Dwayne Johnson is not too impressed with his recent waxwork figure | What is his family’s ancestry?

He’s known to wrestling fans as ‘The Rock,’ but in comedian James Andre Jefferson Jr.’s words, a recent waxwork dedicated to the ‘Furious’ franchise star made him feel more like a ‘pebble.’ The actor’s waxwork was unveiled at the Grévin Museum in Paris, France on October 16 2023 and soon faced criticism over its quality - with a lot of the criticism over the colour of the waxwork.

Looking more akin to Vin Diesel than ‘The Great One’ himself, Johnson opined on social media “For the record, I’m going to have my team reach out to our friends at Grévin Museum, in Paris France so we can work at ‘updating’ my wax figure here with some important details and improvements – starting with my skin colour,” he joked. “And next time I’m in Paris, I’ll stop in and have a drink with myself.”

Jefferson Jr.’s comments came after he uploaded a video of the waxwork, going on to comment “It looks like The Rock ain’t never seen the sun in a day in his life,” he said, before comparing him to David Beckham and a member of the royal family. “Is this how y’all felt when you lost the Little Mermaid?”

Grévin Museum said it will “remedy” the waxwork “as quickly as possible and send [Johnson] new photos once completed,” in a statement they issued to Deadline.

It has raised some questions though as to the ancestry of Dwayne Johnson, an individual who has strong roots in Samoa but has previously mentioned spending time as a youngster living in New Zealand. So who are Dwayne Johnson’s parents, and is he related somehow to the wider Samoan Wrestling Family dynasty, the Anoa’i’s? 

Who is Dwayne Johnson’s father?

Dwayne Johnson's father is a recognisable name to wrestling fans around the world - it’s none other than former WWF star Rocky Johnson. A Canadian professional wrestler of Black Nova Scotian descent, he became one of the first black tag team champions in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) alongside Tony Atlas.

Rocky Johnson was known for his impressive athletic ability and powerful presence in the wrestling ring and many consider the charisma Dwayne Johnson has, both in the ring and on the screen, as a testament to the showman that his father was. Sadly, Rocky Johnson died in January 2020 at the age of 75.

Who is Dwayne Johnson’s mother?

Johnson’s mother comes from a dynasty of wrestlers, leading to the very long line of relatives within the wrestling industry he is related to. Ata Maivia comes from a Samoan background and is the daughter of "High Chief" Peter Maivia, a revered professional wrestler from Samoa. 

Ata Maivia played a pivotal role in supporting Dwayne Johnson throughout his life and career, instilling in him a strong work ethic and determination that helped shape his path to success. 

Is Dwayne Johnson related to any other Samoan wrestlers?

In terms of Dwayne Johnson's relation to other Samoan wrestlers, he is part of the famous Anoa'i wrestling family, which has produced multiple wrestling legends. This family includes renowned names such as The Wild Samoans (Afa and Sika), Yokozuna, Rikishi, Roman Reigns and many others who have left a significant mark on the world of professional wrestling.