Dwayne Johnson Interview, Race to Witch Mountain

Race to Witch Mountain Starring Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock has just hit DVD and below you can read where Dwayne talks about the film and the experience of being involved in the film. RACE TO WITCH MOUNTAIN is a thrilling action-adventure about a hard luck Las Vegas cab driver Jack Bruno (DWAYNE JOHNSON), whose life is thrown into chaos when apparent ‘runaway’ teenagers Sara (ANNASOPHIA ROBB) and Seth (ALEXANDER LUDWIG) jump into his taxi. He soon realizes his two fares are children with exceptional paranormal powers whom he must protect as they elude a collection of ruthless enemies.

Why did you sign up for the Race To Witch Mountain?

Well, I had worked with director Andy Fickman on The Game Plan and he called me to say he had a great idea that he wanted to discuss with me. I was in Florida at the time and I didn’t want to fly all the way to LA without hearing what it was – but as soon as he said it was a re-imagining of Escape To Witch Mountain, I knew I wanted to be part of it. I loved his pitch and I loved his idea, so I signed on immediately.

Were you a fan of the original Witch Mountain movies?

I was a big fan of the original movies – and so is my six-year-old girl, which is another reason why it was a very easy decision for me to sign up for this project. This is a movie where you can combine great action with great adventure, as well as great family values and great humor. It all comes with a touch of fantasy, too.
What can you tell us about your character?

Jack Bruno is a cabbie in Las Vegas. He has struggled to stay on the right path for a long time and he’s not very happy with his life. He’s done a lot of things he shouldn’t have done and he’s got into trouble, but he now has the opportunity to do something great – and this greatness is at a level he would never have imagined. He has the chance to save the world and he accepts this responsibility and he embraces it. He doesn’t know whether he’s going to succeed or not, but he has every intent to do his best.

What was it like to work with the director, Andy Fickman?

I really enjoy working with Andy. A lot of Hollywood directors are called passionate – but Andy is really passionate about his projects and about his art. For me, what sets Andy apart from the rest is the way that he’s a very happy guy. When someone is that happy, it shows in the movie they make. He’s very collaborative. He takes notes from everyone at the studio and there are not a lot of directors like that.

It sounds like you’re a big fan of his…

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: There's really no greater director more suited to this type of movie than Andy. Look at his history and his love of UFOs. For starters, he was born in Roswell and he has a wealth of knowledge on aliens. When it comes to UFOs, being around Andy is like being around your favorite professor in college. He’s amazing.

Did you enjoy working with the young stars of the movie?

Alexander Ludwig and AnnaSophia Robb were great. Making movies is a lot of fun, but it’s a lot of hard work too. I was greatly impressed with them because they embraced the work. They’re really talented teenagers and are passionate about the original movie. A lot of teenagers aren’t like that.

Is it true you helped choose Alexander for the role?

Alexander came into audition with me, so I certainly gave my thoughts to the director. It’s a big challenge to play an alien, but Alexander came to the audition scene and nailed it. He didn’t go over the top with the character, which really appealed to me. There were other actors who came in and did a great job, but when he left the room, we all knew we’d got the guy we were after.

Race To Witch Mountain is an alien adventure… Have you ever had any paranormal, supernatural or alien experiences?

Sure. You know how you think you see something in the sky? I’ve thought I’ve seen something multiple times. For example, I was out in my back yard at night a couple of months ago when I thought I saw some lights flashing really quickly. They looked like they were dropping in the sky and then rising into the sky – but then, all of a sudden, they were gone. That’s one of those stories you either keep to yourself or you call the police. I decided to go back to watching my film.

You’ve had a very successful movie career. How do you decide which projects to work on?

I tend to pick any project I’m drawn to. A good story and good material is hard to come by, so when you get good material you can relate to, you don’t want to pass it up. This is especially true when you can relate to the character. I like it if a character has a little humor and a little heart, too – although this didn’t happen with Doom.

How have you changed as an actor over the past couple of years?

I think I’ve grown as an actor. Not only that, but it’s been a nice growth and a nice transition. At the end of the day, I enjoy making movies that make people feel good, whether they’re action movies or family movies. I enjoy that. When I look back on a lot of the roles I’ve chosen, they have been based on the type of man I aspire to be, especially in family movies. These guys are kind of flawed and they make mistakes, but they try to get better.

Do your fans recognize you more as an actor or a wrestler now?

I’ve been retired from wrestling for about five years, so I’m pretty sure I’m known as an actor now. Wrestling was a big part of my life. I loved doing it and I had a lot of fun doing it. I was able to create a character with a lot of creative and brilliant people. We had some fun along the way – and I love watching that old stuff.

In what way did your football and wrestling careers prepare you for acting?

I played football for 10 years and I wrestled for an additional six years. Being in an athletic environment at a high level can teach people a lot. It taught me about commitment and sacrifice. I also learned the importance of being coachable and the importance of winning gracefully, as well as losing gracefully. Those are all traits I can take with me for life.

What did professional wrestling teach you?

The wrestling gave me a wonderful platform to entertain, which is something I had wanted to do for years. That type of environment – which involves four hours of live television every week – prepared me for the acting environment I now work in. It was like doing Saturday Night Live for four hours every week. It was a frenetic environment with multiple cameras where I played in front of anywhere from 10 to 50,000 people. That was really invaluable.

With all this talk of wrestling, we’ve got to ask… Have you seen The Wrestler?

I love The Wrestler. My uncle had the pleasure of training Mickey Rourke for the movie and he called me early on in the project to say that Mickey was doing a great job. It required a lot of training from Mickey and he did everything he was asked to do. That’s a tough thing to take on. Mickey went through the training regiment of someone who is breaking into professional wrestling, which is difficult at any age. I was really impressed with his work ethic and his dedication, as well as his performance. It resonated with me because that guy is a lot of guys in my family. I know that guy and I’ve seen that guy. That guy is very close to me and very close to my family.

Have you spoken to Mickey Rourke about his performance?

I spoke to Mickey the night he won the Golden Globes. I’m very, very proud of him and it’s nice to se him back. It’s a great performance.

Are you interested in politics?

Well, I’m proud to say a great fan of Barack Obama. I had the opportunity to speak with him after he won the presidency and he always had my support. What a wonderful time we live in. He shared with me that I’m the favourite actor of his wife, which is something I’m proud of.

Have you been approached to work with Obama on any health or sporting issues?

It’s interesting you ask that because we’re in the process of working together on some really cool things, which will be coming out soon. It’s a possibility that I could become part of the President Council on Physical Fitness – and there are other greater opportunities, too. We’re trying to see where I can have impact.

Talking of physical fitness, we’ve got one last question for you: How do you keep in shape?

I try to train everyday. I do at least one activity, which can be outside or inside. That’s one of my anchors for the day – and I stick to it.