http://www.businessinsider.com/the-rock-is-the-first-successful-athlete-turned-movie-star-2013-5Why The Rock Is The Most Successful Athlete-Turned-Movie Star Ever
Lucas Shaw, The Wrap|May 1, 2013, 2:00 PM|4,857|10
Ask a group of pro wrestling fans to name their favorite lord of the ring and you might get 10 different answers.
Older fans grew up idolizing Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and "Nature Boy" Ric Flair while newer fans might list Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold Steve Austin and John Cena.
Yet ask those same people to pick their favorite wrestler-turned-movie star and the decision gets a whole lot easier.
There's only one choice.
Dwayne Johnson, better known as The Rock, has starred in three movies over the past three months, "Snitch," "G.I Joe: Retaliation" and "Pain & Gain," and each film took the top spot at the box office its opening weekend.
His next movie, "Fast & Furious 6," will have to face down "The Hangover Part III" and "Epic" to keep that streak alive, but no one questions whether it will be a hit. Every film in the franchise has been, and early projections suggest the only question is whether it will hit $500 million, $750 million or $1 billion worldwide.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson retired from the WWE when he was most popular, but recently came back in 2012.
Johnson is currently in the midst of a streak unheard of not only in the history of former wrestlers but also other athletes who tried to cross over into the film business. Hogan, Cena, Shaq and even O.J. Simpson made a few movies, but none of them became a bona fide movie star. (Note: One sage reader pointed out that we forgot about Johnny Weissmuller. After winning five Olympic gold medals for swimming, Weissmuller became "Tarzan." How could we forget that yell?)
"Everyone sitting in my chair is trying to work with Dwayne," Jeff Kirschenbaum, co-president of production at Universal, which has released five movies starring Johnson, told TheWrap. "I don't think he’s having a moment. This isn't his 15 seconds of fame. He now has enough experience and craftsmanship that it's going to be a long run."
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While this isn't the first time Johnson has been atop the box office, this is his first uninterrupted string of hits. His early films ranged from financially successful ("The Scorpion King," "The Game Plan," "The Tooth Fairy") to disappointing ("Doom," "The Rundown").
"I don't know that no one took him seriously because of wrestling, but he's the only person who has ever truly emerged out of that," an individual close to Johnson, who declined to be identified, told TheWrap.
So how did this happen? How did a former football player and member of the inimitable Rock 'n' Sock Connection became one of the most successful actors working today?
It starts with protein.
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"He wakes up at 4 a.m. just so he can eat protein," Kirschenbaum, skinny as the Rock is broad, said. "He goes back to bed for an hour and at 5 a.m. he works out – when most people aren’t even awake. He woke up an hour early just so the protein is already there to build muscle."
"This isn't his 15 seconds of fame. He now has enough experience and craftsmanship that it's going to be a long run." — Jeff Kirschenbaum, co-president of production at Universal
Johnson's morning routine has become a Hollywood legend, alongside Sean Penn’s partying and Amanda Bynes' drunk driving.
Read more:
http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/why-rock-first-pro-wrestler-or-athlete-become-movie-star-88381#ixzz2S4des0MDLMFAO!!!! Yeah - the protein!
