He rose to fame as an eyebrow lifting professional wrestler, but it didn't take long for Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to switch gears and become one of the most beloved entertainers in Hollywood. The 47-year-old family man has developed a reputation as a nice guy who stays out of trouble and makes power moves in the industry, as many of the films he's starred in have gone on to become blockbuster hits.
Because of his motivational spirit, positive attitude, and lovable image, Johnson was honored with the Generation Award at the 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards on Monday evening. In true form, Johnson's speech was both humble and inspirational as he offered up advice to viewers. "I thank you, all of you at home," he said. "You are the reason I'm getting this. I want to share a really quick lesson with you guys, I've learned the most powerful thing we can be is ourselves."
"We are still that little kid just aspiring to be something better, aspiring to be important. When I first got to Hollywood, Hollywood they didn't know what the hell to do with me," Johnson admitted. "I mean I was half black, half Samoan, six-foot-four, 275-pound pro wrestler. I was told at that time you've got to be a certain way, you've got to drop some weight, you've got to be somebody different, you've got to stop working out, stop doing the things that I love, you've got to stop calling yourself 'The Rock.'"
Johnson continued, "For years I bought into it because you think, 'Oh, that's what I'm supposed to do,' and I was miserable doing that. I made a choice that I wasn't going to conform to Hollywood, Hollywood was going to conform to me. When I was 15, I heard a quote and I'll never forget it: 'It's nice to be important but it's more important to be nice.'"
Former recipients of the Generation Award have included Jamie Foxx, Jim Carrey, Will Smith, Adam Sandler, Reese Witherspoon, Sandra Bullock, and Tom Cruise.