Depending on whom you talk to, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is either a wrestler or an actor. But at one time, he was trying to do both.
The San Andreas star talked to E! News in 2002 about his transition from wrestling to acting and told us that he would try to "balance both as long as I possibly can." In hindsight, however, it looks like Johnson really had his sights on the big screen because he has focused the majority of his career since then on landing roles. But the former wrestler promised at the time that he wouldn't disappear entirely from wrestling, which is a promise he kept for the most part.
"I appreciate where I came from and I appreciate the wrestling industry," he dished at the time. "Even more so I appreciate the fans, and they've been there for me. And I don't ever want to leave that entirely."
He made sporadic appearances until 2011 when he returned to the WWE in 2011 to host WrestleMania XXVII. He also returned to the ring to fight against some of his long-standing competitors, including John Cena. Despite giving wrestling fans the reunion they desired, Johnson decided to stick with acting, having made several blockbusters, including the Fast and Furious films.
In 2002 he gushed that he was thankful for his dedicated fans. "They believe in me as an actor and they support me," he said. Not much has changed, Johnson! Although he doesn't seem as huge, right? Somehow The Rock looks less muscular in the video...
Maybe he just hadn't started his now-famous daily diet, which fans know includes a boatload of calories and non-stop workouts.
The Furious 7 star might have hung up his WWE reigns for the most part, but he wouldn't dare leave his fans behind. In fact, in 2002 he said that he would bring them with him no matter where he ended up. "We all go making the movie," he joked.
Watch the video above to see what else he had to say about his new acting career!