Dwayne Johnson is reflecting on the complicated relationship he shared with his late father, professional wrestling legend Rocky Johnson, and the things wrong about his 2019 autobiography Soulman: The Rocky Johnson Story.

In a new interview with The New York Times Magazine published on September 21, the actor opened up about the last conversation he had with Rocky before his death in January 2020 at age 75.

Johnson explained that their final exchange stemmed from the autobiography. The book included a foreword credited to Dwayne, something he says he never wrote or approved. 

“Growing up with my dad, I know the truth to all these stories. And they’re not in this book,” Johnson said. “If the truth is blue, this story is red.” 

For him, the unauthorized use of his name and the misrepresentations throughout the book felt deeply personal. 

“It just completely crossed the line,” he continued. “It goes back to the attention, and the narcissism.”

According to Johnson, the issue led him to confront his father directly. He even arranged to have the book pulled from shelves shortly after it was published.

Reports at the time, including one from Slam Wrestling, noted that Rocky’s co-author admitted he had never spoken with Dwayne and instead relied on taped interviews with Rocky, which allegedly included permission to use his son’s name in the foreword.

While Johnson has long been candid about the challenges of growing up with Rocky, he is now channeling those emotions into his work. 

The 53-year-old star, beloved worldwide as The Rock, is preparing for the release of The Smashing Machine, where he plays former MMA champion Mark Kerr. 

The project, he says, pushed him to take on the most vulnerable role of his career.

“For years, I’ve been dreaming and hoping,” Johnson told CBS Sunday Morning. “I wanted to play something that really allowed me to rip myself open.”

To transform into Kerr, Johnson committed to nearly three hours of makeup daily, a process that helped him step fully into the fighter’s world. 

For the actor, the role is not only about physical transformation but also about showing a rawer, more personal side, something audiences may not have seen from him before.