Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recently revealed his difficult childhood.
Speaking with Variety, Johnson discussed the volatile relationship between his father, former wrestling star Rocky Johnson, and his mother, Ata Johnson.
“My own mom and dad had an explosive and volcanic relationship,” Johnson said. “He was a pro wrestler at a time when it was the Wild West. There weren’t million-dollar contracts. It was paycheck to paycheck and just trying to survive. My dad struggled with his addictions and focused on his career and himself, while my mom was at home, raising me.
She had to give up her own dreams and support the man that she loves. All she wanted was to be seen, and she was never seen,” Johnson continued. “And I grew up watching that kind of decline in a relationship when a man battles his own demons. I watched their fights. I heard their fights, which is even worse.”
Johnson spoke about how his childhood trauma impacted the roles he accepted as an actor. He said this was one of the reasons he chose to play “tough guy roles.”
Johnson received his first-ever Golden Globe nomination for his work in “Smashing Machine. He also won the Creative Impact in Acting Award at the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Johnson spoke about how he landed the role.
“He [Director Benny Safdie] said, ‘I want to make this film with you,” Johnson recalled. “And I know how to make it. I’m going to write the script on spec.”
Johnson said that, and Safdie instantly forged a creative connection.
“I realized how much we had in common. I said, ‘Benny, I’ve lost 15 friends to addiction and suicide. Perhaps this could serve as a beacon or lighthouse to people who are struggling with addiction,” Johnson remembers. “And Benny began sharing with me everything that he had experienced with his own family members and addictions.”
Johnsson said this was the first film where he sat in his pain along with the audience. “It was the most freeing I have ever felt in my entire career,” he says. “When you make these blockbuster films, you have the responsibility of making the audience feel good. And the choices you make [are dictated by] the character’s likability. For the first time, every shot, every day, regardless of the scene, that never crossed my mind.”