Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been on an incredible run of late as he inches closer to becoming the most bankable action star on the planet.
Franchises like "Fast and the Furious" and "San Andreas" are the latest hits that have brought his lifetime worldwide box-office gross to over $5.9 billion, and coming up he's got "Baywatch" and "Jumanji."
He's also stepping into the superhero world in the near future as he's signed on to be Doc Savage.
That's not to mention his other endeavors like a YouTube channel, a production company, and endorsement deals.
Ultimately, Johnson raked in $64.5 million in the last year, putting him at number 19 on Forbes' list of the 100 highest-earning celebrities.
Read the story of Rock :
"The Rock," Dwayne Johnson was born on May 2, 1972, in Hayward, California.
Wrestling is in Johnson's blood. His father, Rocky "Soul Man" Johnson, was a member of the first African-American tag-team champions, and his grandfather, Peter Maivia, was one of the first Samoan wrestlers.
Johnson didn't go straight to wrestling. His first sport was football. After starring in high school, he played in college for the Miami Hurricanes. Over his tenure at the school, Johnson started just once but appeared in 39 games and had 77 tackles, and he was a part of the 1991 national championship team.
The University of Miami was also where he met first wife, Dany Garcia. The two separated after 10 years but have stayed close. "Since our divorce, we've become pretty good at working together, and we are also raising our beautiful 11-year-old daughter, Simone," Johnson has said.
After Johnson stepped away from football, he looked into the family business of wrestling. After spending time in the WWE's minor leagues, he debuted on TV at the 1996 Survivor Series. His wrestling name was "Rocky Maivia," which combined the names of his father and grandfather.
The first third-generation wrestler in WWE history, Johnson is considered by many to be one of the greatest to ever enter the ring.
His popularity as a wrestler put Johnson on Hollywood's radar. This included getting a call from New York about hosting "Saturday Night Live." After he was asked to host, Johnson says, "I fell out of my chair."
The wrestler's stint on "SNL" (as seen below playing the monkey-human hybrid Papa Peepers) was a ratings success. Most importantly, the gig showed Hollywood that Johnson wasn't just another wrestler — he could really act.
Johnson made his feature-film debut in 2001's "The Mummy Returns," playing a villainous ruler. He reprised the role in "The Scorpion King." He made $5.5 million, the most any actor has made for a first leading role.
The film also included a brief cameo by Arnold Schwarzenegger, which many critics like Roger Ebert saw as the passing of the action-movie torch. "Whether The Rock will rival Schwarzenegger's long run as an action hero is hard to say," Ebert wrote. "But on the basis of 'The Rundown,' he has a good chance."
The film went on to make $676 million worldwide. Johnson appeared in 2013's sequel "Fast & Furious 6," and in last year's "Furious 7," which made an astounding $1.5 billion worldwide.
Even though Johnson's acting career is going strong, he has returned to the ring for events like Wrestlemania. "I'm back, not for money, not because I like being on the road, but because I love the business," he said.
In 2016, Johnson has shown his funny side, teaming up with Kevin Hart for the comedy "Central Intelligence," which is currently the highest-grossing domestic comedy of the year with over $110 million.
In November, Johnson will lend his voice in the Disney movie "Moana," in which he plays demi-god Maui.
He’s currently filming the next “Fast and Furious” movie, “Fast 8.”
And he recently wrapped production on “Baywatch,” in which he will star opposite Zac Efron. The Rock never seems like he’s taking a break, but it also seems like it’s working out for him.
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