Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is arguably the biggest name to ever come out of the world of professional wrestling. Since leaving the squared circle for the brighter lights of Hollywood, Johnson has become one of the highest-paid actors in the world. Johnson’s A-list celebrity status has led to him getting his own biopic sitcom, Young Rock.
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In his NBC sitcom, Johnson shares stories from three different points in his life, as a child, teenager, and young adult, similar to the NBC drama series This Is Us. Regardless of his age, Johnson’s stories often deal with famous names from the world of professional wrestling. Overall, the show features a talented cast that all fans of The Rock should be aware of.
10 Young Rock In The DC Universe
Dwayne Johnson will soon make his debut in the DC Extended Universe when he stars in Black Adam, where Johnson will play the iconic superhero.
However, Johnson is not the only cast member from Young Rock cast in Black Adam. The film will also feature Uli Latukefu, who plays Johnson as a young adult in Young Rock. It is currently unknown what role Latukefu will play in the movie, but it will be interesting to see if his character shares a relation to Johnson’s Black Adam.
9 Major Character In The Marvel Universe
While Johnson and Latukefu will be characters in the DC Extended Universe, another Young Rock cast member plays a major role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Randall Park, who plays an interviewer who is interviewing Johnson during his presidential campaign, plays Jimmy Woo in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Woo is a former S.H.I.E.L.D Agent who later works for the FBI. He has appeared in the Ant-Man films as well as the WandaVision television series on Disney+.
8 The Rock’s Second Sitcom Appearance
Young Rock is not the first time Johnson appeared on a network television sitcom. In 1999, Johnson appeared in an episode of That ‘70s Show.
In his first sitcom appearance, Johnson played his father, “Soulman” Rocky Johnson. Johnson’s father is also a major character in Young Rock. While Young Rock is Johnson’s second time on a sitcom that airs on network television, he also appeared on numerous sitcoms on the Disney channel in the late 2000s. Johnson appeared on shows such as Hannah Montana, Cory in the House, and Wizards of Waverly Place.
7 Rocky Johnson Played Another Historic Athlete
Joseph Lee Anderson plays Rocky Johnson, Dwayne Johnson’s father, on Young Rock. Anderson plays one of the most prominent roles on the show due to the character appearing in every version of The Rock’s life, besides his presidential run.
However, Rocky Johnson is not the only historic athlete Anderson has played. In 2018, Anderson played boxing legend Muhammad Ali on the Showtime series I’m Dying Up Here, a show about a group of comedians in the 70s.
6 Rocky Johnson Is Only 29
Actor Joseph Lee Anderson has range, especially when it comes to playing a character at various ages in his life. On Young Rock, Anderson plays Rocky Johnson in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
RELATED: 10 Things Fans Should Know About The Rock's Father, Rocky Johnson
Anderson does a great job with his portrayal of the “Soulman,” but it is even more impressive when you realize Anderson was born in 1993. At just 29 years old, Anderson does a great job of playing a much older man. However, once you realize how young Anderson really is, it is hard to not see his youthfulness while playing Johnson during the twilight of his wrestling career.
5 Harvey Wippleman Famous Kid Actor
Wrestling manager Harvey Wippleman is most known for his time in the WWE. During his WWE tenure, he managed Giant Gonzalez and Bertha Faye, while also feuding with announcer Howard Finkel.
On Young Rock, Wippleman is featured as Downtown Bruno in the Memphis wrestling territory. The wrestling manager is played by Ryan Pinkston, who had quite the resume as a child actor. In his younger years, Pinkston starred in the Spy Kids film franchise. He was also a regular on the MTV series Punk’d.
4 Andre the Giant Was In The NFL
The legendary Andre the Giant is played by Matt Willig, who at one time played in the NFL. Willig played professional football for 13 years and is a former Super Bowl Champion.
Willig began playing in the NFL in 1992 as a member of the New York Jets. Throughout his NFL career, which ended in 2005, Willig also played for the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, St. Louis Rams, San Francisco 49ers, and Carolina Panthers. As a member of the Rams, Willig won the Super Bowl in 2000.
3 Iron Sheik Actor Was A Bodybuilder
Former WWE champion The Iron Sheik is regularly portrayed on Young Rock. Despite being a stereotypical foreign heel in the ring, The Iron Sheik is portrayed as a fun-loving guy outside the ring. The legendary wrestler is played by Brett Azar, who was previously a professional bodybuilder.
As a bodybuilder and actor, Azar naturally idolized Arnold Schwarzenegger. In 2015, Azar got to play a young Schwarzenegger in Terminator: Genisys. With his bodybuilding physique, Azar is a perfect fit for playing The Iron Sheik.
2 Sgt. Slaughter Actor Was A Wrestler
While he has not appeared regularly on Young Rock, Sgt. Slaughter has had some brief moments in Johnson’s stories about his life. The man who plays Slaughter is a former professional wrestler from Australia.
Wayne Mattei plays Sgt. Slaughter. For a decade, Mattei, also known as “The Maniac,” wrestled regularly in the land down under. Among his biggest matches was a 2017 match against WWE Hall-of-Famer Scott Steiner. Mattei competed mostly for the All Action Wrestling promotion in Australia, where he held the promotion's world title. This title was also held by notable names such as Paul London, Raven, Christopher Daniels, and Orlando Jordan.
1 NXT Star As Ric Flair
One of NXT’s biggest stars was given the opportunity to play wrestling legend Ric Flair during the first season of Young Rock.
Grayson Waller played the “dirtiest player in the game” in the second episode of the series. Since NXT revamped itself into NXT 2.0, Waller has been one of the most featured wrestlers on the roster. Waller even appeared on Monday Night Raw while in a feud with former WWE champion AJ Styles.
