand for a while, he began playing rugby. This is a sport that isn’t too well known in the United States, but is very similar to football. It’s reported that Johnson was a natural at the sport, given his footballing background.
Pebble to Rock
Given his heritage, it was fate that Dwayne Johnson would ultimately become a wrestler. His grandfather, and father, were both prominent wrestlers in their own right. They’d set the stage for professional wrestling for decades, and helped to establish its legitimacy as a popular sport.
As a teenager and young adult, Johnson showed great potential in football. He was almost a prodigy, receiving a full scholarship to the University of Miami. However, he suffered a series of injuries in the line of play, and was pushed to the bench.
He graduated from college with a considerable degree, but it would never be realized. Shortly after, he signed with a team in the Canadian Football League, hoping to revive his then-fledgling career as a sportsman.
Two months into the season, Johnson was cut. He conceded the loss and relocated to the United States once again. After a few months of struggle, Johnson received the opportunity to try out with the WWF – World Wrestling Federation. He showed great promise, and just months later was offered his first WWF contract.
This would form the start of Dwayne Johnson’s incredible wrestling career. While with the WWF, and subsequently the WWE, he’d become one of the all-time greats. He won countless championship belts, and featured as part of some of the most iconic storylines of all time.
While not wrestling, Dwayne Johnson starred in some huge Hollywood blockbusters. He began raking in money hand over fist. Ultimately, he’d become recognized as a true multi-faceted performer, being able to wrestle, sing, act and promote.
By 2020, Dwayne Johnson was reportedly worth around a quarter of a billion dollars. He’d received numerous accolades for his work, and was well publicized as a philanthropist. The turbulent childhood of Dwayne Johnson had evolved massively into an incredible adult life.
While he grew up all over the country, he decided to ultimately make Miami his home later in life. There’s a great video on YouTube where Dwayne Johnson walks around his house, talking to the camera.
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