Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Most Inspirational Quotes on Life, Family, Success & Giving Back

By Jake Thompson Dec 05, 2021 4:00 AMTags
Watch: Why Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson Really Is the People's Champion

He's an inspiration on and off the big screen.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has carved out his own lane in Hollywood, proving there's no one road map to success. And to say the 2021 People's Champion is "successful" is an understatement, given his unending list of box office records (as latest international action thriller Red Notice is breaking Netflix's records).

Year after year, the Moana performer and supportive father of three delivered iconic performances and memorable characters that'll stand the test of time. But it's his real life journey from his early wrestling career to fatherhood to his global success and beyond that has captivated his fans for nearly three decades. Not to mention his compassion and connection with his fans and his commitment to philanthropy are just the cherries on top.

"It doesn't matter how much success my movies have, how many box office records they break, I will always be the hardest working person in the room," the Hobbs & Shaw performer shared with Vanity Fair. And the hard work has paid off!

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2020 People's Choice Awards Winners

Scroll through the photo gallery below for inspiring life lessons and motivational quotes spoken by the 2021 People's Champion himself, from staying humble to his work ethic on set and more.

Don't miss Dwayne accept the People's Champion award at the 2021 People's Choice Awards on Tuesday, Dec. 7 at 9 p.m. on E! and NBC.

On Authenticity

"It's critical to be your most authentic, true self," Dwayne wrote on his Instagram. "Be you and be real. But the key thing is recognizing the joy and responsibility you have to bring everyone along with you. And you do that by being kind, compassionate, inclusive, and just straight up being good to people. Because—make no mistake about it, in this climate of negativity and cynicism—being good and caring about people still matters."

On Kindness

"Kindness matters. Being a decent human being matters," the Rampage actor captioned an Instagram post. "And I'm not saying hard work and kindness equate to success, but I will tell you this: you can get a lot further in life with hard work and being a good person than hard work and being an a--hole."

"Everyone's important to someone or something," Johnson wrote on Instagram. "And it's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

On His Early Wrestling Career

"I had been sulking on the sofa just watching trashy TV until that point," the Hobbs & Shaw performer shared in Esquire. "I decided there and then that, even if it wasn't in football, the world was still going to hear from me. That's pretty much where my wrestling career started."

"So there was a big moment of clarity in about 2010—I just felt, yeah, this isn't working," the Mummy Returns entertainer revealed to Esquire. "I need to stop, readjust, reassess, and change everything around me—and I gotta take one more shot, but at least I'm gonna take a shot with me being myself."

"By the time 'The Rock' was born, I knew it would work out. Failure just wasn't an option," Johnson told Esquire.

On Learning the Ropes

"These young bucks come in and think they know everything when they really don't know s--t," Johnson shared with Esquire. "The best thing you can do is be quiet and open your ears. Let everybody else talk."

On Hard Work

"Work your ass off, be kind, and enjoy your roses," the Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle superstar shared to his Instagram.

On Marriage

"I think I have had to be nothing but myself with Lauren," Johnson told Vanity Fair in 2012. "And she has had to be nothing but herself with me." 

On Fatherhood

"I can appreciate so much, as I get older, how powerful and special a relationship between a daddy and a little girl is," the Ballers actor told Redbook. "The responsibility is awesome, because it's going to affect how she relates to all the men in her life. The responsibility is awesome, because it's going to affect how she relates to all the men in her life."

On Respect

"My dad used to say that respect is given when it's earned," Johnson shared with Esquire. "But he hasn't said that to me for a lot of years now, because he knows I live by that advice every day."

On Putting In the Work

"I think these days there could be a tendency for people to think that things come easy," Johnson revealed to Vanity Fair. "It does not. No, it's actually quite the opposite. You know, I stay up at night, putting in the work, but also really deeply contemplating the next move, and the multiple moves, and the impact and effect that this one thing will have."

"If you've ever been hungry," the Red Notice performer shared with Vanity Fair. "Then you'll never be full."

On Equality & Humility

"It's the philosophy of going into work every day. Looking at everybody as equal partners," Johnson shared with Esquire. "And looking at the crew, regardless of where you're at, either on the call sheet or otherwise, as equal partners—with respect and with humility, and being respectful of the process and every other human being who is putting in just as much time, just as much hard work and sweat equity, if not more."

"And I think it's always been important to me to always be straight up and look somebody in the eye," the Pain and Gain performer revealed to Esquire. "And if you say you're going to do something, do it."

On His Work Ethic

"I just used the simple technique of making sure I'm always the hardest working person in the room," Johnson spoke on his work ethic to Esquire. "It doesn't matter how much success my movies have, how many box office records they break, I will always be the hardest working person in the room."

On Not Conforming to Hollywood

"I made a choice that I wasn't going to conform to Hollywood, Hollywood was going to conform to me," Johnson candidly spoke with Esquire.

On Global Success

"To have success at something is one thing, but to have global positive influence on people's lives is the greatest and most powerful strength one could ever have," Johnson shared with Time.

"It doesn't matter how much success my movies have, how many box office records they break, I will always be the hardest working person in the room," D.J. revealed to Time.

On What Drives Him

"There was a time in my life when opportunities were so few and far between they were like little cracks in the wall," Johnson shared with Esquire. "And if one opportunity came my way, I would scratch and claw and bite and I would do anything I could to make sure that I grabbed that opportunity by the throat and I did not let it go."

"They're a bit more frequent these days, I have more coming my way, but I still look at it like it's a crack, and I attack it," the Moana performer revealed to Esquire. "I'm a long way away from ever getting evicted again, but man, I think about that so much. That's where my "we've got to make sure this happens" and "let's go" type of energy comes from."

On Staying Humble

"It sits me down. That was never the goal. The goal was just: I didn't want to be broke," Johnson shared with Vanity Fair on his unexpected global fame. "And I didn't want my family to be broke anymore."

"And it's a blessing, man. Are you kidding me? It's a blessing. It's a blessing. It's a blessing," the Central Intelligence actor spoke on gratitude to Vanity Fair.

On Spreading Joy

"It's one of the best parts of fame, you know, to make people feel good," Johnson revealed to Vanity Fair.

"There was a time when no one knew who I was, nor gave a shit," the Fighting With My Family actor shared with Vanity Fair. "I roll the windows down as a reminder. What an incredible position to be in. You got a chance to make somebody's day." 

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