How a sitcom imagined Dwayne Johnson running for president in the year 2032
In short: The television series Young Rock uses a clever narrative frame to explore the life of Dwayne Johnson. Set in the early 2030s, the show features a future version of the actor running for president, with each episode using interviews to trigger flashbacks into his formative years and wrestling career.
Created by Dwayne Johnson, Jeff Chiang, and Nahnatchka Khan, the sitcom Young Rock aired on NBC from February 16, 2021, until its cancellation in June 2023. The show is structured around a future timeline where Johnson is a candidate in the 2032 United States presidential election. This framing device allows the series to pivot between the future and three distinct periods of Johnson's past: his childhood in Hawaii, his high school years in Pennsylvania, and his time as a college football player at the University of Miami.
The cast features different actors to portray Johnson at various ages. Adrian Groulx plays the 10- to 14-year-old version of the future star, while Bradley Constant takes over for the 15- to 17-year-old years, and Uli Latukefu portrays the 18- to 26-year-old version. The supporting cast includes Joseph Lee Anderson as his father, Rocky Johnson, and Stacey Leilua as his mother, Ata Johnson. Ana Tuisila plays his grandmother, Lia Maivia, and also portrays the 1960s version of the character.
Beyond the family dynamic, the show heavily incorporates the world of professional wrestling, featuring historical figures such as André the Giant, The Wild Samoans, and Pat Patterson. The production maintained a complex schedule, with second and third seasons premiering in March 2022 and November 2022, respectively. The show also features fictionalized versions of real-world figures like Randall Park, who appears as a retired actor hosting his own news program, The Straight Line with Randall Park, in the show's future timeline.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Young Rock
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