Andy Warhol’s Interview Interview: The Rock

ABOVE: DWAYNE JOHNSON, AKA “THE ROCK.” PHOTO COURTESY OF DWAYNE JOHNSON

Can you smell what the Rock is cooking? It’s just egg whites, because Hollywood’s charismatic He-Man—and star of the new mega-movie Hercules—likes to keep it healthy. As the former WWE star and member of the 1991 University of Miami National Championship team explains to Andy, he hasn’t always had it so good. So now he’s just living the dream.

ANDY WARHOL: What did you eat for breakfast?

THE ROCK: My typical breakfast: Seven oz. filet, two whole eggs, four oz. of plain oatmeal, two English muffins, one-half cup of blueberries.

WARHOL: What’s the craziest thing a fan has sent you?

THE ROCK: Fans send me pictures of tattoos that they’ve gotten—of my face, a quote I’ve said, or of my Polynesian tattoo. It’s all love—crazy love—but it’s still love and I’ll take it.

WARHOL: Is there anything you regret not doing?

THE ROCK: I regret not listening to my gut sooner. It happens to all of us, where our gut, God, or the universe is screaming at us, but we’re so attached to a certain outcome that we miss that window to take action. Hopefully, we become wiser for it down the road.

WARHOL: What are your beauty secrets?

THE ROCK: Exfoliate, eat smart, train hard, stay hydrated and have amazing gorilla sex—in terms of heat and aggression, not sex with an actual gorilla.

WARHOL: Do you do a lot of exercises?

THE ROCK: I tried exercise once back in 1989 and found it to be overrated. Nah, I love exercise, it anchors my day, allows me to escape the daily grind and challenge myself, push through barriers.

WARHOL: Do you have a dream role?

THE ROCK: Man, every role is a dream role. In 1995, I had seven bucks in my pocket and slept on a mattress I pulled out of a dumpster behind an hourly sex motel in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. True story. I’m one lucky son of a bitch these days, so every role is a dream role.

WARHOL: When do you get nervous?

THE ROCK: When I was in my very early 20s, my parents had a tumultuous relationship, and when my phone would ring in the middle of the night, it usually meant I would hear my mom crying on the other end. I hated that. It made me nervous. They’ve since divorced and are good friends. Not much makes me nervous these days.

WARHOL: What are you reading right now?

THE ROCK: Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, and after watching a documentary about him, I just picked up Pimp: The Story of My Life by Iceberg Slim.

WARHOL: Do you have any intimate secrets?

THE ROCK: I do. Not sure if we have enough time or tequila for me to share them.

WARHOL: Are you a good cook?

THE ROCK: I’m a helluva cook. My specialty is blackened sea bass with a delightful mango dressing on top—that’s bullshit. My specialty is an egg white omelet, my friend. You’ll eat it and you’ll like it.

WARHOL: How come you didn’t become an inventor?

THE ROCK: I am an inventor. I invented the mesmerizing and knee-weakening “Flying Lip-Lock.”

WARHOL: What’s your favorite color?

THE ROCK: Black. Or fuchsia, depending on my mood.

WARHOL: What do you think about love?

THE ROCK: I love love and I love loving. When it’s firing on all cylinders, there’s nothing like it.

WARHOL: What kind of clothes do you like now?

THE ROCK: I love a custom made suit that fits the body well enough to make livers quiver. I also love my jeans, t-shirt, boots, and leather jacket.

WARHOL: Do you dream?

THE ROCK: I’m a light sleeper, so I have fleeting dreams. I wish I had the fun dreams where I’m flying naked, wearing only cowboy boots and shades, but for whatever divine reason, those dreams never come my way.