Action movie star Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is a Hollywood legend whose high velocity action scenes and death defying stunts put audiences on the edge of their seats. He’s also a retired professional wrestler, but does he do his own stunts?
Dwayne Johnson is incredibly athletic, but the majority of his stunts are performed by doubles. His cousin and official stunt double, Tanoai Reed, has worked as his body double since filming for ‘Scorpion King’ in 2002, whilst his second double, Miles Humphus, has been part of the team since 2014.
Read on to learn more about The Rock’s action movie career and his stunt doubles.
Who is Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson?
Known widely by his ring name from his WWE career, The Rock is an actor who’s known for his explosive movies and loveable personality.
In testament to The Rock’s genuine goodness, one of his stunt doubles told GQ, “everything he does is from the heart, and I couldn’t have asked for a better boss and partner. It’s rare that an actor appreciates or even acknowledges their stunt double. It’s all about their ego, but with Dwayne, he doesn’t really have one”.
The Rock was a successful professional wrestler for eight years before entering the film industry, where his work ethic and wrestling popularity propelled him to Hollywood fame and the status of a pop culture icon.
Dubbed ‘The Most Electrifying Man in All of Entertainment’, The Rock’s film career has seen him assume leading roles in ‘Skyscraper’, the ‘Jumanji’ franchise, the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise, and ‘Moana’, to name a few.
What Stunts Does He Do?
Whilst The Rock became famous for performing his own stunts in the ring, the element of risk to the star that comes with performing your own stunts, is too destabilizing for film production.
One of his stunt doubles, Miles Humphus, told Inverse that “he can do anything I can physically, but it’s a liability issue”, adding “if he gets hurt, production shuts down. If I get hurt, no big deal. That’s why I’m in there”.
That doesn’t mean The Rock fully takes a backseat when it comes to the action, and he’s very much involved with coordinating the scenes.
Watch this mashup of some of The Rock’s biggest stunts in the YouTube video below.
Seeing Double
With The Rock’s necessary removal from the production of some of the more daring scenes, his stunt doubles take the load.
His official stunt double is none other than his cousin, Tanoai Reed, who is only two years younger than Johnson and is once of the stunt profession’s highest paid men.
Reed began working with Johnson in 2002 for his movie ‘Scorpion King’, beginning a fruitful partnership that continues to stand. The pair even follow the same workout regimen, which varies depending on the part The Rock is preparing for.
There’s a very real risk involved in the profession, and Reed has sustained a number of injuries, including broken bones and torn ligaments. He told GQ that “fear is what keeps us alive”.
But his work doesn’t go unappreciated, and The Rock gifted him a custom truck in 2018 and shared his love for his partner on Instagram, saying: “not only does Tanoai represent our family and my career with relentless commitment and passion. He also represents an entire Hollywood stunt community”.
The Rock’s second double, Miles Humphus, first became a part of The Rock’s stunt team in 2014, during filming for ‘Hercules’. Many actors have two or three stunt doubles, but Reed was The Rock’s sole double until Humphus came on board to share the load.
His specialty is his agility, and he told Inverse that the production team turns to him when they need The Rock to look light and mobile in a scene.
So while The Rock doesn’t do the bulk of his stunts, he has the best in the business to do them for him.