Dwayne Johnson is one of the most accomplished actors in Hollywood. The man has had multiple blockbusters under his belt, giving way to him getting the highest-paid actor title almost every year. But there was a time when Johnson wasn’t as big across the world as his stature in WWE during the Attitude Era and it led to him being turned down in favor of a more prominent Hollywood actor for a movie role.

Just like during his time in WWE, Johnson had to grind his way to the top of the Hollywood ladder. While he might not be getting Academy Awards, he is still raking in millions with every one of his movies. But just a year before one of his biggest roles to date, playing Hobbs in the Fast movie series, he got rejected for a movie role that he couldn’t believe.

Dwayne Johnson once revealed his surprise at losing an acting job

Johnson often comes across as a humble man who talks about his failures as much as he mentions his success. In a Facebook live Q&A, he talked about losing a role. First, he talked about Hollywood putting actors in a box. This way actors vie for roles that they fit into easily.

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Being a massive guy, coming from WWE and NFL, there weren’t many men like Johnson, so certain roles are made for him, unlike other characters. In the past though, Johnson has revealed his insecurities despite having such a physique. But he said there was an exception, and that was the 2012 film, Jack Reacher.

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He applied for the role and people told him he would be a great fit. But ultimately it went to Hollywood icon Tom Cruise. Johnson said this about the role, “I got the call saying ‘Hey, you didn’t get the role’ Look, I didn’t even know if I had a shot for it, but the people around me at that time made me think that I did. I felt like I did, I felt like ‘Why not me?’ Tom was the biggest movie star in the world, and I was not.”

Losing out to one of the biggest Hollywood names may have been difficult for The Rock but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

The Rock’s redemption

In hindsight, it was a great thing that Johnson didn’t get the role. If Johnson had starred in Jack Reacher, he wouldn’t have gotten time to shoot Fast 5. Even the box office difference between the two movies is enormous.

Fast 5 made a gross profit of three times that of Jack Reacher at the box office. While Johnson did not star in this movie, he got a more profitable project that transformed his image. Since then, The Brahma Bull has hardly looked back with tremendous success at the box office with various franchises.

This has led him to become one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood and a name that is everyone’s first choice when it comes to casting due to his box office appeal.

WATCH THIS STORY: 50 Years of The Rock: Dwayne Johnson’s Greatest Achievements in WWE

Tell us what you think about Johnson losing an acting job to Tom Cruise in the comments below.