The Rock Explains His Transition From WWE to Hollywood

This Sunday, only on the OWN Network, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will appear on Oprah’s Master Class. It’s a compilation show of various celebrities discussing their path to success and the challenges they overcame to become the person they are today.

This week will be The Rock’s episode of his transition from college to WWE superstar to Hollywood movie star.

Here is a preview for the episode airing this Sunday right here. Below is a highlight of The Rock transition from WWE to Hollywood:

The Rock explains his decision to walk away from WWE to pursue a full-time acting career.

“When I was in the height of my career in the WWE, I felt for the very first time that I was close to everything that I wanted to accomplish everything that I wanted to accomplish in wrestling, and I quietly walked away. It kind of shook me a little bit because wrestling was all I knew at that time,” Rock says. “I wanted to grow as an entertainer. I wanted to reach as many people as possible, not for the box office value of it, but for the connection.”

“If I made the transition into acting, I wanted to be great. I knew going in, the cards are stacked against me,” he said. “There’s a shelf life to a career if I just wanted to get by on popularity. I didn’t want to be in that position. I wanted longevity.”

“I had to educate myself, and I had to be a student of the game,” the part-time WWE Superstar said. “Know your business. … And surround yourself with brilliant people, and go to work.”