Acting Breakthrough
The wrestling matches that The Rock took part in were mostly staged and required some acting talent, so it was just a matter of time before he decided to give Hollywood a shot. And in 2001, he finally got his big break, starring in The Mummy Returns.
He was cast in the role of the Scorpion King, and handled the action sequences with ease. Using a wider array of different props was similar to what he was already doing on TV, and it only took him a couple of minutes to figure out each fighting scene.
The Scorpion King
Despite mixed reviews, The Mummy Returns was a great box office success, and The Rock’s character was hailed by fans. He was cast in the spin-off The Scorpion King shortly after the movie came out, and set a record for highest-paid actor in their first leading role by receiving a $5.5 million deal.
Johnson wanted to make sure that people didn’t confuse his new character with The Rock, and avoided using the trademark moves of his infamous wrestling persona. His signature “people’s eyebrow” was the only exception, and it was a nod to all the WWE fans watching this movie.