Dwayne Johnson has opened up about how becoming incredibly famous changed him, and not necessarily for the better.
If you haven’t heard of Dwayne Johnson then you must have been living under a rock, or not as the case may be.
The actor and former WWE wrestler has built a name for himself as one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood since making the switch from wrestling to acting.
While he has since figured out how to approach his immense celebrity, Johnson said that this was the result of a lot of self-reflection.
Initially, however, the star confided that the fame had gone to his head and he had to make a concerted effort to work around how that had made him behave.
He recalled one moment which left him with a stark realisation about how fame might change him if he wasn’t careful
Johnson opened up about his relationship with fame. (Gabe Ginsberg/Getty Images)
It happened when he had been out having dinner and some fans had come over, asking in an apologetic but ecstatic manner for an autograph.
Johnson recalled that he had said yes, but had done so in a resigned way which made them feel guilty for asking.
Recalling the incident, he told Men’s Health: “It took all of 30 seconds for me to realize I had an opportunity to make somebody feel good, and I made them feel bad.”
He added: “And what an a**hole that made me. And what an a**hole, rightfully so, that made me feel like… After that, I told myself I would never, ever make anyone bad for coming over to me.”
Johnson revealed that he is now far more open around being approached. (Carrasquillo/GC Images)
Needless to say, Johnson’s fame has only increased since the incident, and he has tried to consider fans who approach him.
This also helps to mitigate fans who are overwhelmed to meet him, for example by volunteering to take a selfie for them.
Opening up about his relationship with fame, he described wanting to keep his feelings ‘neutral’, saying: “Fame can be a really tricky thing. Fame can be great, fame can be deceiving, fame can also, if you let it, if you get wrapped up in it, it can take you down a long dark road that’s very detrimental and damaging to your career, to your life, to your relationships.”
He added: “These days, and it’s taken me a long time to get here, I try to be really neutral on fame. I don’t hate it, I don’t love it, I don’t need to be famous. I’m grateful for it, but I keep the meter in neutral.”