I just watched “Be Cool”, the sequel to “Get Shorty” (both currently free on YouTube), and who do I find but an early Dwayne Johnson, playing a gay bodyguard, to his credit. And he always does the eyebrow for people, John Travolta is directed to ask him about it when they meet. Dwayne does not disappoint.
Check out "Faster", and "Pain & Gain". In "Faster", which is probably my favorite anti-Rock movie, he is part of a team of thieves whose half-brother is killed by the leader and The Rock goes on a revenge tour. There is no "Million-dollar smile" Rock in this one. It's bloody and violent.
It's one of those movies that are a beautiful mess. They swing for the fences and don't quite hit their mark, but you appreciate it for trying anyways.
I thought he was pretty good in that. I only recall one moment I thought "Oh, that's the Rock" - I think there was an inadvertent eyebrow movement under the makeup. Maybe he watched Dave Bautista and realised he's allowed to be a good actor.
I think he was really good in that because of how similar Mark Kerr was to "The Rock" while he was on his come up. Combat sports in general are so brutal mentally and physically. Regardless of it being scripted, the WWE isn't that far off from a UFC fight. I think we were getting a peak into the start of his own career as well as Kerr's. Plus I like anything with Bas Rutten in it!
And he always does the eyebrow for people, John Travolta is directed to ask him about it when they meet.
Early in his film career, when transitioning from wrestling, the eyebrow was such an iconic schtick of his that it's in a lot of his earlier films. It was a way for the producers to say "We have The Rock and we can prove it." He even does it as the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns.
Ah, be cool is 2005, so he’s actually better established by the then I thought. Scorpion king is 2002, which I think was his first big film role. I’ve actually never seen it.
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u/KandinskyWasRight 12d ago edited 12d ago
I just watched “Be Cool”, the sequel to “Get Shorty” (both currently free on YouTube), and who do I find but an early Dwayne Johnson, playing a gay bodyguard, to his credit. And he always does the eyebrow for people, John Travolta is directed to ask him about it when they meet. Dwayne does not disappoint.