Young Rock, the NBC sitcom based on the life of wrestler turned action-movie star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, sets the show in 2032, with him telling tales about his past as he makes a run for the presidency. But would Johnson ever toss his hat into the ring for real?
Johnson told USA Today's "Entertain This!" on Monday that he might go for it, but not because of his own ambition. "I would consider a presidential run in the future if that's what the people wanted. So I would wait and I would listen. I would have my finger on the pulse and my ear to the ground," he said.
The campaign slogan for TV's Dwayne Johnson is "Just Hang On, I'm Coming," but the real-world Johnson didn't go further, and did not indicate his political affiliation or platform. Showrunner Nahnatchka Khan told Variety that the presidential run concept opens story possibilities for the show, which looks in on Johnson at ages 10, 15 and 20, growing up with a father who was a professional wrestler with well-known friends like Andre the Giant. "It made sense to me that if Dwayne was looking back on his life this way, then we can also look forward, which is where the future timeline came in," Khan said. "We're able to give him an interesting arc for the future."
Created by Nahnatchka Khan and produced by Johnson, Young Rock stars Adrian Groulx, Bradley Constant and Uli Latukefu in the titular role with Stacey Leilua Ata and Joseph Lee Anderson as his parents Ata and Rocky. The series airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Source: USA Today