The Rock for President in 2020? “I Wouldn’t Rule It Out” (original) (raw)

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is one of the biggest influencers in showbiz today. Not only is the former W.W.E. wrestler turned movie star the world’s highest-paid actor—he earned a staggering $64.5 million this year, according to Forbes—his commanding but charismatic personality has some fans asking him to run for president. Many think he’d even win. Now that Donald Trump has been elected president, prompting widespread protests across the nation, would The Rock consider running for the Oval Office in 2020 to help re-unite the country?

“I wouldn't rule it out,” Johnson, 44, told Vanity Fair with a big smile after speaking at a press conference to promote his latest film Moana in Los Angeles on Sunday. “It would be a great opportunity to help people, so it’s possible. This past election shows that anything can happen.”

The actor is no stranger to politics. He spoke at the 2000 Republican National Convention to encourage young people to vote regardless of party affiliation and has recently commented on social media about the idea of running for public office. In March, he tweeted that “maybe one day” he would consider campaigning for the White House, and last June he wrote on Instagram: “The idea of one day becoming President to create real positive impact and global change is very alluring.”

In the meantime, Johnson is focusing on his day job and showing off his singing abilities on-screen in Moana. As shape-shifting Polynesian demigod Maui, he croons songs written by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“It was one of the best times I've ever had in my career,” Johnson told reporters during Sunday's press conference. “Working on this project and certainly working on the song [“You’re Welcome”] was a challenge. The bar was set so incredibly high to sing in a Disney film. It was an opportunity to challenge myself. By the time I got the song, it was in my comfortable range.”

Miranda found a font of inspiration on YouTube when he went to write Johnson's catchy song. He studied old wrestling footage of The Rock where he would sing and play the guitar in the ring (a “Rock concert,” if you will). “I got a really good sense of his vocal range from that 10-minute super cut,” said Miranda, who began writing the film’s music two and a half years ago, before Hamilton opened on Broadway and became a cultural phenomenon. “Once I had the title for the song, which only Dwayne can pull off, we were off to the races. He really sings it beautifully.”