His role as Luke Hobbs in the Fast & Furious films, beginning with Fast Five (2011), has helped it become one of the highest-grossing film franchises. Johnson also stars in the Jumanji films, appearing in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), and is set to portray Black Adam in its superhero film adaptation. Johnson produced and starred in the HBO comedy-drama series Ballers (2015–2019) and stars and produces the autobiographical sitcom Young Rock (2021). In 2000, Johnson released the autobiography The Rock Says, which was a New York Times bestseller. In 2012, he co-founded the entertainment production company Seven Bucks Productions and is the co-owner of American football league, the XFL. In 20, Johnson was named by Time one of the world's most influential people.
Johnson was born in Hayward, California on May 2, 1972, the son of Ata Johnson (née Maivia born 1948) and former professional wrestler Rocky Johnson (born Wayde Douglas Bowles 1944–2020). Growing up, Johnson lived briefly in Grey Lynn in Auckland with his mother's family, where he played rugby and attended Richmond Road Primary School before returning to the U.S. Johnson's father was a Black Nova Scotian, with a small amount of Irish ancestry.
His father was part of the first black tag team champions in WWE history, along with Tony Atlas.
His mother is the adopted daughter of Peter Maivia, who was also a pro wrestler. Johnson's maternal grandmother, Maivia's wife Lia, was the first female pro wrestling promoter, taking over Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling after her husband's death in 1982 and managing it until 1988. Through his grandfather, Maivia, Johnson is considered a non-blood relative to the Anoa'i wrestling family. In 2008, Johnson inducted his father and grandfather into the WWE Hall of Fame.