The Big 150: 25, Relationships – Write a letter to someone who has impacted your life.
Dear Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock aka The People’s Champion,
No, I am not kidding. This letter is going to be about former professional wrestler-turned true man of the people, Mr. Maui himself – Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Dwayne Johnson has impacted my life in such a strange and roundabout way that it would be wrong of me to not write this letter to him. I mean, “CAN YOU SMELLLALALALAL WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN?!” is pure gold. Also, I still have some Rock memorabilia in the garage that I've kept since grade school, so I'm a diehard since day one.
Let me paint you a picture, dear reader. A young, vivacious copper-topped little girl sits in front of a TV set with her dad (who was the true people’s champion for letting her watch Monday Night Raw), singing along wildly with the man in front of her on the screen – “Well since Rock’s baby left him, he found a new place to dwell, it’s down at the end of Jabroni Drive – the Smackdown hotel!” I had not one but two street signs in my childhood basement, bearing the names "Jabroni Dr." and "Know Your Role Blvd."
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, master of the People’s Elbow AND the People’s Eyebrow. He was charming, he was decidedly not a jabroni, and he was entertaining. Although Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid was probably my first real crush, I didn’t understand charisma – or ‘rizz’ as the kids say these days – until I saw The Rock slew out phrases and songs (with *a smile*) that I wasn’t always allowed to repeat. I have watched professional wrestling as a woman in my 30s, and I truly think there has not been as charismatic a professional wrestler as The Rock.
So, yes, Johny, that’s all well and good, but how has Dwayne Johnson impacted your life? I’m so happy you asked! Although I wouldn’t go so far as to say that Dwayne Johnson is inspiration for my personal acting process, I would say that seeing someone so confident and charismatic get on TV week after week and truly never miss a step or appear lacking in confidence in any way left an impression. Luckily I also came from a household where my parents didn’t laugh when their daughter told them one day she was going to be a professional wrestler like The Rock and sing her own songs (reader, you should know that I had older brothers). Needless to say, I didn’t become a professional wrestler. I did, however, start performing fully improvised musicals, making up my own songs on the spot.
Although I could also credit Weird Al Yankovic’s entire catalogue or even Jimmy Fallon’s album “The Bathroom Wall” for inspiring my love of parody songs, I didn’t get to see Weird Al or Jimmy Fallon get up on live TV week after week like The Rock. I was young, there was this thing called bedtime. (Side note: there is still a thing called bedtime for me, and it usually calls around 9-9:30 PM.)
So, Dwayne Johnson, thank you for your ‘rizz’ and for inspiring a little girl from small-town-NJ to Know Her Role and (not) Shut Her Mouth.
To forcing myself not to sing all of Moana, and to encouraging dreams, c’mon go-on-ah, (I’m so sorry),
Johny
ICYMI: The Big 150