Hollywood superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has opened up about the emotional complexity of his relationship with his late father, wrestling icon Rocky “Soulman” Johnson.
Speaking at the Venice Film Festival, Johnson revealed that while his father taught him the values of hard work and discipline, tenderness was not something he could draw from him.
“I don’t think my dad was an inspiration in terms of his tenderness,” he admitted. “He was homeless by the time he was 13, so his capacity for love was very limited — and that’s the man that raised me.”
The actor recalled their final falling out on Christmas Eve in 2019 during a heated phone call. Tragically, they never reconciled before Rocky Johnson passed away in early 2020 at the age of 75.
Looking back, Johnson confessed he still struggles with regret over the unresolved conflict.
“Man, I just wish that I could hug him one more time, kiss him on the cheek and look him in the eyes and say, ‘We’re good.’ All that other stuff… it really doesn’t matter when they’re gone,” he said.
The former wrestler also shared how the loss forced him to reassess his priorities. Just days after receiving the devastating phone call, he had to deliver his father’s eulogy. That moment, he said, became a wake-up call about the weight of unresolved issues.
Johnson urged others not to wait too long to reconcile with their parents:
“If you’ve got your old man around, get uncomfortable, pull him aside and try to squash things. In the effort of trying, you reach a new place of love.”
Despite their clashes, Johnson acknowledged the gifts his father left him with.
“He taught me hard work and discipline — those two anchors have taken me so far. Some of the other things, I don’t want to repeat, but I thank him for those lessons too. Even with his limited capacity, he loved me with all he had. I didn’t realize that until much later in life.”