Dwayne Johnson conquered the world of professional wrestling and then Hollywood, emerging as one of the biggest movie stars of his generation.
However, there’s one area of showbiz he has yet to tackle: live theater.
The Rock on Broadway
In a new interview with People, Johnson revealed that he’d been attempting to mount a Broadway revival of a beloved Neil Simon play with his most frequent co-star.
As he explained, he and Kevin Hart “were going to do ‘The Odd Couple,'” with the two working with theater producer Jeffrey Seller. Unfortunately, finding time for a Broadway run in the midst of their respective busy schedules has proven to be a challenge.
He’s ‘Not Letting That Dream Go’
According to the Rock, he and Hart would make a perfect Felix and Oscar in an updated version of the hit play, which was adapted into a film classic starring Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau, and a hit TV sitcom with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall.
“We should’ve been great. Kevin is my best friend. I love him to death, and the truth is is he’s so booked for the next three to five years,” Johnson said.
“That’s his schedule, that’s a reality. I totally get it,” he added. “And I love it and I respect him for that. We do ‘Jumanji,’ which we’ll promote that at the end of the year, but I’m not letting that dream go.”
Another Broadway Play Could Be a Possibility
That said, when Johnson does eventually make his Broadway debut, it might not be in “The Odd Couple” with Hart, but in another project altogether.
According to the Johnson, he and Seller have been working with “Moana” director Thomas Kail on another project that could bring him to the stage.
“So we’ll see, but maybe it’s ‘The Odd Couple’ with Jeffrey,” he mused. “I don’t know, maybe it’s a musical and I could run around singing in keys that don’t exist. I might do a little dance. I might snatch my waist a little bit. We’ll see.”
His Priority Right Now Is ‘Moana’
At the moment, Johnson is in the midst of a press tour for “Moana,” in which he portrayed the live-action version of the character he originated in the 2016 Disney hit.
As he revealed in an interview with E! News while promoting the film, because he went directly from production on “The Smashing Machine” to “Moana,” he needed to execute a physical transformation — but wasn’t able to. “I had no time to change my body,” Johnson said.
In order to play the live-action version of Maui, Johnson required a 40-lb bodysuit so he’d resemble his animated character — in addition to a long, flowing wig.
The latter, he admitted, proved to be unsettling for his kids the first time they witnessed their perpetually bald dad with luxurious locks.
“It was jarring for them for maybe 10 minutes,” he said. “Just to see me with hair, and I get it, it’s a lot of hair.”
Then Comes ‘Jumanji: Open World’
Then, as he mentioned, he’ll be reuniting with Hart and Jack Black for their third “Jumanji” movie, set to hit screens in later this year.
Fans can expect to see “Jumanji: Open World” arrive on December 25
