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# ‘The Rock’ gives ‘The Rundown’ on his success
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/the-rock-gives-the-rundown-on-his-success/
- Published: 2003-09-26T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:00:30.000Z
- Author: Dan Dunn
- Tags: local, Santa Monica, #archive-import

It’s quite a thing to be so famous that only one name is required. The list of mono-monikered superstars is an impressive one that includes the likes of Cher, Madonna and Prince, just to name a few. Beloved treasures all, but as these venerable performers have gotten long in the tooth without any worthy single-sobriquetted successors to speak of, celebrity worshippers the world over have been bracing for the grim likelihood that a day will come when one name DOES NOT say it all.

Well rest easy, ye lovers of luminaries, because in the young artist formerly known as Dwayne Douglas Johnson we have a solid rock upon which to indulge our adulatory impulses for many years to come. And not just any rock, mind you — THE Rock. The former University of Miami football star turned pro wrestling champion turned matinee idol made his feature debut in the “The Mummy Returns.” He then established himself as a bona fide box office phenom playing the title role in the 2002 epic, “The Scorpion King,” which has grossed upwards of $400 million to date.

But The Rock is more than just a hunky Hollywood cash cow. In 2000, he addressed both the Republican and Democratic National Conventions lobbying young people to get out and vote. He cut a rug impressively in Wyclef Jean’s music video for “It Doesn’t Matter,” and his autobiography, “The Rock Says,” shot to No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list.

The Rock sat down recently to talk about his latest action-adventure, “The Rundown,” which teams him with Seann William Scott, Christopher Walken and Rosario Dawson.

Question: “You play an action hero in a buddy movie. What, if anything, did you try to do to distinguish your character and this movie from all the others that have come before?”

The Rock: “No. 1, I wanted Seann and I to do something special. I wanted to create a non-buddy, buddy feel like ‘Midnight Run’ or even ‘48 Hours.’ With my character, I tried to make sure he appeared flawed and always in jeopardy. He’s different from most action heroes in that he’s reluctant to fight.”

Q: “The biggest action hero of them all, Arnold Schwarzenegger, does a cameo in the film. How did that come about?”

TR: “He came by to have lunch one day. Peter Berg (the director) came over, sat down to have lunch with us, and whispered to me ‘Should I ask him to be in the movie?’ and I said ‘Hell, yeah, ask him.’ So he did, and Arnold was, like, (impersonates Schwarzenegger) ‘Ah, yes, let’s do it right now.’ (laughs) And within 15 minutes we’re shooting. It was almost surreal.”

Q: “Christopher Walken is a strong presence in every film he’s in, and ‘The Rundown’ is no exception. What was he like on set?”

TR: “He carries himself in that Walken way. He really does have an amazing presence. And he’s a good guy — a solid guy who went out of his way to help me raise my game. And then there’s that rhythm he has. It’s almost as though he reads the script without punctuation getting in the way.”

Q: “As recently as seven years ago, you were sleeping on the floor at a friend’s apartment with seven bucks to your name. And today you’re one of the most bankable stars in the world. Back then, did you envision things turning out anything like the way they have?”

TR: “I always thought I wanted to act one day, but I didn’t know how I was going to get there. I wanted to entertain people, and the convenient route — especially after I got cut from playing football — was to try pro wrestling. But never, ever did I anticipate this. Never. I never anticipated making a lot of money, or being in big, fun, energetic movies. I just wanted to make more than the $300 a week I was making. I just knew that whatever I did, I was going to swing for the fences, and try to outwork my contemporaries.”

Q: “How have your humble beginnings influenced the way you behave now that you’re a superstar?”

TR: “Well, I have a 2-year-old daughter and I’m spoiling the hell out of her. But it’s important to me that she understands the value of a dollar, and the value of hard work. Because I do.”

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/092603-08_01.jpg)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 26, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/092603.pdf?ref=smdp.com)