Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, the highest-paid actor in the world, joins Oprah on her 2020 Vision Tour to share how he went from evictions to making millions a year.
Excerpts:
“DWAYNE: When we were 14 years old, we lived in Hawaii. And we lived in a small efficiency apartment. And we were—my mom and I came home and I’ll never forget. The rent was $180 a week.
OPRAH: A week?
DWAYNE: And there was an eviction notice on the—on the door. And it was—this was the one—it was the final eviction notice. Like that’s the one. My mom started crying. And I never forgot in that moment—it was a seminal moment for me because I felt like—probably about six months later I thought, I never want to be in this position again. What can I do? And this is at 14. So at 14 years old, I thought, well, the heroes in my life, Muhammad Ali, for example, professional wrestlers, they’re all men who have worked hard with their hands and they’ve built their body. Ah, yes, that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna do what my dad taught me and these other heroes. I’m gonna go build my body so we’re never evicted again. But being evicted, by the way, as you were saying, has not only given me not just great perspective, but also great gratitude, but also, and my team and my family, we laugh at it, but I feel this way. Like, well, you know, we’re a month away from being evicted. I’ve got to go to work. Like I still have that in my head…”
Photo credit: Weight Watchers
Founded in 2007, Ladybrille® Magazine is a California based pioneer digital publication demystifying the image of Africans in the west through contemporary African fashion and celebrating the brilliant woman in business and leadership, with an emphasis on the African woman in the diaspora. Our coverage includes stories on capital, access to markets, expertise, hiring and retention, sales, marketing, and promotions.