If you've been paying attention to the world of TV and film, you'll notice that The Rock is everywhere. It seems like the producer/actor was cooking up acting projects the whole time (that's what we smelled), as he's constantly marketing, announcing, and filming new projects. But that wasn't always the case, as Dwayne Johnson has had to claw his way into the Hollywood elite over the years. In fact, he was rejected as recently as 2012, giving up a big role to none other than Tom Cruise.
Dwayne Johnson is very responsive and generous with his time on social media. And one fan recently tweeted The Rock about the Jack Reacher franchise, lamenting that Johnson didn't get the role himself. It turns out the actor is pretty bummed about it too, because when the fan told Johnson he'd be perfect for the role, he responded with:
Yup, luv the character. 'Bout 10 years ago I went after the role, but Cruise got it. Was great motivation for me to always stay hungry.
Well that's certainly a classy way to handle rejection. While The Rock likely would have loved the notoriety and cash money that the Jack Reacher film(s) would have given him, he's found the silver lining in the situation.
Dwayne Johnson's rejection apparently led the producer/director to remain hungry and hard working. By 2012 Johnson had already had plenty of success, and could have chilled out an filmed a movie or so a year. But he's remained hungry, and can be seen in a multitude of new projects being released this year.
Fresh off his successful involvement with Disney's Moana, you can catch Dwayne Johnson reprising his role as Hobbs in The Fate of the Furious. Despite some on set drama with star Vin Diesel, it should be great to see him kick ass as Hobbs again. Additionally, Johnson is the lead role in HBO's Ballers and is starring and producing upcoming blockbuster reboots Baywatch and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, as well as wrestling dramedy Fighting with My Family opposite Lena Heady.
So yeah, it might have been a blessing that Dwayne Johnson lost the role of Jack Reacher to Tom Cruise. While he would have been badass in the role, this rejection may have given him the boost to produce and star in his own big budget blockbusters. Besides, he gets to do similarly insane action sequences in the Fast and the Furious franchise, so it's not a total loss.
You can catch Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in The Fate of the Furious starting April 14, 2017. Be sure to check out our full 2017 premiere list and plan your next trip to the movies.
