Interview: The Rock
What you think Bethlehem is famous for depends on your age. Older folks might say the Moravians, and those of middle age might say Musikfest. Younger people know the true answer, however – it’s The Rock.
The Rock, born Dwayne Johnson, graduated from Freedom High School as an All American football player. He switched to wrestling to become a top star in the World Wrestling Federation. He is even better known for his role in the film “The Mummy Returns” and for starring in the highly lucrative film “The Scorpion King”.
This Sunday an episode of the VH-1 Channel’s series “Driven” will feature The Rock. “Driven” is a series that tells the stories behind successful celebrities with interviews, video clips, pictures, and background music, without interviewing the celebrities themselves.
The episode packs a lot of information into its one-hour time slot. There are films of a teenaged Johnson dancing and imitating Hulk Hogan. A good deal of time is devoted to his unsuccessful attempts at a football career, when he was sidelined by injuries and had to scratch out a living playing for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.
And anyone who knows the wrestling persona of the trash-talking Rock will be amazed by his early attempts to be a “babyface” (wrestling good guy) as the smiling, outlandishly costumed Rocky Maivia, whose geniality was quickly rejected by wrestling fans.
Many people were interviewed for the show, including Johnson’s mother Ata, his college sweetheart and wife Dany, and WWF impresario Vince McMahon. Among them were four people who knew The Rock from his Freedom High days.
Freelance producer Brad Bernstein brought a film crew to Allentown’s Hampton Inn last November 6 for interviews with football coach Jody Cwik, wrestling coach Jake Llewelyn, and friends Joe Gerencser and Nick Tsamoutaldis.
Bernstein says that this episode will differ from other “Driven” shows: “This will be only the second time that a non-music celebrity will be featured (the first was Halle Berry) and he will be the first athlete.”
Bernstein also says that while most of “Driven”’s subjects do not come from a celebrity background, “both Dwayne’s father and grandfather were famous wrestlers. There was so much pressure when he followed them.”
Not only did Johnson have to live up to the family wrestling name, but his father, who also ran a cleaning business in the Lehigh Valley, initially opposed his son’s desire to wrestle because of the uncertainty of its lifestyle. Before they settled in Bethlehem, the family had moved a great deal, and his father was not home very much.
Bernstein recalls that the four interviewees loved Johnson. “I couldn’t get them to say one bad thing about him.” Tsamoutaldis recalls that the crew tried to persuade him to say something negative to add a little “spice” to the show.
The producer says that the interviews gave him a different view of Johnson than the one he had in his mind after reading the autobiography “The Rock Says…” and doing background research.
He gives an example: “I thought that The Rock had quite a temper, but he seems to be more of a joker who likes to kid around. He likes to be the center of attention. And he is not afraid of anybody or of what they think.”
Gerencser and Tsamoutaldis confirm that the villain role is an act. “He was always joking around. He wants to put on a good show. He cranks it up, giving it that extra push.”
A few characteristics of The Rock were in place during high school. “I remember him walking down the hall doing the thing with his eyebrow,” says Gerencser. Tsamoutaldis remembers another Rock line from school: “I’m going to give you a beating, and there are two things that you can do. Number one, nothing, or number two, like it.”
The three spent much of their free time after school lifting weights, “three hours a night, six days a week.” Much of the remaining time was spent hanging out at El Greco’s Pizza. Strangely, Johnson did not wrestle in high school. He did not like it, since he was not allowed to use techniques like body slams and headlocks that he had learned from his father.
Bernstein also concludes that Johnson, “seems like a very genuine person and he is very loyal to the people that he grew up with. He knows his roots.” Gerencser says, “We still get together and we are still on the same wavelength. He’s just a little more protective of himself, as he has to be.” Tsamoutaldis says, “When he comes to town, he‘s not The Rock. He’s just Dwayne.”
Bernstein adds, “He cares a lot about his family, especially his mother.” The producer says that he was surprised to find that the six-foot-four, two hundred and seventy pound Rock “is actually a mama’s boy”.
The filmmakers were fortunate in having a wealth of material to use. “Dwayne was an only child, and his father was in entertainment, so there was a camera around all of the time,” says Bernstein. “There are films of him from his birth to the time he left home.”
The six and eleven p.m. showings will are scheduled to be before and after the WWF pay-for-view event “Royal Rumble”, which will not be on VH-1 and will not, unfortunately, feature The Rock.
“Driven: The Rock”, VH-1 TV channel, January 19, six and eleven p.m., www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/driven/62884/episode.jhtml.
--Dave Howell, 1/03
(This article first appeared in The Morning Call newspaper.)
The Rock, born Dwayne Johnson, graduated from Freedom High School as an All American football player. He switched to wrestling to become a top star in the World Wrestling Federation. He is even better known for his role in the film “The Mummy Returns” and for starring in the highly lucrative film “The Scorpion King”.
This Sunday an episode of the VH-1 Channel’s series “Driven” will feature The Rock. “Driven” is a series that tells the stories behind successful celebrities with interviews, video clips, pictures, and background music, without interviewing the celebrities themselves.
The episode packs a lot of information into its one-hour time slot. There are films of a teenaged Johnson dancing and imitating Hulk Hogan. A good deal of time is devoted to his unsuccessful attempts at a football career, when he was sidelined by injuries and had to scratch out a living playing for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League.
And anyone who knows the wrestling persona of the trash-talking Rock will be amazed by his early attempts to be a “babyface” (wrestling good guy) as the smiling, outlandishly costumed Rocky Maivia, whose geniality was quickly rejected by wrestling fans.
Many people were interviewed for the show, including Johnson’s mother Ata, his college sweetheart and wife Dany, and WWF impresario Vince McMahon. Among them were four people who knew The Rock from his Freedom High days.
Freelance producer Brad Bernstein brought a film crew to Allentown’s Hampton Inn last November 6 for interviews with football coach Jody Cwik, wrestling coach Jake Llewelyn, and friends Joe Gerencser and Nick Tsamoutaldis.
Bernstein says that this episode will differ from other “Driven” shows: “This will be only the second time that a non-music celebrity will be featured (the first was Halle Berry) and he will be the first athlete.”
Bernstein also says that while most of “Driven”’s subjects do not come from a celebrity background, “both Dwayne’s father and grandfather were famous wrestlers. There was so much pressure when he followed them.”
Not only did Johnson have to live up to the family wrestling name, but his father, who also ran a cleaning business in the Lehigh Valley, initially opposed his son’s desire to wrestle because of the uncertainty of its lifestyle. Before they settled in Bethlehem, the family had moved a great deal, and his father was not home very much.
Bernstein recalls that the four interviewees loved Johnson. “I couldn’t get them to say one bad thing about him.” Tsamoutaldis recalls that the crew tried to persuade him to say something negative to add a little “spice” to the show.
The producer says that the interviews gave him a different view of Johnson than the one he had in his mind after reading the autobiography “The Rock Says…” and doing background research.
He gives an example: “I thought that The Rock had quite a temper, but he seems to be more of a joker who likes to kid around. He likes to be the center of attention. And he is not afraid of anybody or of what they think.”
Gerencser and Tsamoutaldis confirm that the villain role is an act. “He was always joking around. He wants to put on a good show. He cranks it up, giving it that extra push.”
A few characteristics of The Rock were in place during high school. “I remember him walking down the hall doing the thing with his eyebrow,” says Gerencser. Tsamoutaldis remembers another Rock line from school: “I’m going to give you a beating, and there are two things that you can do. Number one, nothing, or number two, like it.”
The three spent much of their free time after school lifting weights, “three hours a night, six days a week.” Much of the remaining time was spent hanging out at El Greco’s Pizza. Strangely, Johnson did not wrestle in high school. He did not like it, since he was not allowed to use techniques like body slams and headlocks that he had learned from his father.
Bernstein also concludes that Johnson, “seems like a very genuine person and he is very loyal to the people that he grew up with. He knows his roots.” Gerencser says, “We still get together and we are still on the same wavelength. He’s just a little more protective of himself, as he has to be.” Tsamoutaldis says, “When he comes to town, he‘s not The Rock. He’s just Dwayne.”
Bernstein adds, “He cares a lot about his family, especially his mother.” The producer says that he was surprised to find that the six-foot-four, two hundred and seventy pound Rock “is actually a mama’s boy”.
The filmmakers were fortunate in having a wealth of material to use. “Dwayne was an only child, and his father was in entertainment, so there was a camera around all of the time,” says Bernstein. “There are films of him from his birth to the time he left home.”
The six and eleven p.m. showings will are scheduled to be before and after the WWF pay-for-view event “Royal Rumble”, which will not be on VH-1 and will not, unfortunately, feature The Rock.
“Driven: The Rock”, VH-1 TV channel, January 19, six and eleven p.m., www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/driven/62884/episode.jhtml.
--Dave Howell, 1/03
(This article first appeared in The Morning Call newspaper.)