UNIVERSAL
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, above right, gets some coaching on the set of his latest movie, being filmed here. The crew on the set, top.
‘The Rock’ just a In a slight drizzle through a pinkish sunset, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and a husky Hawaiian man play guitars under a white tarp that extends from the wrestler-turned-actor's luxury trailer parked in a parking lot on Pali Highway.
good local boy
to crew members
Rock 'n' roll 'em
By Tim Ryan
tryan@starbulletin.comThe two men are worlds apart. Johnson may have spent six years in Hawaii in his youth, but these days Florida is home, and he will reportedly earn on this film -- formerly known as "Helldorado" -- about $10 million.
The other man is one of the film production's caterers, whom Johnson asked for some Hawaiian music lessons. They may not be equals during filming, but in these few quiet moments the Hawaiian is in charge, gently encouraging Johnson, who is half Samoan and half black, to strum the strings "Hawaiian style." And "The Rock" obeys.
The scene almost looks staged, but during a day on the film set in a Nuuanu rain forest, a dozen crew members agreed that "Rock is a local boy at heart."
"He's a big star in Hollywood, but here he's tried to keep his feet on the ground with us," one man said.
Another crew member said when Johnson comes to work he makes it a point to say hello to everyone.
Johnson was confused when he started filming here because few crew said anything to him or looked directly at him.
"It seemed like they expected I was going to have some kind of ego," Johnson says. "Actually, I thought they didn't like me."
Even in an extra-large T-shirt, he can't hide his bulging biceps. He's the first and only seven-time WWE undisputed champion and shows no signs of Hollywood self-indulgence.
"I won't tolerate those big Hollywood egos where I'm working," he says. "Making a film is all about teamwork, from the director to the guy who cleans the actors' trailers. We are all here for the same reason. We're making a $90 million film -- probably $100 million by the time we finish -- so no one gets patronized. I want everyone to want to be here as much as I do."
In the film, Johnson plays a bounty hunter sent to the Brazilian rain forest by a wealthy American who wants his treasure-hunting son brought back to the United States. The movie is part action, drama and comedy, a first for Johnson.
"There were a lot of elements I loved about this script," he said. "It really gives me a lot of opportunities to act.
"My first film, 'The Mummy Returns,' was a nice breakout role where I was on like 15 minutes and had no dialogue except maybe that Egyptian thing," he says. "'Scorpion King' gave me a chance to act a bit. But this character is in a contemporary movie and requires a good amount of acting and shows my comedic side. I get a chance to grow."
"Scorpion King" allowed Johnson to reach a broader film industry audience.
"There's a perceptive difference between a television star and a movie star," he said. "As time goes on I realize how differently they're both perceived. The general public perceives a movie star as being, "Holy s---, it's a movie star." But a television star you see every single week in your living room."
JOHNSON LIVED in Hawaii at different times of his life. He still has family here, though his mother lives in Auckland, New Zealand. Since his father was a professional wrestler, the family moved a lot: Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina and Florida.
"I lived in Hawaii when I was 6 and 7, 9 and 10, then 13 through 15," he said. "I always considered Hawaii my home because I lived here longer than anywhere else. We never really had a chance to settle."
When children of crew members wander by Johnson's trailer, he's quick to greet them and accommodate picture taking. He sits to avoid intimating them with his size, and signs autographs and talks about moviemaking.
"This is probably the easiest place I have ever been to make a movie," he says. "People are so genuine in Hawaii, and I feel like I fit in here. I always have."
Johnson grew up loving films but didn't get the acting bug until his wrestling days.
"I didn't grow up in an acting family or living near Juilliard or sweeping stages," he said. "But once I started wrestling and I had that platform of entertainment four hours a week on television, I realized I was doing live theater, playing to 20,000 people and ad-libbing, so I had the base to be an actor."
Johnson's $10 million fee is probably a bargain for Universal Pictures since the studio negotiated the price before "Scorpion King" opened with a record-setting $36 million weekend, sources said.
JOHNSON DENIES rumors that the movie industry wants him to stop wrestling.
"Not at all," said. "We never had an open discussion about me giving up wrestling. They understand my passion for it, and I love what I do. It's just a matter of finding a balance and making the transition as easy transition as possible."
Ask Johnson about acting and he becomes childlike.
"I cannot wait to be a scene with (co-star) Christopher Walken," he says, wringing his hands. "God, I am so excited about it. I have already nicknamed him 'The Great.' I'm a sponge when working with these great actors."
Prior to appearing in "Scorpion King," there were many questions about Johnson's acting ability.
"Then after the film came out, as big as it opened and as well as it did, everybody had to look at my performance," he said. "Since then I've done a lot of television work like 'Saturday Night Live.'
"A lot more projects started to come to the table. All the other studios wanted to dance, and here I am."
When a few friends drop by Johnson's trailer, he announces, "The doughnuts have arrived."
"See, there's this little Dunkin' Donut shop by my house in Fort Lauderdale, and they make the best wheat twisted glazed donuts," he says. "So I asked them to send the ingredients every week by Federal Express to the Honolulu Dunkin' Donuts, and they make me four dozen a week, which I share up here."
He shakes his head at this frivolity.
"This is how wisely 'The Rock' uses his perks," he says, loading four doughnuts in his trailer microwave. "I get all these offers to wear expensive clothes and shoes and watches, but I say, 'Forget that, let me buy doughnuts for the crew.'"
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