The Dwayne Johnson performance inspired by Clint Eastwood: “He’s always been my favourite actor”
Considering he was one of the most charismatic professional wrestlers to ever grace the squared circle, it really wasn’t that shocking when Dwayne Johnson became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood.
He is a fantastic screen presence, as proven by the insane amount of money his films have generated. He was the highest-paid actor in Hollywood five times between 2016 and 2024, thanks to franchises like Jumanji and Fast and Furious. Sure, he only really plays himself, but audiences clearly don’t mind. He is the ‘People’s Champion’ after all.
Recently, however, Johnson has taken steps to move away from his one-note tough guy persona and step into the world of so-called ‘serious’ acting. With his upcoming roles in both Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, in which he will play legendary UFC fighter Mark Kerr, and Martin Scorsese’s next project, which will be set in the world of the Hawaiian mafia, the former grappler has suddenly got all the momentum in the world behind him.
If he can master this career change, then there would be no limits for the man formerly known as ‘The Rock’. He’s been a success in everything else he’s ever tried, so the chances of him nailing this are pretty high. There’s every sign he could become one of the all-time greats, just like one of his heroes. Speaking to CinemaBlend, Johnson revealed who his Goat was and took the opportunity to lavish him with praise.
“Clint Eastwood has always been my favourite actor,” he gushed. “Always. And especially those movies in the past. Unforgiven, too, as well. I mean, all of his movies. But especially those westerns. And I will say, especially, Unforgiven. He has always been my favourite actor. I had the honour to meet him. He surprised me a few years ago. And it was a true honour.”
Johnson’s interview was to promote his DC superhero movie Black Adam, and he admitted that Eastwood “greatly” influenced his portrayal of the title character. This might seem a bit ridiculous on the surface, but if you look closer, you’ll actually see the similarities, clear as day. Both Adam and Eastwood’s most famous screen personas are the strong, silent type. Both are content to let their fists do the talking, or to hit their enemies with a blood-chilling stare to let them know they mean business. William Munny, Eastwood’s character in Unforgiven, is a prime example of this.
Unfortunately for Johnson, the movie he used to pay homage to his hero turned out to be a complete disaster for his career. Black Adam defied the initially solid critical reports and turned out to be total garbage. What’s worse, it lost money when all was said and done. It also coincided with a change in management at DC Studios, with James Gunn and Peter Safran coming in as co-CEOs. Their plans to reboot the franchise’s film output scuppered all plans for Black Adam returning in a future film, resulting in a humiliating ego death for the formerly bankable star.
It might not have been the loving tribute that he imagined, but Johnson’s incorporation of Eastwood into Black Adam shows that there is more to him than a self-portraying meathead. He clearly cares about his performances and what goes into them, which bodes well for his future as a dramatic actor.
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