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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is distancing himself from Hollywood’s culture of political activism, voicing his frustration with the “throwing” and “bulls—” he sees dominating public debate.
In a recent interview with Esquire on the cover of the magazine’s Summer Issue, the 54-year-old actor and professional wrestler explained why he decided to keep his political views private.
“What I’ve learned from experience is that I need to keep – want, not want – the main thing,” said the “Moana” star. “And what is important to me, the thing that in the morning I just cross my legs and get out of bed and run towards it, is creativity. Art. Telling a story. I have learned that I will control my politics.”
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson overturned popular political culture. (TheStewartofNY/Getty Images)
Johnson continued, “There are times when, ‘Hey, there’s nothing we can’t talk about. If I’m wrong, I’m going to tell you that I’m wrong. Even if I feel like I’ve got a leg up and this is the right way, I’m going to share it with you.’
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“Politics is everywhere and forever,” he added. “I don’t like it. I hate it sometimes. I hate being rude. I hate all the bull— that comes with it.”
Johnson turned his attention to politics when he appeared on the cover of Esquire’s Summer Issue. (Shanikwa Jarvis)
Johnson’s comments come after he was asked about Bruce Springsteen’s criticism of President Donald Trump during his Land of Hope and Dreams Tour.
Since launching the tour in March, Springsteen, 76, has repeatedly attacked Trump during his concerts.
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After being told about Springsteen’s “obviously political” show, Johnson said his immediate reaction was that the rock icon and the president should have a conversation.
“Because when I hear you talking about Springsteen, who I love, and this idea that you’re talking directly to Trump at his concerts, my first thought as you were telling me, in my head, I went, ‘Oh, so why aren’t they talking? They should sit down and talk,'” said Johnson. “I don’t know where that’s going, but I know that’s an important step.”
Johnson shared his opinion that Springsteen and Trump should “sit down and talk.” (Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic; Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
Johnson, a self-identified independent, has made his first endorsement of a political candidate for the 2020 election, endorsing former President Joe Biden in his run against Trump.
While speaking with “Fox & Friends” host Will Cain in April 2024, Johnson explained why he would not nominate a candidate for the 2024 presidential election.
“To compliment what I did years ago with Biden was what I thought was the best decision for me at the time,” Johnson told Cain.
“Will I do that again this year? That answer is no. I won’t do that,” he said. “Because what I realized was that what caused it back was something that was ripping my gut back and forth, which is division. And that got me.”
Johnson explained that he had decided not to keep his political views. (Shanikwa Jarvis)
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“The takeaway after those months and months and months, I started to realize, ‘Oh man, that caused an incredible divide in our country.’ So I see now that I am going to this election, I will not do that. I would not do that because my goal is to unite our country. I believe in that, in my DNA. So in the spirit of that, there will be no approval,” Johnson continued.
“It’s not that I’m afraid at all, but I just see that this level of influence — I’ll keep politics to myself, and I think it’s between me and the ballot box,” he added.
After a highly criticized debate in June 2024, Biden ended his re-election campaign in July and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee. Harris later lost to Trump when he won a second term in November 2024.
Johnson had previously criticized the July 2024 assassination attempt on Trump and praised the president’s defiant response afterward.
“Whether you like Donald, you don’t like Donald, it doesn’t matter. They’re trying to kill him. There’s no room for that. Despite who we were at that time, I still believe in my mind that’s not who we are as a country. So standing up at that time, we wanted to see that,” Johnson said while appearing as a keynote speaker at The Value 202 Conference in September 202.
Earlier this star said he regretted doing that in the 2020 election. (Shanikwa Jarvis)
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He also noted that Trump was a fan of his wrestling career and attended his fights in New York City.
“He used to come see me wrestle all the time at Madison Square Garden. It was great. When I first saw him, he said ‘let me see my eyebrows,'” the “Jumanji” star joked, referring to a famous story about his eyebrow.
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In his interview with Cain, Johnson shared his thoughts on canceling the ritual.
“Being real and being transparent and being open and being transparent….that’s important to me,” he explained. “In today’s simple world of culture and canceling culture, the resurrected culture, this culture, that cultural separation, etc., which makes me very sad.”
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Johnson said he has learned that being “real” and honest is more important than worrying about cancellations.
“Either you give in and be what you think other people want you to be, or you say, ‘No, that’s not who I am. I’m going to be me and I’m going to be real.’ If you ask me something, the real answer is important, and the real answer is important, and that can upset people and it can — people get divided. And that’s fine,” he said. “But it took me a while to see that.”
