Like many action stars before him, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is struggling to find his place in Hollywood. There was a time when he was one of the world's most bankable actors, credited with "saving" the Fast & Furious franchise with a memorable turn in 2011's Fast Five.
While critical hits were few and far between, Johnson became a staple of commercially successful projects, whether it was Moana, Jumanji, or DC League of Super-Pets. However, since around 2021, the actor's star has faded.
Whether it's bombs like Red Notice and Red One, or a failed attempt to take over the DCEU with Black Adam, Johnson is struggling to regain his footing. In quick succession, NBC cancelled Young Rock, his football league, the XFL, fell flat, and a WWE return—which introduced a popular new heel persona, the Final Boss—was marred by controversy, tall tales, and apparent attempts to steal the spotlight.
Looking to reinvent himself, Johnson once again walked away from WWE in an effort to be considered a serious actor. He received mostly positive reviews for The Smashing Machine, but his expected Oscar nomination never materialised, and a return to blockbuster fare this summer with the live-action Moana proved a disaster.
So, what's next for Johnson? How about a singing career?
Talking to Rolling Stone, Johnson opened up about performing "Your Dad," a track he co-wrote with Iam Tongi, the Hawaiian singer who won American Idol in 2023, for Moana: Voices Across the Ocean.
"I’m exploring that now, and I appreciate you asking that," the actor said of potentially becoming a singer. "As you roll along in life, I’ve been real fortunate to be part of some really cool projects, and love it. But music has always been such an anchor for me, and very specifically in genres that I love, like country music, traditional country music. And we’re exploring that now."
"I’ve reached this point in my life and in my career where, honestly, when I wake up in the morning, I swing my legs out of bed, and whatever the thing is that I’m doing, I wanna feel like I’m just running towards it," Johnson continued. "And the most gratifying things we do are when it’s for us, because we have enough pressure to deliver for so many other entities."
"The things we do, we must do them for ourselves, and then we must feel it in here, behind our rib cage. But they’re also always connected to some sort of commerce," he said, explaining why this song is so personal to him. "You make films, especially the big four-quadrant movies, you want them to do well. But this song, for me, is just a song to my daughters."
"Where there’s no pressure of an expectation to deliver something that, 'Well, how are the sales, and how’s the box office? And how’s the streams?' It’s just from me to them."
Asked what his exploration of a music career might look like, Johnson said, "Maybe something in just the old-school soul genre, with some country flavor. I love old-school soul. Sam Cooke. From Sam Cooke, again, to Merle Haggard. That’s how I grew up. And those were my strong influences from my dad."
The former professional wrestler follows in the footsteps of Steven Seagal, Bruce Willis, David Hasselhoff, and Kiefer Sutherland, all of whom have taken a crack at moving from acting to music with varying degrees of success.
Johnson has previously impressed with his musical talents both in a WWE ring and on the Moana soundtrack, and we'll let you be the judge of this latest effort, which you can listen to below.