Young Rock
Season 1 M-Net (*101) 19:00 Comedy
Joseph Lee Anderson (Officer Larmen in 2018 in police action series S.W.A.T., 2017-now) had to turn up the charisma 110% to play wrestling legend Rocky Johnson in biographical comedy Young Rock (2021-now). “I’m an introvert and I keep to myself. I didn’t know how to be this larger-than-life character,” says the 28-year-old Joe, but he had help. “The show is based on the youth of ex WWE wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (Hobbs in the Fast & Furious action film franchise since 2011). The Rock told me that I was perfect to play his dad. That belief and his stories about Rocky motivated me to come out my shell,” explains Joe.
Joe got into acting to earn extra 1 money, not because he loved the job. “They were filming at my college in Kansas City, Missouri and they needed extras. I signed up and they even gave me a line to say,” says the actor.
He stays fit with regular gymming, 2 but Joe wasn’t prepared for the workouts he needed to do for his new role. “Rocky was 1.87m and 125kg. I had to put on 20kg of muscle in two months – I ate 6 000 calories a day, double my normal food, gymming three times each day with a trainer,” Joe reveals. 3 Before flying to Australia to film Young Rock, Joe got wrestling lessons from exWWE star Chavo Guerrero and did an hour each day to learn wrestling moves. Joe has one social media account – 4 on Instagram – and he only signed up to promote the show and because it was a work obligation. NB! See p7.