Dwayne Johnson’s heartfelt thanks to Brendan Fraser for changing his life: “You believed in me”

When Dwayne Johnson looks back at his leap from professional wrestling to Hollywood, there’s one name he credits above all others: Brendan Fraser.

During a recent Variety “Actors on Actors” conversation, Johnson paused the interview to deliver a deeply personal thank-you — one that underscored just how fragile his early acting career once was.

The risk that started it all

In the early 2000s, Johnson was still known almost exclusively as “The Rock”, a global WWE superstar but a complete unknown in film. When the opportunity arose to play the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns, the high-profile sequel to one of the late ’90s biggest box office hits, he didn’t hesitate.

What he didn’t know at the time was that the decision wasn’t entirely in his hands.

Johnson recalled meeting with Universal Pictures executives and director Stephen Sommers, where he was told they needed to run the idea past Fraser — the face of The Mummy franchise.

“There was a moment there where you could have said, ‘Hey listen, I love this idea of a character called the Scorpion King character, but this guy Dwayne Johnson, he’s never acted before I know he’s in pro wrestler, I’m not quite too sure,’” Johnson told Fraser directly.

“You took a shot and a risk with me”

Instead, Johnson later learned that Fraser had fully backed the idea.

“The word I got back was, ‘Brendan loves the idea, he welcomes you with open arms,’” Johnson said. “And that meant something to me.”

The moment still resonates decades later.

“Not only was it your franchise, and you took a shot and a risk with me — who had never acted back then. But also that kicked off my career,” Johnson continued. “I want to say thank you… really in a big way, for changing my life.”

A visibly moved Fraser responded simply, telling Johnson he was “always the right guy for the job.”

From wrestling ring to Hollywood elite

It’s impossible to know whether Johnson would have reached his current status without that first major film role. What is clear is that Fraser was the one who extended a hand when few others were willing to trust a first-time actor — a gesture that speaks volumes about his character.

Today, Johnson’s transformation is complete.

He hasn’t been seen as “just a wrestler” for years. His recent, critically praised performance in The Smashing Machine has sparked serious awards conversation, cementing his reputation as a dramatic actor as well as a box office powerhouse.

And the momentum isn’t slowing.

Just months ago, it was confirmed that Johnson will star in an upcoming Martin Scorsese film alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt — a project that firmly places him among Hollywood’s most respected performers.

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