Dwayne Johnson’s manager is lining the action star for more dramatic roles.
Dany Garcia, who is head of William Morris Endeavour (WME) talent agency and also Johnson’s ex-wife, has meticulously guided the actor’s career over several years since he made the transition from wrestling for the WWE as ‘The Rock’ to the big screen in 2001 and she has very big plans for him in the future.
In an interview with Newsweek Europe, Garcia revealed Johnson’s diverse performances in movies such as ‘San Andreas’, ‘Central Intelligence’ and the upcoming ‘Baywatch’ remake are all building towards him taking on a very serious role.
She said: "In this last year, the choices have been very deliberate … ‘Central Intelligence’, it’s a comedy but he had some tremendous moments of vulnerability that created more range for him."
But it’s not just blockbusters, Dwayne is star of HBO TV series ‘Ballers’, which gives him a different acting dimension.
Garcia explained: "’Ballers’ is 30 minutes, it’s a more controlled storyline, there’s not fantastical explosions; Dwayne gets to have that range [in his performance]."
And she believes that when Johnson, 44, eventually does try his hand at a dramatic role "it’ll be an elegant landing. It won’t be shocking".
Garcia’s template for Johnson’s career path is fellow muscle man Arnold Schwarzenegger.
She said: "We have Arnold Schwarzenegger back in the heyday doing all these massive action films, and then if he was to show up in an independent dramatic piece with a high-end director, people would be like what? He hasn’t earned the right to transition into that, so now you’re doing a disservice to Arnold, and a disservice to the project and the film."
Dwayne Johnson lined up for more dramatic roles
