After becoming a WWE Champion, The Rock made his way into the film industry and made his big screen debut with the 2001 film The Mummy. However, the journey to becoming one of Hollywood’s biggest stars was not easy. The wrestler-turned-actor has opened up about his struggles to fit in to survive in the industry. But he had faith in himself and his work.
Although his initial films, including The Mummy and The Scorpion King, were hit at the box office, the actor gained recognition for his role in the 2011 film Fast Five. And during a Q&A session on his Instagram, he talked about how losing a $217 million job to the action star Tom Cruise led him to one of the most successful roles of his acting career.
The Rock as The Scorpion King
The Rock Lost the Lead Role in Jack Reacher to Tom Cruise
The 2012 film, starring Tom Cruise in the title role, follows Jack Reacher, a former military police officer investigating the case of James Barr, who is accused of killing five people. During a Q&A session on his Instagram, The Rock was asked if he has lost any role to another Hollywood star.
Tom Cruise in Jack Reacher
Answering the question, the Black Adam star admitted that he lost the lead role in the 2012 film Jack Reacher to Tom Cruise. The film was based on Lee Child’s 2005 novel, One Shot, which described Jack Reacher as 6 foot 5 inches tall, and weighing around 250 pounds.
Dwayne Johnson shared that he was a fan of the character, and considering his physique, he believed he could be a good fit for the role. He mentioned that he was in a different place, and the Mission Impossible star was the “biggest movie star in the world.”
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as Luke Hobbs
“Now, this was ten years ago, and I was in a much different place. I recognize that. Tom was the biggest movie star in the world, and I was not.”
So, the role went to him. However, the Baywatch star did not seem to have any hard feelings against the Jack Reacher star, as the rejection from the 2012 film led him toward one of the biggest roles of his career.
Rejection Brought New Opportunities For Dwayne Johnson
The rejection of Jack Reacher landed Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson new opportunities. He received an offer from Universal Studio to join the Fast and Furious franchise and joined the popular franchise as the DSS agent, Luke Hobbs. And he is glad that he recognized the opportunity and grabbed it when it came.
Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson
In the caption of his Q&A session, the Tooth Fairy star said, “Universe works in a funny way,” as he shared that losing Jack Reacher opened another door for him. Vin Diesel, who stars as Dominic Toretto in the popular franchise, later shared that the character of Luke Hobbs was originally written for the Oscar-winning actor Tommy Lee Jones.
However, he and the film’s director Justin Lin decided to cast The Rock as Hobbs based on the fan demand. During a Q&A session, the Fast and Furious star explained that a fan expressed their wish to see him and Dwayne Johnson together on screen, after which he and the director redesigned the character for the Hobbs and Shaw star.
Fast Five is available to stream on Prime Video.
Jack Reacher is available on Amazon Instant Video.
