It takes a legend to know one, and that might explain why on a spring night back in the year 2000, film critic Roger Ebert simply had to point out that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had all the makings of a true Hollywood movie star.
It’s safe to say Ebert was proven right once more, as the former WWE superstar turned actor went on to become one of Hollywood's biggest names, with the paychecks to back it up of course, since Johnson has practically dominated the lists of highest-paid actors since he rose through the ranks in 2016. As it turns out, 23 years ago The Rock was still at the peak of his powers in the wrestling world, constantly fighting for the then WWF’s championships against men that today handle the wrestling business, such as Triple H.
That's partly why during an episode of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (via ScreenCrush), Ebert couldn’t hold back on his advice for Johnson that he’d leave wrestling as soon as possible with the movie expert noting “This guy is gonna be a major movie star”, commenting on The Rock’s first time hosting Saturday Night Live at a time when he had very little acting experience. Johnson does share with Ebert that he was already lining up his first big film, The Mummy Returns, which became his blockbuster breakthrough and also landed him a lead role in The Scorpion King. For Ebert’s appearance, fast forward to the 10:58 mark.
Johnson’s full interview is a display of many of the qualities that would turn him into one of Hollywood’s most beloved actors in the current era, though props to Ebert for praising his comedic chops with so little material to judge from. Ebert’s legacy as possibly the most-recognized movie critic ever won him a Pulitzer prize, and his reviews for movies he saw while living still remain relevant, however, his quick judgment of Johnson’s talent might be a more special display of his keen eye.
More recently, Quentin Tarantino and many other critics or movie aficionados have come out to say that old-fashioned movie icons have sort of disappeared in current-day Hollywood, nevertheless, even those who partly agree with that notion tend to make an exception for Johnson and Tom Cruise star power, perhaps the only other actor whose appeal surpasses that of The Rock. While Cruise is a very different type of talent, Dwayne Johnson’s social media knows no worthy rival, although even that isn’t enough to prevent Black Adam from enduring a tough time at the box office.
Source: ScreenCrush