Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has become the biggest star in Hollywood over the past decade, and he might have Bill Gates to thank for that.
That’s not to say the Microsoft co-founder deserves all the credit. Johnson, of course, became a huge star in WWE and began his acting career in 2001 when he played The Scorpion King in “The Mummy Returns,” which starred Brendan Fraser.
The year also featured Johnson with Gates as he helped Microsoft unveil the original Xbox. In fact, Friday marked the 22nd anniversary of the event.
“The Xbox is everything The Rock is. Cutting edge, powerful, exhilarating,” Johnson said per video from Bloomberg’s Jon Erlichman. “And like The Rock, it will be the most electrifying thing coming out this year.”
Johnson was fully in character, but perhaps because he was in a smaller environment, he did not yell as loud as he typically would at a “Raw” taping or pay-per-view.
All of the classic Rock lines were delivered at Gates, including Johnson interrupting the Microsoft co-founder with “it doesn’t matter what you think” before apologizing for a “force of habit.”
Johnson left the crowd knowing what “The Rock was cooking,” and the clip ended with Gates noting how Johnson was a “nice guy.”
Fast forward and Johnson is one of the most recognizable stars in the world, his daughter is in the WWE and Gates still is one of the wealthiest people in the world. Funny how some things change and others stay the same.
