Culture news 25 years ago, Dwayne The Rock Johnson made his Hollywood debut in a series forgotten by everyone. Today he is an international star
Dwayne Johnson aka “The Rock” is in 2024 one of the most powerful and influential stars in the West. He competes “without blinking” with Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio and even the savior of Hollywood Tom Cruise. But before becoming this pop culture icon, he starred in a series that everyone has forgotten.
Dwayne Johnson’s first role
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is originally a professional wrestler who saw his career explode in 1996 with his arrival in WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) where he quickly became an essential element. Eager to turn to the profession of actor, he quickly launched into Hollywood with his first “real” role for a TV series. In March 1999, viewers discovered a face that a quarter of a century later was known to everyone (at least in the West).
The wrestler takes his first steps in front of the camera in Internet Stalking. Adapted from the film of the same name released four years earlier with Sandra Bullock (Speed) in the lead, the TV series stars Brooke Langton as Angela Bennet. The young computer scientist sees her life turned upside down overnight when she discovers the existence of a secret organization that changes her identity. She is then accused of electronic espionage and the murder of her best friend.
In episode 20 of The Net (original title) entitled “Last Man Standing”, Angela Bennett tries to put an end to clandestine death fights which are filmed and broadcast on the internet. In order to infiltrate these “sporting” events, she recruits Brody. This trainer at the FBI training academy in Quantico. is played by Dwayne Johnson, then 27 years old. This is actually “The Rock’s” second appearance on North American television. He previously played himself in a cameo role in the popular series That ’70s Show.
The Rock is bankable
Two years later, the WWE wrestler was signed to play the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns alongside Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. His career is taking off. “The Rock” is now on the path to glory. Two decades later, Dwayne Johnson is powerful enough in Hollywood to partially steal the Fast & Furious saga from Vin Diesel by launching its own spin-off Hobbs & Shaw and short-circuiting the late DC Extended Universe to bring Black Adam out of the ground. He is quite simply the “bankable” actor par excellence for whom everything succeeds (or almost). Since the failure of Black Adam, “The Rock” has crumbled, but not broken.