LOS ANGELES: After being the “Sexiest Man Alive” and “World’s highest paid Film Star”, Hollywood actor Dwayne Johnson now has another feather in his cap; “The Rock” has recently been accepted into the Hollywood establishment with a Walk of Fame star.
The 45-year-old football player turned wrestling pro and then actor sported a sharp black suit and was joined by longtime partner Lauren Hashian and their almost two-year-old daughter Jasmine at the ceremony on Hollywood Boulevard.
“I didn’t want to write anything down. I figured this is such a monumental moment and significant time for me it´s probably best I just speak from the heart and from my gut,” the Herculean father-of-two said.
He told cheering fans that the 2,624th star on the Walk was the result of years of hard work, voicing gratitude for the opportunities he’d been afforded and the friends and family who’d helped him along the way.
“This moment is so significant because it is a full circle. 2018 will mark 18 years in Hollywood and that is a very long time of blood, sweat and earning respect,” he added.
Johnson’s recent work includes “Baywatch,” “The Fate of The Furious,” “Central Intelligence” and “San Andreas,” as well as the HBO comedy “Ballers.”
Reputed to be one of the hardest-working stars in Hollywood, he has been in 14 movies in just four years, including previous instalments of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, “Hercules,” “Snitch,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” “Empire State,” “Pain and Gain,” and “Moana.”
Born on May 2, 1972, in the San Francisco Bay Area and raised in Hawaii and Pennsylvania, Johnson grew to six foot five inches (196 centimeters) and weighs 245 pounds (111 kilograms).
He played defensive tackle at the University of Miami and went on to a stint on the practice roster of the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League in 1995.
Johnson became a professional wrestler in 1996, following his father, Rocky Johnson, and grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia. He would become an eight-time World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment champion.
Nicknamed “The Rock” due to his strength in the ring and rough-hewn features, he was declared “sexiest man alive” by People magazine in November 2016.
It was a good year for the actor, who was also named the world’s highest-paid film star by Forbes magazine.