Dwayne Johnson still considering presidential run 'if that's what the people wanted'
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has become one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood. But could he ride that wave of popularity all the way to the Oval Office? If Johnson's new autobiographical sitcom, Young Rock, serves as a crystal ball, then that could be a possibility in 2032.
Young Rock, which premieres Tuesday on NBC, chronicles Johnson at three different ages growing up. The Fast and Furious star also appears as himself in each episode in the present day, according to USA Today, as he reflects on his life in mock interviews while campaigning for president.
Johnson has previously spoken about presidential ambitions, saying in 2017 he was "seriously considering" a run someday. That hasn't changed.
"I would consider a presidential run in the future if that's what the people wanted," he told USA Today. "Truly I mean that, and I'm not flippant in any way with my answer. That would be up to the people...So I would wait, and I would listen. I would have my finger on the pulse, my ear to the ground."
President Johnson wouldn't be the craziest thing, given everything that has happened in his 48 years. The actor praised series creator Nahnatchka Khan for perfectly tackling his "wildly Forrest Gump-ian life that I have been lucky enough to have, (which) was complex and awesome and crazy and unbelievable."
Johnson said he welcomes the chance to "look back on that stuff and laugh and deliver it to the audiences in a way that will make them smile and make them laugh."
One anecdote that might delight the audience is learning what Johnson's nickname was growing up: Dewey. Young Rock examines Johnson as a preteen, played by Adrian Groulx, and the actor admitted he's still haunted by that moniker.
In an interview with the New York Times, Johnson said "my mom calls me Dewey all the time."
"And unfortunately, she calls me that in public," he exclaimed. "I hated that name when I was young — hated it every time my parents would call me that in front of girls, teachers and my friends. And it stuck."
Johnson told the Times he was heavily involved in casting the series.
"And I was able to spend some time with them, prior to shooting, and let them know what I was like during that time," he shared. "What I thought my priorities were. The times, more important, that I fell on my ass and I had to get back up. That was surreal, in and of itself. The thing that really pulled at my cold, black heartstrings was finding the actors to play my mom, my dad and my grandmother, and spend time with them. As we're having these conversations and they would start talking about what they knew of my mom and my grandmother and my dad [snaps fingers], within seconds I would well up."
Johnson said his mom was his "consigliere" while helping create the show.
"She felt we could showcase the tough [expletive] and the hard [expletive] because we got through it," he added. "That's the lesson. Hopefully, people who are going through some hard [expletive], too, can see that there's a way out. You can get on the other side of it."
Young Rock debuts Tuesday night on NBC.
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