Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

How Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Came Back From Rock Bottom People's 'Sexiest Man Alive,' who, oh yeah, is also the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, has launched a new YouTube series called 'Seven Bucks Moment.'

By Stephen J. Bronner Edited by Dan Bova

Youtube

Ever feel like you've hit rock bottom? Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has.

People's "Sexiest Man Alive," who, oh yeah, is also the highest-paid actor in Hollywood, launched a new YouTube series Tuesday called "Seven Bucks Moment." In the premiere entry, Johnson discusses the lowest point in his life: when he was cut from the Canadian Football League after two months.

"I was so broke that I couldn't even afford a cab to the airport," Johnson says in the video.

He was 23 or 24 at the time, and he returned home to Miami and called his father for a ride back to his parents's apartment. In his father's truck, Johnson discovered that he had only $7 in his pocket -- hence the name of the series.

Related: People's 'Sexiest Man Alive' Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson on How to Be a YouTube Star

"It's the time in your life when you faced such adversity, such challenges, and you felt you had hit rock bottom and there was no place to go but rise back up again," Johnson says. "We've all been there. We've all been through hard times, and we know what it's like to get our asses kicked and get knocked down, but we also know what it's like to come back up again."

For two weeks, Johnson sat in his parents's apartment watching the O.J. Simpson trial and cleaning "every scuff mark" he found.

"Then I realized there was something else for me. The world was going to hear from me," he says. "I didn't know how. I didn't know when. But I did know my life wasn't just sitting around this apartment. I started turning my life around and I started training again."

Johnson decided to end his pursuit of a professional football career to go into professional wrestling. As he puts it in the video: "The rest, as they say, is history."

Watch The Rock tell his story here:

Stephen J. Bronner

Entrepreneur Staff

News Director

Stephen J. Bronner writes mostly about packaged foods. His weekly column is The Digest. He is very much on top of his email.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Solutions

Why Business Owners Won't Want to Miss This Rare Microsoft Deal

Transform complex data to eye-catching visuals with Microsoft Visio, now $99.99

Business News

Taylor Swift Faced a Major Malfunction on Stage. She Improvised on the Spot—and Gave a Great Lesson on Keeping Cool Under Pressure.

Here's how Taylor Swift recovered from an onstage mishap during her New Orleans stop of her Eras Tour Show.

Employee Experience & Recruiting

How Deep Should I Go on Employee Development? 4 Talent Lessons From a High-Stake Industry

Any company can benefit from embracing a culture of operational excellence and continuous improvement

Business News

'Horrible Idea': X Is Making It Extra Difficult to Block Someone and Users Are Pushing Back

Meanwhile, X competitors Bluesky and Threads are gaining millions of new users.

Leadership

How the Tragic Death of His Childhood Best Friend Inspired NFL Running Back Latavius Murray to Do Something Big for His Community

Latavius Murray explains his heartfelt mission to build a community center for his hometown and for others like it.

Leadership

Fixing Every Problem Isn't Your Job — Here's How to Empower Your Team to Handle Issues Without Your Constant Involvement

Here's how to enable your team to solve problems on their own so you can focus on strategic planning and growth.