Vin Diesel
Diesel at a premiere for Fast & Furious in March 2009
Born	Mark Sinclair Vincent (1967-07-18) July 18, 1967 (age 44) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, director, producer, screenwriter
Years active	1990–present
Partner	Paloma Jimenez
Website
VinDiesel.com

Vin Diesel (born Mark Sinclair Vincent; July 18, 1967) is an American actor, writer, director and producer. He became known in the early 2000s, appearing in several successful Hollywood films, including The Fast and the Furious and xXx. He founded the production companies One Race Films, Tigon Studios and Racetrack Records.

Early life[link]

Vin Diesel was born in New York City, the son of Delora, a psychiatrist and astrologer.^[1][2] Diesel has white and black ancestry.^[3][4] He has described himself as "definitely a person of color"^[5] and stated that he is "of ambiguous ethnicity – Italian and a lot of other stuff."^[6] Diesel has never met his biological father, and was raised by his African-American stepfather, Irving, an acting instructor and theatre manager.^[1][5] He made his stage debut at age seven when he appeared in the children's play Dinosaur Door, written by Barbara Garson. The play was produced at Theater for the New City in New York's Greenwich Village. His involvement in the play came about when he, his brother, and some friends had broken into Theater for the New City's space on Jane Street with the intent to vandalize it. They were confronted by the theater's artistic director, Crystal Field, who, instead of calling the police, handed them scripts and offered them parts in the upcoming show.^[7] He remained involved with the theatre throughout adolescence, going on to attend the city's Hunter College, where his creative writing studies led him to begin screenwriting. Diesel became an active film-maker in the early 1990s, first earning notice for the short film Multi-Facial, which was selected for screening at the 1995 Cannes Festival. Diesel has identified himself as a "multi-faceted" actor^[8] as a result of early difficulties finding roles due to his mixed heritage.^[8][9]

In an interview on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, he said that he changed his name to "Vin Diesel" while working as a bouncer at the New York City nightclub Tunnel, because in that business one's real name is not usually given out. The name "Vin" is simply a shortened version of "Vincent". He received the nickname "Diesel" from his friends who said he ran off diesel fuel, referring to his non-stop energy.

He has a twin brother, Paul, a younger brother, Tim, and a sister, Samantha.^{[citation needed]}

Career[link]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2011)

Diesel in Munich, April 2005

Diesel's first film role was a brief uncredited appearance in the 1990 film Awakenings. He then produced, directed, and starred in the 1994 short film Multi-Facial, a short semi-autobiographical film which follows a struggling actor stuck in the audition process, because he is regarded as either "too black" or "too white", or not black or white enough. He made his first feature-length film, 1997's Strays, an urban drama in which he was self-cast as a gang boss whose love for a woman inspires him to try to change his ways. Written, directed and produced by Diesel, the film was selected for competition at the 1997 Sundance Festival, leading to an MTV deal to turn it into a series.

He was then cast in Steven Spielberg's 1998 Oscar-winning film Saving Private Ryan on the poignancy of his performance in Multi-Facial. In 1999 he earned critical acclaim for his voice work as the title character in the animation film The Iron Giant. He followed it up with a major role in the business drama Boiler Room (2000) and then got his breakthrough role as the anti-hero Riddick in the science-fiction film Pitch Black (2000). He attained action hero super stardom with the box office hits, the street racing action film The Fast and the Furious (2001), starring opposite Paul Walker, and the action thriller xXx (2002).

In 2004, he reprised his role as Pitch Black's Riddick in The Chronicles of Riddick which was a box office failure considering the large budget. In 2005 he played a lighthearted role in the comedy film The Pacifier, which became a box office success. In 2006 he chose a dramatic role playing real-life mobster Jack DiNorscio in Find Me Guilty. Although he received critical acclaim for his performance, the film did poorly at the box office. Later that year he made a cameo appearance in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, reprising his role from The Fast and The Furious. Diesel was originally offered the lead in 2 Fast 2 Furious but turned it down. He was also offered the chance to reprise his role from xXx in xXx: State of the Union but turned it down as well.

In 2007, he was set to produce and star as Agent 47 in the film adaptation of the video game Hitman, but eventually pulled back and served as executive producer on the film instead. In 2008 he starred in the science-fiction action thriller Babylon A.D..

He returned to the The Fast and The Furious series, alongside all the actors from the original 2001 film, in Fast & Furious, which released in April 2009. In 2011, he once again returned, for the fifth film in the series, titled Fast Five. He is is currently filming the third installment in the Riddick series titled The Chronicles of Riddick: Dead Man Stalking which is in post-production as of April 2012 and set for release in 2013.

Personal life[link]

Diesel is noted for his recognizable deep voice; he has said that his voice broke at around age 15, giving him a mature sounding voice on the telephone.^[10]

Around 2001, Diesel dated his The Fast and the Furious co-star, Michelle Rodriguez.^[11]

Diesel has expressed his love for the Dominican Republic, and how he relates to its multicultural facets.^[12] He is also acquainted with President Leonel Fernandez, and has since appeared in one of his earlier campaign ads. Los Bandoleros, a short film directed by Diesel, was also filmed in the Dominican Republic.^[13]

Diesel claims that he prefers dating in Europe, where he is less likely to be recognized and where celebrities are not romantically linked to each other. He prefers to maintain his privacy regarding his personal life:^[14]

Diesel has played Dungeons & Dragons for over twenty years^[15] and wrote the foreword for the commemorative book 30 Years of Adventure: A Celebration of Dungeons & Dragons. In the 30th Anniversary of Dungeons & Dragons issue of Dragon Magazine, they examine the fact that Diesel played Dungeons & Dragons, and reveal that he had a fake tattoo of his character's name, "Melkor," on his stomach while filming xXx.

Diesel has a daughter, Hania Riley, born April 2, 2008, with his girlfriend, model Paloma Jimenez.^[16][17] Speaking to An tEolas, an Irish newspaper, Diesel stated he has been seen as a hard man, but is in touch with his soft side as a father.^[18]

Filmography[link]

Actor[link]

Producer[link]

Director and writer[link]

Games[link]

1. The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (2004)
2. The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena (2009)
3. Wheelman (2009)

Video game roles[link]

• Need for Speed: Most Wanted (Black Edition) - Rog

References[link]

External links[link]

• Vin Diesel at the Internet Movie Database
• Vin Diesel at the Open Directory Project

Jonathan Ross
Jonathan Ross at Live 8 on 2 July 2005
Born	Jonathan Stephen Ross (1960-11-17) 17 November 1960 (age 51) Camden, London, England[1]
Nationality	British
Occupation	Broadcaster, film critic, Talk show host, Comedian
Years active	1987–present
Spouse	Jane Goldman (m. 1988) «start: (1988)»"Marriage: Jane Goldman to Jonathan Ross" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Jonathan_Ross)
Children	2 daughters, 1 son
Parents	Martha Ross

Jonathan Stephen Ross, OBE (born 17 November 1960) is an English television and radio presenter, best known for presenting the BBC One chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross from 2001 until he left the BBC in 2010. Ross began hosting a new chat show on ITV1 starting 3 September 2011. Ross also hosted his own radio show on BBC Radio 2, and acted as a film critic and presenter of the Film programme. Other regular roles have included being a regular panellist on the comedy sports quiz They Think It's All Over from 1999 to 2006, and presenting the annual British Comedy Awards from 1991 to 2007, and 2009 onwards.

Ross began his television career as a programme researcher, before débuting as a television presenter for The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross on Channel 4 in 1987. Over the next decade he had several radio and television roles, many through his own production company, Channel X. In 1995 he sold his stake in Channel X, and embarked on a career with the BBC. In 1999, Ross took over presenting the Film programme from Barry Norman, and also began presenting his own radio show, while two years later he began hosting Friday Night with Jonathan Ross. For the chat show, Ross won three British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards for Best Entertainment Performance, in 2004, 2006 and 2007. By 2006 Ross was believed to be the BBC's highest paid star. In 2005, Ross was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to broadcasting.^[2] Ross has been involved in controversies throughout his broadcasting career.^[3][4] As a result, in 2008 he wrote a semi-autobiographical work titled Why Do I Say These Things?, detailing some of his life experiences.

Ross has been married to the author, journalist and broadcaster Jane Goldman since 1988; they have three children. Ross and Goldman have together established the television production company Hotsauce TV. Ross is known as an avid fan and collector of comic books and memorabilia, and has written his own comic book, Turf. Ross is known for his distinctive voice, flamboyant style of dress,^[2] and his light-hearted banter. He is also known for his characteristic difficulty in pronouncing the sound 'r'.

Personal[link]

Ross was born in Camden, London, England on 17 November 1960, a son of British actress and radio presenter Martha Ross.^[5] He grew up in Leytonstone^[1] and is the brother of journalist, television editor, and media personality Paul Ross; TV producer/actor Miles Ross; TV producer Simon Ross, and music industry professional Adam Ross. He was educated at Norlington School for Boys, a comprehensive school at the same time as his elder brother Paul, and at Leyton County High School for Boys, a comprehensive school. He also attended Southampton College of Art, now known as Southampton Solent University. ^[6] He then studied Modern European History at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies (SSEES), University of London.^[7]

Ross with his wife Jane Goldman at the British Academy Television Awards 2009

Ross married author/journalist/broadcaster Jane Goldman, ten years his junior, in 1988, when Goldman was 18. They have since had three children: Betty Kitten (named after Bettie Page), Harvey Kirby (named after Jack Kirby, a comic book creator whom Ross especially admires), and Honey Kinney. The family lives in Hampstead Garden Suburb.^{[citation needed]}

Ross and others have used his rhotacism for comic effect and he is sometimes known as "Wossy,"^[8] including on his Twitter feed (@wossy).

Ross is known for owning exotic pets. He is a big music fan and the first band he saw live was punk rockers X-Ray Spex at Islington's Hope and Anchor pub in North London.^[9] He is a big fan of David Bowie, Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry, Queen (he was in the audience for Queen at Wembley), British punk rock, Spandau Ballet, Sparks, Star Trek, Doctor Who (his favourite Doctor was Jon Pertwee), and comic books. Ross has even co-owned a comic shop in London with Paul Gambaccini and released Turf, his first comic book, in 2010, with American artist Tommy Lee Edwards.^[10] He was also the visual inspiration for the main character in the comic book Saviour. Ross is also greatly interested in Japan, presenting a BBC-TV series on many different aspects of Japanese culture, Japanorama, for three series between 2002–07. He was a regular at London's Blitz club during the early 1980s (famous for the Blitz Kids). He is a fan of the singers Morrissey and George Michael.^{[citation needed]}

He is a friend of comedian Ricky Gervais and bought him a kitten after Gervais' previous cat, Colin, had died. The cat's name is Ollie and was presented to him on an episode of Ross' talk show Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.^[11] He was one of the special celebrity guests in the final episode of Gervais's second season of Extras, in which Gervais's character, Andy Millman, and Ross were shown to be the best of friends after a fictional appearance on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross.^[12]

He is also a close friend of author Neil Gaiman, and he and his wife appear in Gaiman's short story "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch", collected in Fragile Things.

In 2005, Ross was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting.^[13] He celebrated the news by playing "God Save the Queen" by the Sex Pistols on his Radio 2 show.^[14]

When interviewing Colin Farrell on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross on 19 February 2010, Ross claimed not to have consumed alcohol for ten years.

Ross has attended a fund raiser for the James Randi Educational Foundation called The Amazing Meeting in London in 2009 and 2010. Interviewed by Rebecca Watson, Ross described himself as a big fan of James Randi and the other speakers – who were mainly prominent sceptics – and said that he and his wife had come to have a sceptical view of the world.^[15] Ross has been supportive of Simon Singh's efforts to defend an accusation of libel by the British Chiropractic Association and Ross has posed for the Geek Calendar 2011, a fund raiser for the libel reform in the UK.^[16]

At a book signing event in Central London in September 2010, Ross stated that as a youngster he went to school in Leyton (Leyton Senior High School) and supports Leyton Orient F.C.^{[citation needed]}

On 6 June 2011, it was announced that Ross' beloved pug Mr Pickle had been killed in an accident on board a train while Ross was filming a new travelogue show for ITV.^[17] Mr Pickle was well known to both viewers and listeners of Ross' TV and radio shows.

Career[link]

Child actor[link]

Following the acting lead of his mother, who appeared as an extra on television shows such as East Enders, Ross appeared in television ads as a child actor. His first, for the breakfast cereal Kellogg's Rice Krispies, gave him his television debut in 1970, when he was 10 years old.^[18][19] He also appeared in an ad for the laundry detergent Persil.^[20]

Early career[link]

Ross began his adult career as a researcher on the Channel 4 show Loose Talk. After leaving this, he worked on various other shows before beginning another research job on Soul Train, which became Solid Soul. It is believed his first appearance on television was as an extra in the 1981 It Ain't Half Hot, Mum episode, The Last Roll Call.^[21]

Channel X: 1987–95[link]

Whilst on Solid Soul, he met fellow researcher Alan Marke, and the two devised what would prove to be a breakthrough hit for Ross in 1987, The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross.

The pair based their concept on the successful American show Late Night with David Letterman, and formed a new production company called Channel X, to produce a pilot. Ross was not originally slated as the show's host, but with little time to find one Jonathan Ross stepped in and made his debut on the show in January 1987.^[22]

While the series was initially a co-production with Colin Calendar, ownership transferred to Marke and Ross, meaning that the latter retained a great deal of control as well as being presenter.^[23] The show proved popular for both Ross and for Channel 4, making him one of the major personalities on the channel.

A year later, his documentary series The Incredibly Strange Film Show introduced many to the works of cult filmmakers like Sam Raimi and Jackie Chan.

In 1989, he co-presented the biennial BBC charity telethon Comic Relief, the same year he launched One Hour with Jonathan Ross a short lived chat show on Channel 4, most notable for the game show segment "Knock down ginger" which introduced comedians such as Vic Reeves, Bob Mortimer, Paul Whitehouse and Charlie Higson to television.

In 1991, he presented the annual British Comedy Awards on ITV. He has presented the event each year since, but in 2008 announced he would be stepping down from the role following his suspension from the BBC.^[24] In 1992 he presented an interview with Madonna about her Erotica album and Sex Book promotion.

In 1993, he was the narrator for FIA Formula One 1993 Season Review video.

Ross has appeared in numerous television entertainment programmes on several channels throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He was a regular panellist on the sports quiz They Think It's All Over, and hosted the panel game It's Only TV...But I Like It. Other projects include the BBC joke-quiz Gagtag, the Channel 4 variety show Saturday Zoo, new-acts showcase The Big Big Talent Show, and the ITV programme Fantastic Facts.

In 1995 he left Channel X, despite its profitable nature. He was quoted in a 1998 article as stating:

It was to do with a deliberate change in my life, moving away from TV as the core of my existence to focus on my family more. So I had to give up everything to do with Channel X, and I literally got only £1 for my share, which was unbelievable.^[25]

Television 1995–2006[link]

In 1995 he presented Mondo Rosso, a programme about old cult films. He took over presenting of the Film programme, the BBC's long-running cinema review series, in 1999 after Barry Norman left the show. Ross himself has made a number of cameo appearances in films, playing himself in the Spice Girls' film Spice World (1997) and voicing the character of Doris in the UK version of Shrek 2 (2004). He also played himself in Only Fools and Horses, presenting Goldrush, a fictional television quiz on which the main character, Del, was a contestant. In 2001 he voiced characters in two episodes of the animated comedy series Rex the Runt. In the 30 October episode of Film 2006, Ross also claimed that he had appeared as an extra in the 1981 film 'The Rise and Fall of Idi Amin', as an Israeli soldier raiding Entebbe Airport.^{[citation needed]} He also appeared on the first pilot show for Shooting Stars, acting as a team captain.

BBC Radio: 1999–2010[link]

Ross began presenting a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 2 in 1999. He has also presented radio shows for BBC Radio 1 and Virgin Radio (having previously worked on Richard Branson's earlier venture, Radio Radio), as well as the now-defunct commercial radio network service The Superstation, where his producer was Chris Evans.

From 23 May 2009, Ross' BBC Radio 2 show was pre-recorded 24 hours before broadcast.^[26] This decision was made to make the show more watertight and, according to the press, to make sure any of Ross's off-the-cuff comments might be edited out.^[27]

Ross' show on Radio 2 last aired on 17 July 2010 when his contract at the BBC ended.

[edit] Friday Night with Jonathan Ross: 2001–10

Ross with friend Ricky Gervais at Live 8 in July 2005

On 2 November 2001, Ross began presenting his chat show Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.

In 2005, Ross anchored the BBC television coverage of the Live 8 concerts. Later that year he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting. He celebrated the news by playing "God Save the Queen" by The Sex Pistols (which was banned by the BBC when released in 1977) on his BBC Radio 2 Saturday morning show. On 21 June 2006 Ross was made a Fellow of University College London, where he studied.

In early 2006, Ross announced that after eight years he was quitting his regular panellist seat on the sport/comedy quiz show They Think It's All Over, stating:

I’ve had a great time on They Think It's All Over, imparting my vast sporting knowledge to the nation, but I need time now to focus on my other commitments and so regrettably I won't be back for the 20th series. It's a fantastic show and from now on I'll be able to actually watch it.

However, after Ross's departure, only two more episodes of the show were made before it was cancelled.

In January 2006 he presented Jonathan Ross' Asian Invasion, broadcast on BBC Four. The three-part documentary followed Ross as he explored the film industry in Japan, Hong Kong and South Korea, interviewing directors and showcasing clips. His interest in Asian culture and his self confessed love for anime and video games led him to making three series of BBC Three show Japanorama, as well as producing another series for the same channel called Adam and Joe Go Tokyo, starring Adam Buxton and Joe Cornish. He produced the latter programme through his own production company Hot Sauce.

In June 2006, a bidding war was sparked between BBC and other broadcasters for Ross' services. Although other broadcasters were unsuccessful in poaching Ross, it is believed that their bids were higher than the BBC during negotiations. ITV, who bid for Ross, poached chat host Michael Parkinson around the same time. Ross became the highest paid television personality in Britain, when a new BBC contract secured his services until 2010, for a reported £18 million (£6 million per year).^[28]

On 25 June 2006, he performed at the Children's Party at the Palace for the Queen's 80th birthday. In August 2006, Ross was enlisted to ask the first question^[29] since the transition from beta for the Yahoo Answers in UK and Ireland. On 16 March 2007, Ross hosted Comic Relief 2007 alongside Fearne Cotton and Lenny Henry. On 7 July 2007 Ross presented at the Live Earth concert.

Starting on 10 September 2007 he presented the BBC Four series Comics Britannia, about the history of the British comic. This forms the core of a Comics Britannia season, which includes another documentary, In Search of Steve Ditko, by Ross.^[30]

In May 2008, Ross won the Sony Gold Award "Music Radio Personality of the Year".^[31]

On 3 August 2008, on BBC1, he hosted Jonathan Ross Salutes Dad's Army.

In 2010, Ross took part in Channel 4's Comedy Gala, a benefit show held in aid of Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at the O2 Arena in London on 30 March.

On 7 April 2010, Ross's first comic book was published. Turf was written by Jonathan himself and drawn by artist Tommy Lee Edwards.^[32] In 2011, Ross wrote an introduction for The Steve Ditko Omnibus Vol. 1,^[33] a collection of work by the American comics artist featured in Ross' 2007 documentary.

In one of his last appearances on the show, Ross was bundled on repeatedly by Gary Lineker, Ross Noble, Damon Albarn, Jamie Hewlett & Tinie Tempah, after a performance of Gorillaz' iconic song "Clint Eastwood" & "On Melancholy Hill".^{[citation needed]}

Leaving the BBC (2010)[link]

On 7 January 2010, Ross confirmed that he would leave the BBC in July 2010, having decided not to renegotiate his contract. This would see him leave all his regular BBC roles, namely his Friday night chat show, Radio 2 show and a film review programme, although he would be continuing with some specials, such as Comic Relief and the BAFTA Awards.^{[34][35][36][37]}

Explaining the decision, Ross said:

Although I have had a wonderful time working for the BBC, and am very proud of the shows I have made while there, over the last two weeks I have decided not to re-negotiate when my current contract comes to an end. While there, I have worked with some of the nicest and most talented people in the industry and had the opportunity to interview some of the biggest stars in the world, and am grateful to the BBC for such a marvellous experience. I would like to make it perfectly clear that no negotiations ever took place and that my decision is not financially motivated^[34]

The decision came a day after it was announced that Graham Norton had signed a two-year deal with the BBC, and the BBC's media correspondent Torin Douglas speculated Norton would be a ready-made replacement for Ross's chat show role, while Mark Kermode of BBC Radio 5 Live was a potential successor in the film review role, but that "replacing Ross on radio will be harder". ^[34] Ross last appeared on the film programme in Episode 10 of Film 2010 with Jonathan Ross aired on 17 March 2010. After Kermode publicly ruled himself out on 26 March, Claudia Winkleman was announced 30 March 2010 as his replacement as host of the Film programme, who was to host Film 2010 from September 2010.^[38][39]

Ross's final Friday Night chat show episode aired on 16 July 2010, with David Beckham, Jackie Chan, Mickey Rourke, and Roxy Music as guests. Ross ended the show with an affectionate tribute to his guests and to the audience, while mentioning that he had promised his friend Morrissey that he would remain composed and "wouldn't cry". His final Radio 2 show was broadcast the following day. Patrick Kielty initially took over Ross' Radio 2 slot from 24 July 2010 after which Graham Norton took over permanently.

2010 onwards (ITV and Cinemoi)[link]

On 14 December 2010, Jonathan Ross announced his creative partnership with CineMoi, the UK's first and only independent French film channel. His deal with the company gives him a multi-faceted role as presenter, producer, creative director and shareholder in the company. A life long cinephile Ross has a unique perspective on French film and hopes to encourage 'first-timers' to explore a world of film that differs slightly from that of the regular Hollywood fare.

On 19 December 2010, Ross presented a three hour Channel 4 list show, 100 Greatest Toys, with the broadcaster describing Ross as a "huge toy enthusiast with a private collection that would rival any museum's."^[40][41]

In 2011, he presented Penn & Teller: Fool Us on ITV, a collaboration with magicians Penn & Teller.

Ross's new chat show The Jonathan Ross Show began on 3 September 2011 on ITV1,^[42] drawing an audience of 4.3m viewers, compared to the 4.6m for his finale on the BBC show.^[43] The first series will run for thirteen weeks. Speaking about the new show, Ross said: "I am thrilled and excited that after a short break I will be rolling up my sleeves and creating a brand new show for ITV1."^[44] Ross will also host a panel show from 2012 called Trending Topics also for ITV. The show will involve the social-network site Twitter. In Spring 2012, Ross appeared in the ITV panel show Mad Mad World.

Ross is currently planning to film a television piece with Lucha Britania. [45]

Controversies[link]

BBC contract[link]

In April 2006, Ross, along with other BBC personalities, had details of his fees leaked to the tabloid press.^[46] It was claimed at the time, by a then-unidentified BBC mole, that Ross earned £530,000 (equivalent to £10,000 per show) per year for hosting his Radio 2 show.^[47] While refusing to comment specifically on the leak in line with BBC policy on the matter, Ross did hint during his radio show that the figure was exaggerated; in addition to this, any pay highlighted as being "his" would actually be split between himself and his producer/co-presenter on the show, Andy Davies.

David Cameron interview[link]

In June 2006, when Conservative Party leader David Cameron appeared on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, Ross began a line of questioning relating to Conservative ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, culminating in the question "Did you or did you not have a wank thinking of Margaret Thatcher?". Ross was defended by the BBC publicly, but repeat showings of the interview have been banned.^[48]

Heather Mills comment[link]

In 2006, Ross was criticised when he made a joke against Heather Mills, soon after she and Paul McCartney announced they were to divorce. He branded Mills, who has only one leg, a "fucking liar" and that he "wouldn't be surprised if we found out she's actually got two legs".^[49]

"1,000 journalists" comment[link]

On 5 December 2007, Ross joked at the British Comedy Awards that his salary meant that he was "apparently worth 1,000 BBC journalists". His quip came shortly after the BBC had announced plans for more than 2,000 jobs cuts, and was condemned as "obscene" by the general secretary of the National Union of Journalists.^[50] Ross has denied this saying that he was commenting on a piece that was written in a newspaper about his salary being that of 1,000 journalists:

"You know where that came from? The newspapers. After the fee was announced, they said, 'The BBC says he's worth 1,000 journalists', so on the Comedy Awards I made a joke that began, 'Apparently I'm worth 1,000 journalists according to the newspapers.' Every time it's quoted, is the word 'apparently' ever used? Which does change the meaning somewhat."^[51]

The Russell Brand Show and Andrew Sachs[link]

Following a guest appearance by Ross on The Russell Brand Show broadcast on 18 October 2008, Ross was suspended for 12 weeks without pay by the BBC on 29 October, after a series of answer phone messages were left for 78-year-old actor Andrew Sachs regarding Sachs' granddaughter Georgina Baillie, by Russell Brand and Ross, which were broadcast on the pre-recorded show.^[52] After little initial interest, a media story about the calls generated a high number of complaints. Brand resigned from the BBC, while Ross was suspended without pay. BBC director general Mark Thompson stated that Ross should take the disciplinary action as a "final warning".^[53][54] The BBC was later fined £150,000 by Britain's broadcast regulator for airing the calls.^[55]

On 21 November 2008, the BBC Trust said that the phone calls were a "deplorable intrusion with no editorial justification".^[56] The trust gave its backing to Ross's 12 week suspension but recommended that no further action be taken against him. He returned to work in January, and the first episode of a new series of Friday Night With Jonathan Ross with guests Tom Cruise, Stephen Fry and Lee Evans, and music from Franz Ferdinand, was broadcast on 23 January 2009.

Gwyneth Paltrow interview[link]

The BBC Trust ruled that Ross’s interview with Gwyneth Paltrow, broadcast on 2 May 2008, breached editorial guidelines. They ruled that bad language in an episode of Ross's pre-recorded BBC1 chat show, Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, in which the presenter told Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow he "would fuck her" was "gratuitous and unnecessarily offensive". The trust said it disagreed with the judgement made by BBC management that the episode should be broadcast uncensored, adding that the comment was made in an "overly sexual way" and that it had upheld a number of complaints made about the edition of Friday Night with Jonathan Ross.^[57] The trust reminded BBC staff that "the casual gratuitous use of the most offensive language is not acceptable on the BBC in accordance with the BBC's existing guidelines and practices", adding that "this particularly applies in entertainment programmes".^[58]

[edit] Hannah Montana comment

On 13 May 2009, Ross was accused of homophobia after a comment he made on his radio show,^[59] in which he said,

If your son asks for a Hannah Montana MP3 player, then you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption in later life, when they settle down with their partner.^[60]

An incorrect version of this quote was also circulated, in which Ross was accused of saying:

If your son asks for a Hannah Montana MP3 player, you might want to already think about putting him down for adoption before he brings his … erm … partner home.^[61]

Ofcom received 61 complaints following the comment. A representative from the BBC defended Ross, saying the comment was made "purely in jest" and that "Jonathan is not homophobic in any sense and never meant for his comments to be taken seriously."^[62] On 7 July 2009, Ofcom ruled that Ross did not breach the broadcasting code. They wrote in their opinion that "the comment was clearly presented as a joke intended to make light of the reactions that some parents may have if their child chooses a toy that is very widely recognised to be designed and marketed for the opposite sex" and that the nature of the joke and tone and manner in which it was presented "made clear that it was not intended to be hostile or pejorative towards the gay community in general."^[60] Stonewall criticised the ruling; saying "the fact that a comment is light-hearted does not absolve it from perpetuating the stereotypes that lead to homophobic bullying."^[63]

Video games[link]

Honours and awards[link]

• 2006, made a Fellow of University College, London (UCL), into which his alma mater, SSEES, had been absorbed.^[64]

• 2012, Special Recognition award at the National Television Awards.

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Jonathan Ross: The Biography, Neil Simpson, John Blake Publishing Ltd (31 July 2007), ISBN 1-84454-432-X
• Why Do I Say These Things?, Jonathan Ross, Bantam Press (16 October 2008), ISBN 0-593-06082-2

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Jonathan Ross

• The Jonathan Ross Show on itv.com
• Jonathan Ross at the Internet Movie Database
• Interactive video talk by Jonathan Ross on Ealing studios for the British Film Institute

The Rock
Johnson at the Tribeca Film Festival, April 25, 2009.
Ring name(s)	Flex Kavana[1] Rocky Maivia[1] The Rock[1] Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson[2]
Billed height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)[3]
Billed weight	260 lb (120 kg)[3]
Born	(1972-05-02) May 2, 1972 (age 40)[4] Hayward, California
Resides	Los Angeles[citation needed]
Billed from	Miami, Florida[3]
Trained by	Rocky Johnson[5] Pat Patterson[5]
Debut	1996[5]

Dwayne Douglas Johnson^[6] (born May 2, 1972),^[4] also known by his ring name The Rock, is an American actor and professional wrestler who is signed to WWE, appearing on the Raw brand.^[7][8] He is often credited as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.^[3]

Johnson was a college football player. In 1991, he was part of the University of Miami's national championship team. He later played for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League, and was cut two months into the 1995 season.^[9] This led to his decision to become a professional wrestler like his grandfather, Peter Maivia, and his father, Rocky Johnson. He gained mainstream fame as a wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1996 to 2004, and was the first third-generation superstar in the company's history. Johnson was quickly given a push as a heroic character in the WWF, originally billed as "Rocky Maivia", and then as "The Rock". He would subsequently turn into a villain as a member of the Nation of Domination in 1997. Two years after he joined the WWF, Johnson won the WWF Championship, and became one of the most popular wrestlers within the company's history for his engaging interviews and promos. Johnson is regarded by many as one of the greatest talkers in professional wrestling history, Rock was voted third by the fans for his microphone ability behind Roddy Piper and Stone Cold Steve Austin who were second and first respectively.^[10][11]

Johnson is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.^[12][13] He won a total of 16 championships in WWF/E. This included nine World Heavyweight Championships (the WWF/E Championship seven times and the WCW/World Championship twice), two WWF Intercontinental Championships, and five times as co-holder of the WWF Tag Team Championships. He was the sixth WWF/E Triple Crown Champion, and the winner of the 2000 Royal Rumble.

Johnson's autobiography co-written with Joe Layden, The Rock Says..., was released in 2000. It debuted at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list, and remained on the list for several weeks.^{[citation needed]} Johnson's first leading role as an actor was in The Scorpion King in 2002. For this film, he received the highest salary for an actor in his first starring role, earning $5.5 million.^[14] He has since appeared in several blockbuster movies such as The Rundown, Be Cool, Walking Tall, Gridiron Gang, The Game Plan, Get Smart, Race to Witch Mountain, Planet 51, Tooth Fairy, Doom, The Other Guys, Faster, and most recently Fast Five starring opposite Vin Diesel and Paul Walker.

Early life[link]

Dwayne Johnson, the son of Ata Johnson (née Maivia) and Rocky Johnson, was born in Hayward, California.^[4] His maternal grandfather, "High Chief" Peter Maivia, was also a professional wrestler. His maternal grandmother, Lia Maivia, ran Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling from 1982 until 1988, following her husband's death, becoming one of wrestling's few female professional promoters.^[15][16] His father is of Black Nova Scotian (Canadian) origin and his mother is of Samoan heritage.^[17][18] For a brief period, Johnson lived in Auckland, New Zealand, with his mother's family.^[19] During this time his mother Ata ensured Johnson was exposed to one of the urban Polynesian cultural strongholds of the southern hemisphere.^[19] Johnson attended Richmond Road Primary School before returning to the United States with his parents.^[19]

He spent 10th grade at President William McKinley High School in Honolulu, Hawaii. As he entered 11th grade, Johnson's father's job required his relocation to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the state's Lehigh Valley region. He began playing football at Bethlehem's Freedom High School in the highly competitive East Penn Conference.^[18] In addition to playing football at Freedom High School, he also was a member of the high school's track and field and wrestling teams.^[18]

On April 17, 2009, changes to Canadian nationality law came into effect, which made all children born in the first generation abroad to Canadian-born parents automatically (and retroactively to date of birth) Canadian citizens. Since Johnson's father was born in Canada and Johnson was born in the first generation abroad, he automatically received Canadian citizenship.^[20]

Education[link]

Johnson was heavily recruited by many Division I collegiate programs but ultimately accepted a full scholarship from the University of Miami to play defensive tackle. In 1991, he was part of the Miami Hurricanes' national championship team.^[21] After an injury kept him sidelined, Johnson was replaced by fellow Hurricane and future National Football League (NFL) star Warren Sapp.^[18]

While attending Miami, Johnson met his future wife, Dany Garcia. Garcia, who graduated from the university in 1992, is a member of its Board of Trustees,^[22] and the founder of a Miami-based wealth management firm. The two have remained close to their alma mater, giving a $2-million donation in 2006 to build a living room at the University's Newman Alumni Center. Johnson graduated from Miami in 1995 with a Bachelor of General Studies^[23] degree in criminology and physiology. Johnson continued his football career in 1995, joining the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League after being passed over by the NFL, but he was cut two months into the season.^[9][18] On November 10, 2007, he returned to the Orange Bowl in Miami to participate in the festivities surrounding the University of Miami's last home football game at the stadium. Johnson has two nephews who play football. Kaluka Maiava played football at USC and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2009, while Kaluka's brother Kai Maiava currently plays at UCLA.

Professional wrestling career[link]

Training (1995–1996)[link]

Along with his father and grandfather, several members of Johnson's family are current and former professional wrestlers, including his uncles, the Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika Anoa'i) and cousins, such as Manu, Yokozuna, Rikishi, Rosey, and Umaga.^[19] When he declared his intention to join the family business, his father resisted, but agreed to train his son himself, warning him that he would not go easy on him.^[18] With help from veteran wrestler Pat Patterson, Johnson had several tryout matches with the WWF in 1996; he defeated The Brooklyn Brawler at a house show under his real name, Dwayne Johnson,^[24] and lost the others to Chris Candido and Owen Hart.^[19] Impressed by his talent and charisma, Johnson was signed to a contract after wrestling at Jerry Lawler's United States Wrestling Association, where he wrestled under the ring name "Flex Kavana".^[5] While there, he won the USWA World Tag Team Championship twice with Bart Sawyer in the summer of 1996.

World Wrestling Federation / Entertainment (1996–2004)[link]

Early WWF run (1996–1997)[link]

Johnson made his WWF debut as Rocky Maivia, which combined his father and grandfather's ring names; Johnson was initially reluctant to the idea, but was persuaded to go ahead with the name by Vince McMahon and Jim Ross.^[16][25] In addition to taking on the nickname "The Blue Chipper," the WWF played up his connection to his father and grandfather, calling him the company's first third-generation wrestler.^[3]

Johnson, who was first portrayed as a clean-cut face character (fan favorite), was pushed heavily from the start despite his lack of in-ring experience. He debuted at Survivor Series in November 1996 and was the sole survivor,^[26] and he won the WWF Intercontinental Championship from Hunter Hearst Helmsley on Raw on February 13, 1997, after only three months in the company.^[27][28][29] He scored a notable victory, albeit by disqualification, over Bret Hart in a title defense on the March 31 episode of Raw.^[30] Fans, however, quickly grew sick of the one-dimensional good guy character, thanks in part to the increasing popularity of Stone Cold Steve Austin.^[1] As a result, a regular occurrence during Johnson's matches was the fans' angry chants of "Die Rocky Die!" and "Rocky Sucks!"^[1][5][16]

Nation of Domination (1997–1998)[link]

The Rock as Intercontinental Champion, during his time with the Nation of Domination, at WWF Mayhem in Manchester, April 1998.

After losing the Intercontinental Championship to Owen Hart on the April 28, 1997 episode of Raw is War,^[31] and returning from an injury, The Rock turned into a heel character (villain). He joined the Nation of Domination with Faarooq (later member of the APA), D'Lo Brown, and Kama.^[32] During that time, Johnson refused to acknowledge his actual name, instead referring to himself as "The Rock" and speaking in third person. He attacked and insulted the fans in his promos. In sharp contrast to the overly positive persona, he was now a charismatic bully, eventually driving out the group leader, Faarooq in March 1998.^[32] He also mocked WWF television announcers- with particularly cutting comments for former announcer Kevin Kelly (referred to as an "ugly hermaphrodite").^[32]

Johnson was soon recognized for cutting arguably the best promos in the industry. In his 2000 autobiography, Johnson attributed this skill to his exceptional performance in speech communications classes at Miami, in which he earned "A" grades. At In Your House: D-Generation X, Austin defeated The Rock in less than six minutes to retain the Intercontinental Championship.^[33] The following night on Raw is War, Austin was ordered by Mr. McMahon to defend the Intercontinental Championship in a rematch, but Austin decided to forfeit it instead, and handed the championship over to The Rock before performing the Stone Cold Stunner on him.^[34][35] Rock spent the end of 1997 and the beginning of 1998 feuding with both Austin and Ken Shamrock.^[36][37]

The Rock next feuded with Faarooq, who was angry at him for usurping his position. The two had a title match at Over the Edge, where the Rock retained the Intercontinental Championship.^[38] The Rock then moved into a feud with Triple H and D-Generation X. Nation members fought DX while the Rock fought Triple H over the Intercontinental Championship. They first had a two out of three falls match at Fully Loaded for the Rock's title, where the Rock retained the title in controversial fashion.^[39] This led to a ladder match at SummerSlam where the Rock lost the belt.^[40] At Breakdown, the Rock defeated Ken Shamrock and Mankind in a triple threat steel cage match to become the number one contender to the WWF Championship before feuding with fellow Nation member Mark Henry, effectively disbanding the Nation.^[41][42]

The Corporation (1998–1999)[link]

As part of The Corporation, the Rock feuded with Stone Cold Steve Austin and stole Austin's personalised WWF Championship, the Smoking Skull belt.

Johnson's popularity as the Rock propelled him to the WWF Championship. The Rock began to conduct many entertaining interviews, and thus he got over with the fans. Fan reaction effectively turned him into a face character, and he began to feud with Mr. McMahon, who said he has a "problem with the people" and thus he should target the "People's Champion" (as the Rock claimed himself to be). A double turn occurred at Survivor Series, when The Rock defeated the then-villain Mankind in the finals of the "Deadly Game" tournament^[43] for the vacant WWF Championship.^[44] At the end of the match, The Rock applied a Sharpshooter on Mankind. As he did this, McMahon called for the bell to be rung and then ordered for The Rock to be declared the winner.^[43][44] This was a parody of the Montreal Screwjob, which happened one year earlier at Survivor Series to Bret "The Hitman" Hart.

With the plan coming to fruition, the Rock turned into a villain again and sided with Vince and Shane McMahon as the crown jewel of The Corporation stable.^[43] This was also a start of a double turn, as Mankind became a fan favorite.^[45] Later, The Rock had his own pay-per view, Rock Bottom: In Your House, where he had a rematch against Mankind for the WWF Championship. Mankind won the match by knocking the Rock out with Mr. Socko and the mandible claw, but Mr. McMahon said that The Rock did not tap out and therefore The Rock would retain his title.^[45][46] The Rock began a feud with Mankind over the WWF Championship, during which the title changed hands back and forth between the two, first during the main event of the January 4, 1999 episode of Raw is War, when Mankind defeated The Rock with the help of Stone Cold Steve Austin.^[47] The Rock captured his second WWF Championship in an "I Quit" match at Royal Rumble on January 24, 1999,^[48][49] when a pre-recorded sample of Mankind saying "I quit" from an interview segment was played over the sound system. This second reign did not last long, however. In a match that counter-programmed the Super Bowl halftime show on January 31, 1999, Mankind pinned The Rock using a forklift truck in an Empty Arena Match where the competitors used everything from bags of popcorn to garbage to punish each other.^[50] This feud continued until the February 15 episode of Raw is War, when The Rock won his third WWF Championship in a ladder match after newly debuted The Big Show chokeslammed Mankind off a ladder.^[51][52]

With Mankind out of the way, The Rock had to defend his WWF Championship at WrestleMania XV, but lost the belt to Austin.^[53] The Rock lost the title rematch to Austin at Backlash: In Your House.^[54] Despite him being a villain, WWF fans had begun to cheer The Rock due to his comedic interviews, promos, and segments, which mocked wrestlers and announcers. The Rock transitioned into a face character again after being betrayed by Shane McMahon, and established a feud with Triple H, The Undertaker, and the Corporate Ministry. During this feud, he sometimes found himself fighting alongside Steve Austin. The Rock defeated Triple H at Over the Edge, and then lost to WWF Champion The Undertaker at King of the Ring.^[55][56] During mid-1999 he continued his rivalry with Triple H, losing to him in a number one contender's match at Fully Loaded following interference from Mr. Ass.^[57] Due to this, as well as feuding with Triple H, The Rock commenced a feud with Mr. Ass, including defeating him in a "Kiss My Ass" match at SummerSlam.^[58]

The Rock 'n' Sock Connection (1999)[link]

Towards the latter part of 1999 The Rock found himself in several singles and tag team championship opportunities. He teamed with former enemy Mankind to create the Rock 'n' Sock Connection, after The Rock challenged the team of The Undertaker and The Big Show, which led to Mankind offering his help.^[59] The Rock accepted, and they went on to win the WWF Tag Team Championship three times.^[60][61][62] Aside from the championships, the team was regarded as one of the most entertaining teams in history, as Mankind imitated The Rock, who ignored Mankind, with both wrestlers having support from the crowd. The team was also involved in a segment which occurred on Raw is War called "This Is Your Life", in which Mankind brought out people from The Rock's past, such as his high school girlfriend and his high school football coach. The segment earned an 8.4 Nielsen rating and is, to this day, one of the single highest rated segments in terms of viewership in Raw history.^[60][63]

Feuds for the WWF Championship (2000–2001)[link]

The Rock's popularity was fuelled by his charisma and speech making abilities, which often led to many memorable catchphrases and subsequent merchandise.

At Royal Rumble in early 2000, The Rock entered in the Royal Rumble match and lasted until he and The Big Show were the final two men. In the final moment of the match, The Big Show was seemingly going to throw The Rock over the top rope in a running powerslam-like position, but when they got to the apron The Rock reversed the blow, sending The Big Show to the outside floor and then came back up.^[64] The Rock's feet, however, hit the floor first, although those watching the event did not see that. The Big Show attempted to prove that The Rock's feet, not his, touched the ground first. He provided video footage showing that he was the rightful winner. Despite that, the decision that The Rock had won the Rumble match could not be reversed, so a number one contender's match for the WWF Championship at No Way Out was held, which saw The Big Show come out on top after Shane McMahon interfered, knocking The Rock in the head with a steel chair as he attempted to finish off his opponent with a People's Elbow.^[65] The Rock later defeated The Big Show on March 13, 2000 episode of Raw is War to regain the right to face the WWF Champion, Triple H, at WrestleMania 2000 (XVI) in a Fatal Four-Way Elimination match also featuring The Big Show and Mick Foley.^[66][67] Each competitor had a McMahon in their corner; for Triple H, his on-screen wife and then off-screen girlfriend Stephanie McMahon; for Mick Foley, the matriarch Linda McMahon; for The Rock, Vince McMahon; and in Big Show's corner, Shane McMahon.^[67][68] Triple H retained the title when Vince betrayed The Rock, hitting him with a chair, allowing Triple H to pin The Rock for the three-count.^[68][69]

Over the next couple of months The Rock feuded with Triple H over the WWF Championship. A month after the match at WrestleMania 2000, The Rock had a rematch with Triple H at Backlash in which The Rock won his fourth WWF Championship, after Stone Cold Steve Austin made a brief return and intervened on The Rock's behalf.^[70][71][72] Later, at Judgment Day, the two had an Iron Man match with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee, that saw The Undertaker return.^[73] The Rock got disqualified and lost the title, as a result of The Undertaker attacking Triple H.^[73] The following night on Raw is War, The Rock got his revenge, taking out the entire McMahon-Helmsley Faction with the help of The Undertaker.^[74] He later won his fifth WWF Championship at King of the Ring in a tag team match, which saw him team up with Kane and The Undertaker to fight Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon and Triple H.^[75][76] He successfully defended the championship against superstars such as Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, Triple H, Kane, The Undertaker, and Shane McMahon.^[71][77][78]

The Rock later lost the WWF Championship to Angle at No Mercy in October.^[71][79] During this time, he feuded with Rikishi and defeated him at Survivor Series.^[71][80] He also participated in a six-man Hell in a Cell match at Armageddon for the WWF Championship, in which Kurt Angle retained the title.^[71][81] Around that same time, Rock held the WWF Tag Team Championship with The Undertaker and the duo exchanged the titles with Edge and Christian.^[71][82]

In 2001, The Rock continued his feud with Angle over the WWF Championship, which they eventually settled at No Way Out. After a battle that saw both wrestlers kick out of each other's finishers, The Rock finally came out on top and won the WWF Championship for the sixth time.^[71][83][84] Afterwards, he feuded with the Royal Rumble winner, Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Rock went into WrestleMania X-Seven as the WWF Champion, but he was defeated after Austin used Mr. McMahon to win the title.^[71][85] During a Steel Cage match with Austin in a rematch for the WWF Championship on the following night's Raw is War, Triple H came down to the ring with a sledgehammer. Many thought he was coming to aid The Rock, due to the hatred between Austin and Triple H (and an argument with Vince earlier in the night), but it transpired that he had joined the Austin/McMahon partnership by hitting The Rock instead.^[86] Austin and Triple H became a tag team called "The Two-Man Power Trip",^[87] while according to the storyline The Rock was indefinitely suspended, during which time he acted in the movie "The Mummy Returns".^[5]

The Invasion (2001)[link]

The Rock taunts Rob Van Dam at ringside.

He returned in late July 2001 and had to decide if he wanted to join the WWF or The Alliance (a combination of WCW and ECW) during The Invasion, eventually siding with the WWF.^[71] At SummerSlam, The Rock defeated Booker T to win the WCW Championship.^[71][88][89] He lost the WCW Championship to Chris Jericho, with whom he won the WWF Tag Team Championship around the same time, at No Mercy.^[90][91]

The Rock defeated Jericho on November 5 episode of Raw for his second WCW Championship.^[92] Continuing with the WWF's battle against The Alliance, The Rock was involved in a "Winner Takes All" match at Survivor Series, which saw him end up one on one with Steve Austin who had joined The Alliance. The Rock seemed to be superior to Austin, until Chris Jericho, who was also a member of team WWF and was eliminated a few minutes before that point, came inside the ring and attacked The Rock. Austin took advantage of that and tried to defeat The Rock, but Kurt Angle, a supposed Alliance teammate of Austin, proved to be a mole planted by Vince McMahon and hit Austin in the head with a title belt. This allowed The Rock to eliminate him, and destroyed The Alliance once and for all.^[71][93]

Undisputed WWE Champion, final storylines (2001–2003)[link]

The Rock closed out the year losing the WCW Championship to Chris Jericho at Vengeance, when Jericho won both the WCW and WWF titles to become the first Undisputed WWF Champion.^[94]

In early 2002, Rock feuded with Jericho and challenged him for the Undisputed Championship at Royal Rumble, but lost the match.^[95] After losing to Jericho, Rock defeated The Undertaker at No Way Out,^[96] before issuing a challenge to the newly returned Hollywood Hulk Hogan on Raw for a match at WrestleMania X8. He then engaged in a feud with Hogan and the re-formed New World Order (nWo); Rock defeated Hogan at WrestleMania in an "Icon vs Icon" match,^[97] but fan reaction resulted in Hogan again becoming a fan favorite, with the two befriending each other after the match and occasionally teaming against the nWo.^[98] On July 21, The Rock won his record-breaking seventh and final WWE Championship, which was known as the Undisputed WWE Championship at the time.^[99] He defeated Kurt Angle and The Undertaker in a match at Vengeance, after he hit the Rock Bottom on Angle.^[99][100] The Rock successfully defended the title at Global Warning against Triple H and Brock Lesnar by pinning Triple H, who then saved The Rock after Lesnar tried to ambush him after the match.^[101] Johnson finally dropped the Undisputed WWE Championship to Lesnar at SummerSlam, ending his final championship reign, and making Lesnar the youngest WWE Champion in history, a record previously held by The Rock.^[102] The Rock then went on an extended hiatus from WWE.^[71]

Johnson at WWE Axxess in 2002.

The Rock began his last villainous turn on SmackDown!, publicly criticizing Hulk Hogan and taking the persona of a smug sellout who made it clear the WWE (and its fans) was no longer a priority.^[103] Their WrestleMania X8 rematch at No Way Out ended with The Rock claiming victory again, with assistance from Vince McMahon and the referee, Sylvain Grenier.^[71][82] The Rock later drafted himself to the Raw brand and started a feud with The Hurricane and other fan favorites.^[104] He also had a comical gimmick, where he played the guitar and sang songs mocking the host city for the event, which culminated in a "Rock concert" that took place during the main event of the March 24, 2003 episode of Raw, where The Rock mocked the host city, Sacramento, California, because of the Sacramento Kings' inability to beat the Los Angeles Lakers.^[105]

When Stone Cold Steve Austin returned, they again feuded, and The Rock defeated Austin at WrestleMania XIX, which was Austin's last major appearance in a wrestling role.^[71][106] The Rock then had a feud with Bill Goldberg, to whom Rock lost at Backlash.^[71][107] The Rock then turned into a fan favorite once more by engaging in a one night feud against Chris Jericho and Christian.^[108] During his previous villainous turn, he had declared Christian as his favorite wrestler, leading Christian to begin calling himself the "new people's champion" and referring to his fans as "his peeps."^[108][109]

Part–time appearances (2004–2009)[link]

The Rock made occasional wrestling appearances up to 2004's WrestleMania XX, when the storyline revolving around Mick Foley had him brought back to help in his feud with Evolution (Ric Flair, Randy Orton, Triple H and Batista).^[3] One humorous in-ring segment involved The Rock hosting his own version of "This Is Your Life" for Foley on the March 8, 2004 episode of Raw.^[71][110] Rock reunited with Foley after five years, as the Rock 'n' Sock Connection. The duo went on to lose to Orton, Flair and Batista at WrestleMania XX in a handicap match when Orton pinned Foley with an RKO.^[71][111]

He made sporadic appearances in WWE following WrestleMania, including standing up for Eugene, making a cameo appearance in his hometown of Miami and helping Foley turn back La Résistance.^[1] In 2004, he hosted a "Pie-Eating Contest" during the WWE Diva Search and ended the segment by giving Jonathan Coachman a spinebuster and a People's Elbow.^[1] After this appearance, Johnson reported in several interviews that he was no longer under contract with WWE.^[1] He also reported that the reason he was able to continue using the name "The Rock" was part of a dual ownership between him and WWE.^[112]

On March 12, 2007, The Rock made an appearance on WWE after a near three year absence, appearing on Raw via a pre-taped segment on the TitanTron. He correctly "predicted" that Bobby Lashley would defeat Umaga at WrestleMania 23 in Donald Trump and Vince McMahon's "Battle of the Billionaires" match.^[113]

On March 29, 2008, The Rock inducted his father, Rocky Johnson, and his grandfather, Peter Maivia into the WWE Hall of Fame. During his induction speech he roasted WWE superstars such as John Cena, Santino Marella, Chris Jericho, Mick Foley, Shawn Michaels, and Steve Austin.^[114]

In September 2009, Johnson appeared at a World Xtreme Wrestling show in order to support the debut of Sarona Snuka (daughter of longtime friend and mentor Jimmy Snuka, later known as "Tamina") in professional wrestling.^[115] On October 2, 2009, on the 10th anniversary of SmackDown, The Rock made a special appearance in a pre-recorded video.

Return to WWE (2011–present)[link]

The Rock as host of WrestleMania XXVII.

On the February 14, 2011 episode of Raw, the Rock was revealed as the Host of WrestleMania XXVII, appearing live on Raw for the first time in almost seven years. During a lengthy promo that ran 20 minutes over the usual Raw end time, the Rock addressed the fans, Michael Cole, The Miz, and John Cena, calling him a "big fat bowl of Fruity Pebbles", as a response of a shoot interview Cena did on the Rock a couple of years ago.^[116]

After numerous appearances via satellite, the Rock made a live appearance the Raw before WrestleMania to confront Cena, whom he had been feuding with through social networking. At the beginning of the Rock's live promo, he again made fun of Cena's accessories, calling him a "homeless power ranger" and "Vanilla Ice". After an exchange of words with Cena, the Miz and Alex Riley appeared and attacked the Rock. the Rock fended off the Miz and Riley, but Cena then blindsided the Rock with the Attitude Adjustment.^[117]

At WrestleMania XXVII on April 3, the Rock opened the show by cutting a promo. After numerous backstage segments that aired on camera, the Rock appeared during the main event between Cena and the Miz to restart the match that ended in a draw, making it a No Disqualifications match. However, in response to the Attitude Adjustment that Cena performed on the Rock on Raw,the Rock hit Cena with his finisher, the Rock Bottom, this allowed The Miz to pin and retain his title. However, Rock then nailed The Miz with The People's Elbow right after The Miz retained his title.^[118]

The Rock and John Cena agree to a match at WrestleMania XXVIII, one year in advance.

The next night on Raw, the Rock and Cena had a confrontation, after Cena called out the Rock and challenged him to a match which he accepted for WrestleMania XXVIII on April 1, 2012 a little under a year. The two of them then came together to fend off an attack by The Corre (which at that time consisted of Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel and Ezekiel Jackson).^[119] the Rock made an appearance live on Raw in his hometown of Miami on May 2, 2011 to celebrate his 39th birthday. On the same night, Cena, WWE Champion at that time, stated that he would keep his title until WrestleMania XXVIII so that their match would be for the WWE Championship.^[120]

On September 16, WWE announced that the Rock was confirmed to take part in a traditional 5-on-5 Survivor Series tag team match alongside his WrestleMania 28 opponent John Cena at the 25th anniversary of Survivor Series on November 20.^[121] This stipulation was changed on the October 24 episode of Raw, when Cena chose the Rock as his tag team partner in a standard tag team match against Awesome Truth, an alliance formed by the Miz and R-Truth.^[122] The following week, the Rock accepted Cena's offer albeit the hyped tension between them.^[123] On the November 14 episode of Raw, the Rock made a live appearance, delivering Rock Bottoms to Awesome Truth and Mick Foley, the latter who had been hosting a "This Is Your Life" segment for Cena.^[124] At Survivor Series, despite the hatred between the Rock and Cena, they defeated Awesome Truth when the Rock pinned the Miz with "The People's Elbow". Following the match, the Rock gave Cena a Rock Bottom.^[125]

The Rock celebrating his victory at WrestleMania 28.

From the February 27, 2012 and up to WrestleMania, The Rock and John Cena had various verbal confrontations on Raw, but they never came to blows.^[126][127] On March 12, 2012 edition of Raw, The Rock hosted his first Rock Concert after 8 years since 2004. The Rock also explained that having beaten Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania, he needed only to beat Cena to become the greatest wrestler of all time.^[128]

At WrestleMania XXVIII, the Rock faced Cena in the main event match which had been building for a year and that was billed as "once in a lifetime". The climax of the match came when Cena made the mistake of attempting the People's Elbow on the Rock, as the Rock countered with a Rock Bottom to seal the victory.^[129] The next night on Raw, the Rock praised Cena for putting up a good fight, calling their match an honor. The Rock then vowed to once again become WWE Champion.^[130]

Television and film career[link]

Dwayne Johnson
Johnson photographed by Jerry Avenaim for Vanity Fair in 2001.
Born	Dwayne Douglas Johnson (1972-05-02) May 2, 1972 (age 40) Hayward, California, US
Other names	The Rock, Rocky Maivia
Occupation	Actor, wrestler, philantropist
Years active	1995–2004; 2011–present (wrestler) 1999–present (actor)
Spouse	Dany Garcia (1997–07)

The success of Johnson's in-ring character allowed him to cross over into mainstream popularity, and he appeared on Wyclef Jean's 2000 single "It Doesn't Matter" and the accompanying video.^[131][132] That same year, he hosted Saturday Night Live.^[133] Fellow wrestlers Triple H, The Big Show, and Mick Foley appeared on the show.^[3][134] According to Johnson, it was due to the success of that episode that he began receiving offers from Hollywood studios.^[135]

Johnson filmed guest roles on Star Trek: Voyager, where he played an alien wrestler that used Johnson's famous moves,^[136] and That '70s Show, where he played his father, Rocky Johnson. His motion picture debut was a brief appearance as The Scorpion King in the opening sequence of The Mummy Returns. His character later appears in the climax as a CGI Character.^[3][133] The film's financial success led to his first leading role starring in the follow-up, The Scorpion King.^[3] He was considered for the lead in a feature-length Johnny Bravo film, but it was canceled during production.^[19]

Since his last WWE match in 2004, he had quit wrestling and focused solely on acting.^[137] He also continued to make television appearances, including Disney Channel's hit show Cory in the House, in the episode entitled “Never the Dwayne Shall Meet.”^[138] When Johnson was not active with WWE, the company continued to sell "The Rock" merchandise, and Johnson continued to be featured prominently in the opening montages of their television programming.^[19] The Rock has continued to show a multitude of his acting/talent skills including film roles like the cocky famous football player Joe Kingman in The Game Plan, and in Get Smart where he played Agent 23.

Johnson was featured in the 2007 Guinness Book of World Records for having the highest salary as an actor in his first starring role, receiving US$5.5 million.^[139][140] He appeared at the 80th Academy Awards on February 24, 2008 as a presenter for the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.^[141] He was nominated for Favorite Movie Actor at the 2008 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards for his role in The Game Plan, but lost out to Johnny Depp, who won for his performance in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.^[142][143] He then had a supporting role in the Steve Carell action comedy Get Smart.

Dwayne Johnson at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.

On March 20, 2009, Johnson appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Johnson hosted the 2009 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on March 28. Johnson also appeared on the Wizards of Waverly Place episode "Art Teacher" as part of his stint with The Walt Disney Company. Johnson has made various guest appearances on Saturday Night Live, reviving his character of The Rock Obama, a parody of The Hulk... "When you make Barack Obama angry, he turns into The Rock Obama."^[144] Also in 2009, Johnson played an ex-con turned cab driver Jack Bruno in Las Vegas in the movie Race To Witch Mountain. His role was to accompany and protect two aliens siblings, Seth and Sara, played by Alexander Ludwig and AnnaSophia Robb respectively, who crashed landed their spaceship and retrieve it before Earth is destroyed while being pursued by "Siphon", a powerful armored alien assassin. He also voice acted as Capt. Charles 'Chuck' Baker in the movie Planet 51.

In 2010, Johnson headlined the family comedy Tooth Fairy. Johnson also made an uncredited cameo in the 2010 film Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too? as a handsome psychiatrist who asks out the recently widowed Patricia Agnew (Janet Jackson). He had a brief appearance in the Will Ferrell/Mark Wahlberg film The Other Guys as an action seeking detective along with Samuel L. Jackson. He made his return to action films after a string of family films and supporting roles with Faster.

In 2011, Johnson appeared in the fourth sequel in The Fast and the Furious film series, Fast Five , as Luke Hobbs, a Diplomatic Security Service agent assigned to hunt down the series' protagonists, played by Vin Diesel and Paul Walker. Johnson was cast in the role after Diesel had read comments and feedback from fans, one of whom wanted to see Diesel and Johnson in a movie together. Additionally, Johnson, a fan of the franchise, had wanted to work with Universal again after they had given him his first film roles. Critics and audiences alike considered Johnson's involvement a welcome addition to the franchise and plans are to have him return for future installments. The film grossed at over $86 million its opening weekend, making it the best opening for a 'Fast & Furious' film, the biggest opening for an April release,^[145] and Johnson's best opening weekend.^[146]

In 2012, Johnson appearred in Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, and will play Roadblock in G.I. Joe: Retaliation.

Filmography[link]

Personal life[link]

Dany Garcia and Johnson at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival.

Johnson married Dany Garcia on May 3, 1997, the day after his 25th birthday.^[147] Johnson and his wife have a daughter, Simone Alexandra, born August 14, 2001.^[147] On June 1, 2007, Johnson and Garcia announced that they would be splitting up after 10 years of marriage.^[147] They indicated that their parting was amicable and that they would spend the rest of their lives together as best friends.^[147]

Johnson's autobiography co-written with Joe Layden, The Rock Says..., was released in 2000, debuting at number one on The New York Times Best Seller list, and remaining on the list for several weeks.^{[citation needed]}

Johnson is a good friend of actor and former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.^[148]

Public activities[link]

In 2000, Johnson attended both the 2000 Republican National Convention^[3] and the 2000 Democratic National Convention,^[149] giving a speech at the former. Both appearances were part of the WWE's non-partisan "Smackdown your Vote" campaign which aims to increase voting among young people without endorsing any candidate or party.^[150]

Because his mother, Ata Fitisemanu Maivia, had royal blood, Samoan King Malietoa Tanumafili II bestowed Johnson with the noble title of Seiuli during his visit to Samoa in July 2004 in recognition of his service to the Samoan people. He is therefore known in Samoan circles as Seiuli Dwayne Johnson.^[151] He is a supporter of the Samoa national rugby union team, as the team's website during the run-up to the 2007 Rugby World Cup showed him holding a personalized Manu Samoa jersey with "The Rock" emblazoned on the back.^[152] He also acknowledges his heritage through a tattoo he got in 2003.^[153]

Philanthropy[link]

In 2006, Johnson began "The Dwayne Johnson Rock Foundation", which is known for its charitable work with at-risk and terminally ill children.^[154] On October 2, 2007, Johnson and his ex-wife donated an additional $1 million to the University of Miami to support the renovation of its football facilities; it was noted as the largest donation ever given to the university's athletics department by former students. The University of Miami renamed the Hurricanes' locker room in Johnson's honor.^[155]

In wrestling[link]

The Rock preparing to hit the People's Elbow on John Cena at WrestleMania XXVIII.

• Finishing moves
  • People's Elbow^[3] / Corporate Elbow^[156] (Running delayed high-impact elbow drop, with theatrics)
  • Rock Bottom^[3] (Lifting side slam) 1997–present
  • Running shoulderbreaker^[71] – 1996–1997; used as a signature move from 1997-2003
• Signature moves
  • Float-over DDT^[71]
  • Flowing snap DDT, sometimes followed by a kip-up^[71]
  • Flying clothesline^[157]
  • Running swinging neckbreaker^[71]
  • Running thrust lariat^[71]
  • Samoan drop^[71]
  • Sharpshooter^[71] – used as a tribute to Owen Hart from 1999 onwards^{[citation needed]}; usually preceded by a legwhip.
  • Spinebuster^[71]
  • Snap overhead belly-to-belly suplex, sometimes to an oncoming opponent^[71]
  • Fisherman suplex
  • Diving Crossbody used as Rocky Maivia
  • Powerslam used from 1996–1999
  • La magistral
  • The Rock punch combo
  • The Rock stomp
  • Catapult
  • Dropkick used as Rocky Maivia
  • Armbar

• Managers
  • Debra
  • Vince McMahon^[71]
  • Shane McMahon^[71]

• Nicknames
  • "The People's Champion"^[3][158]
  • "The Brahma Bull"^[158]
  • "The Corporate Champion"^[159]
  • "The Great One"^[158]
  • "The Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment"^[3]
  • "The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment"

• Entrance themes
  • World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment
    • As Rocky Maivia
      • "Destiny" by Jim Johnston (1996–1997)
    • As The Rock
      • "Nation Of Domination" by Jim Johnston (1997–1998)
      • "Do You Smell It" by Jim Johnston (1998–1999)
      • "Know Your Role" by Jim Johnston (September 26, 1999 – April 2, 2001; 2004, 2007, 2008)
      • "Know Your Role" by Method Man (2000)
      • "If You Smell..." by Jim Johnston (July 30, 2001 – February 20, 2003)
      • "Is Cookin'" by Jim Johnston (February 23, 2003 - June 2, 2003; December 8, 2003; March 1, 2004)
      • "Electrifying" by Jim Johnston (February 14, 2011 – present) ^[160][161]

Relatives in wrestling[link]

Championships and accomplishments[link]

The Rock as WWF Champion.

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • PWI Match of the Year (1999) vs. Mankind in an "I Quit" match at Royal Rumble^[162]
  • PWI Match of the Year (2002) vs. Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania X8^[162]
  • PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (1999, 2000)^[163]
  • PWI Wrestler of the Year (2000)^[164]
  • PWI ranked him #2 of the 500 best singles wrestlers of the year in the PWI 500 in 2000^[165]
  • PWI ranked him #76 of the top 500 singles wrestlers of the "PWI Years" in 2003^[166]

• United States Wrestling Association
  • USWA World Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with Bart Sawyer^[167]

• World Wrestling Federation / World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WCW/World Championship (2 times)^1[168]
  • WWF/E Championship (7 times)^2[169]
  • WWF Intercontinental Championship (2 times)^[170]
  • WWF Tag Team Championship (5 times) – with Mankind (3), The Undertaker (1), and Chris Jericho (1)^[171]
  • Royal Rumble (2000)^[3]
  • Slammy Award for New Sensation (1997)
  • Slammy Award for Game Changer of the Year (2011) – with John Cena
  • Slammy Award for Guess Who's Back or: Return of the Year (2011)
  • Sixth Triple Crown Champion

• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • Best Box Office Draw (1999–2000, 2011)^[172]
  • Best Gimmick (1999)
  • Best on Interviews (1999–2000)
  • Most Charismatic (1999–2002, 2011)^[172]
  • Most Improved (1998)
  • Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2007)

¹Won during The Invasion.
²Final reign was as Undisputed WWE Champion.

References[link]