Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson couldn’t be prouder of his daughters.
Simone, 24, Jasmine, 10, and Tiana, 8, joined him and fellow Moana star Catherine Laga’aia onstage for a traditional Samoan taualuga performance,
Speaking with E! News, Johnson expressed his love for his children.
“The emotions I’m feeling are gratitude and also, I’m careful with this word, but just real pride,” Johnson said. “I’m proud of our Polynesian culture being represented on the biggest platform in the world, which is the big screen. With Disney, it’s just a massive company that knows how to serve up families around the world.”
“It means a lot to me that I’m able to uplift them in my own small way as their dad,” he explained. “But also, and we have this talk daily, which is, ‘Hey, you belong in every room, and you belong at every table. And I’m here to support you. When things go sideways, I’m here to support you.”
As a “proud girl dad,” Johnson said he was emotional over his kids’ performance. Also, as Laga’aia, lauding her as “our Moana.”
“This is her first [film], and there’s so much pressure on her,” he said. “And I was so proud of her, and it was so cool to see this Hollywood Bowl.”
Johnson also shared that his daughters weren’t fans of his hair in the live-action adaptation.
“The first time they saw me as Maui, they were like, ‘Oh,’” he previously told E! News on June 22, reenacting their surprised facial expressions. “It was jarring for them for maybe 10 minutes. Just to see me with hair, and I get it, it’s a lot of hair.”
Disney’s Moana has cemented itself as one of the most remarkable successes in modern animation history. Since its release in 2016, the film has grossed over $687 million worldwide. The film also earned Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (“How Far I’ll Go”).
Moana is scheduled to be released on July 10.