On Dwayne Johnson’s 45th birthday, Take A Look At His Epic Journey To Stardom

May 2 is Dwayne Johnson’s birthday. The wrestler-turned-star has seen a tremendous rise through the ranks over the years. Not too many wrestlers make smooth transitions to the world of films, but The Rock has not only established himself as one of the most bankable stars in the world, he has also become the highest-paid actor in the industry.

Johnson’s first leading film role was in The Scorpion King in 2002. For this role, he was paid US$5.5 million, a world record for an actor in his first starring role.He has since appeared in various films, and become known for his ability to reinvigorate film franchises; one of his more prominent roles is Luke Hobbs in The Fast and the Furious franchise, whose most recent film, The Fate of the Furious, was released in 2017.

As the actor turns 45, let’s take a look at his journey from being a cheesy CGI character in The Scorpion King to leading numerous franchises on his massive shoulders.