Nine years ago, when Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson appeared in his first acting role--for those of you who believe that wrestling isn't staged, that is--in The Mummy Returns, I said it wouldn't stick. I was even less convinced when his next slew of roles hit two very different ends of the spectrum: Hulking harbinger of justice (The Rundown, Walking Tall) and Disney's bitch (The Tooth Fairy, The Game Plan).
And yet. Johnson demonstrated incredible comedic timing in these roles, livening up the humorless grunt archetype with more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. I remember giggling so hard I couldn't breathe in The Rundown--and not at Seann William Scott--and cheering every time Johnson's gay cowboy-wannabe bodyguard Elliot appeared on-screen in Be Cool. This clip from Ellen shows how charming, funny, and outgoing he is:
I love this guy ROCK. And that's why it's so bittersweet to watch his return to WWE, even when he gives this heartwarming speech:
"But I want to tell you something that's important to me right now. I need to take this moment, and I need to tell you something, as Dwayne. It's been a long time since I've been back--seven years, to be exact. I want to take this moment, in the middle of the ring, to tell you why I'm back. It's not because of the money. It's not to promote a movie. I am back in the middle of this ring because of you. When I left the WWE seven years ago, I dreamed big, and you guys dreamed big with me. You helped me accomplish my goals, accomplish my dreams, because you never left my side... I want to tell you thank you, I love you; and it is because of you that I am back in this ring, and it is because of you that I give you my word, I am never, ever going away."
The Rock is back, because Dwayne Johnson wanted to host Wrestlemania 27. But movie fans, don't despair--according to IMDb, he'll provide the voice of Cliffjumper in the Transformers Prime TV series; appearing in Fast Five and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island; and playing Sinbad in Arabian Nights.
OK, one more clip: A supercut of The Rock's catchphrase "It doesn't matter!"
