The Rock wrestles with fame

“One was to graduate from college,” he says. “I also wanted to buy my parents a home. And I wanted to fix my grandmother’s situation,because she had a rough life and had always been the matriarch of our family. She had even been homeless.’’

He will turn 39 on May 2,and already has accomplished everything on that list—not to mention conquering the world of professional wrestling and making himself a marketable name in Hollywood. Having established himself as an action star with such films as The Scorpion King,The Rundown and Walking Tall,he chose to broaden his appeal as the comic star of films as The Game Plan and Tooth Fairy. He never intended to leave action behind,and is back in harness for his new film,Fast Five. “I’m thrilled to get back into the action,’’ says Johnson,“I want to do movies that make your pulse pound,because those are my escape films.”

The fourth sequel to The Fast and the Furious,Fast Five reunites franchise regulars Jordana Brewster,Vin Diesel and Paul Walker for a story that finds former cop Brian O’Conner (Walker) in Rio de Janeiro,where he joins forces with ex-con Dominic Toretto (Diesel) to elude a businessman who wants them dead. As if that weren’t enough,a federal agent named Luke Hobbs (Johnson) is hot on their collective exhaust pipes.

“This time the action is faster and more furious,” he says. “I’m the new guy in the bunch,and I was happy to come on board because this is an epic franchise.” So what is Agent Hobbs like? “These other actors play a family of misfits who are used to outsmarting the law. I’m here to hunt these guys down and bring them in.” He was happy to do some of his own stunt driving. “I love fast cars,but I’m not so much the little-sports-car guy,” Johnson says.

That he became a wrestler may have been preordained: His father was a wrestler,Rocky Johnson,and his maternal grandfather,Peter Maivia,was also a professional wrestler. His maternal grandmother,Lia Maivia,ran Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling.

Initially he thought his road to success would run through the NFL. He received a football scholarship to the University of Miami,but his career was cut short by an injury. He rehabbed and made his World Wrestling Federation debut as Rocky Maivia and was nicknamed “The Rock.” He became one of the WWF’s top stars,and soon was eying Hollywood. He made his debut in The Mummy Returns (2001). The secret to his success as an action star,Johnson says,has nothing to do with his chiseled physique. It’s all in the eyes. “I watch a lot of Clint Eastwood movies. People want to see your attitude and you have to give them everything you have in you.” So far,he is yet to scale the heights frequented by Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone,but he insists he’s OK with that.

“I just want to be an entertainer,” he says. “I want people to say,‘It’s Friday night. We need a diversion. Who will really make us feel good? I know,Dwayne Johnson.’ ”Cindy Pearlman