CV: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson

As Dwayne Johnson, 46, stars in the action thriller Pain & Gain (10pm, Ch4), we look at how the wrestler turned actor became the biggest movie star in the world...

Early days: Dwayne Douglas Johnson was born on May 2, 1972 in California. His father, the pro wrestler Rocky Johnson, hailed from Nova Scotia in Canada, while his mother, Ata, came from a Samoan family.

Wrestling fame: Johnson was a promising American football prospect, and received a full scholarship from the University of Miami in 1990. After graduating, he followed his father and grandfather into the wrestling ring, and in 1996, he signed a contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF). He made his WWF debut as Rocky Maivia, later shortening his name to ‘The Rock’. Over the next eight years, he became one of the biggest names in professional wrestling, being crowned WWF/WWE champion eight times. He retired in 2004, but continued to make sporadic appearances in the ring. Leading man: He moved into movies in 2001 with his first lead role in The Mummy Returns, returning for the sequel, The Scorpion King, the following year. He was the second-highestpaid actor of 2017, earning $65 million. The numbers: At 6ft 5in, he weighs in at roughly 19 stone, with 20in arms and a 50in chest. Maintaining his physique is a serious business. As his more than 100 million social media followers know, he trains a lot and eats seven meals a day. It also keeps his mind healthy. ‘Working out is my therapy,’ he says. ‘It’s cheaper than a shrink.’