NBC’s Young Rock gives viewers a peek into what life was like for Dwayne Johnson before he became a movie megastar. Johnson is heavily involved in the show but, surprisingly, he’d never met the actor who plays his father, Rocky Johnson, until recently. On the surface, it’s simply a cool meet-up, but it really held a lot of sentimental value for Dwayne. The Jumanji star recently got candid about finally meeting his TV dad and how the two were able to fulfill a longtime wish of his.
The Jungle Cruise star seemed to have a great meeting with Rocky Johnson actor Joseph Lee Anderson, based on the photos shared to his Instagram. The Rock recalled the moment feeling somewhat surreal, as Anderson shared his late father’s “resemblance, mannerisms, and spirit.” For the A-lister, it was almost like getting to meet with his late dad one more time.
As Dwayne Johnson explained, he “never got a chance to say goodbye” before his wrestling legend father’s sudden passing in 2020. And that’s why johnson’s meeting with Joseph Lee Anderson meant some much to him. In his touching post, the Red Notice actor thanked his Young Rock colleague for sharing his time with him. Check out the series of images the actor shared and see just how much Anderson resembles the late sports icon:
You can definitely see why The Rock felt like he was interacting with his late father once again. It’s clear that the Black Adam star is still dealing with his loss and grief but, at the very least, this provided him with a sense of comfort. But what’s even sweeter is what he and his TV dad were able to do during their encounter.
In a separate Instagram post, Dwayne Johnson shared a video of himself and Joseph Lee Anderson. The footage showed the two men going on a walk, something that holds a lot of meaning for Johnson. As Johnson revealed, he never got to take a casual walk with his dad while he was alive. Johnson said that doing so with Anderson not only “felt good” but a bit “cathartic,” as he was able to reconcile “some complicated father/son shit.” Watch The Rock get to live out his longtime dream in the sweet video below:
It’s hard not to get emotional when seeing that post. No matter how old one gets, there’s still an intrinsic desire to spend time with one’s parents. Dwayne Johnson has been very honest about his and Rocky Johnson’s complicated relationship. Rocky’s passing had a major impact on Dwayne’s legacy. With this, it’s likely that The Rock will continue to hold his father close to his heart through moments like these.
Viewers can see the relationship between Dwayne and Rocky Johnson play out when Young Rock Season 3 premieres on NBC on November 4. The sitcom is one of the many TV premieres happening this fall. Also, grab a Premium Peacock subscription if you want to catch up on Seasons 1 and 2 of the coming-of-age comedy.