Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Kiwi upbringing: ‘New Zealand will always be a special place’

American-born actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is thought for his proud Samoan heritage – but it surely seems New Zealand additionally has a particular place in his coronary heart.

The Hollywood actor revealed his nostalgia for Aotearoa in a shock chat with The Hits radio hosts Ben Boyce and Jono Pryor.

The Rock is at the moment selling his new Disney movie Jungle Cruise alongside co-star actress Emily Blunt.

And Boyce’s co-host Pryor organised an enormous shock for him, organising a Zoom name with the Hollywood stars at Wellington’s Roxy Theatre.

Through the hilarious chat, the celebrities had been requested what could be the very first thing they’d do in the event that they travelled to New Zealand on a jungle cruise of their very own.

And Johnson revealed that he would take Blunt to his “favorite spot to have some drinks”.

The star then opened up concerning the time he spent in New Zealand when he was younger, recalling, “I used to reside in New Zealand, I did a variety of rising up in New Zealand.”

“Our economic system has been buying and selling off the truth that Dwayne Johnson spent a few years in New Zealand, for about 20 years,” Pryor joked.

“It is the best factor to occur to us since we discovered sheep within the nation,” Boyce added.

However Johnson’s connection to Aotearoa turned out to be a deeply private one which he shared gave him an expertise like nothing earlier than.

“I’ve a variety of household in New Zealand. I went to high school in New Zealand, I went to Richmond Street and I lived in Gray Lynn and New Zealand will at all times be a particular place to me.

“I am an solely little one however in New Zealand was once we lived along with my grandparents, my Samoan aspect of the household … brothers and sisters and aunties and uncles and all people. It was the primary time I skilled multi-generational residing, in that household,” he shared.

The Samoan star does not hesitate to make use of his social media following to succeed in out to followers.

In November 2020, he responded to an open letter from 5-year-old Angelou from Christchurch, who reached out to ask him to assist She is Not Your Rehab, the motion in opposition to home violence.

In an emotional response, the actor mentioned the Samoan-Kiwi boy reminded him of himself “after I was your age”, calling Angelou and his father’s charity an “inspiration … to myself and our Aiga [family].”

In 2019 Dwayne Johnson referred to as Samoa “a proud tradition”, when publicising the movie Hobbs & Shaw, set in Samoa. “The stress was on to not screw it up,” he informed Newshub.

“The satisfaction I can really feel from Polynesians around the globe – definitely in Auckland, the place I used to reside – is so robust.”

Throughout the remainder of Boyce and Pryor’s interview with Blunt and Johnson, Boyce additionally revealed his tattoo tribute to the Hollywood actor.

“Dwayne, that is both going to make you very impressed or it may creep you out to the purpose the place you are going to finish this Zoom name,” Pryor joked.

“Ben Boyce is a mega-fan, a lot in order that I made him get this on his left backside cheek … are you able to see that?”

“We noticed that!” Blunt exclaimed earlier than The Rock introduced up the video clip of the tattoo on his cellphone and confirmed the radio hosts.

“I have been holding on to this video for I believe a month and a half, two months, and I have never posted it,” Johnson revealed.

“And now I am glad I did not publish it, now we have had the prospect to satisfy. Now after I do publish it I can provide correct context, I’ve really met the person who did it. Thanks for doing that brother, I actually admire it.”

Disney’s Jungle Cruise is in cinemas from July 29.