The Rock recently spoke with the Yorkshire Evening Post about his role in G.I. Joe: Retalation, balancing his time between acting and wrestling and more. Check out the highlights:
On playing Roadblock in G.I. Joe: Retaliation: “Roadblock is considered the glue that holds the GI Joe team together and I really appreciated his reluctance to being in the front or in the limelight. When I got involved with the project, I began to understand the mythology and was impressed by how layered it is and how deep it goes. I have a really nice connection with GI Joe. It was why it was really important for us to respect and to really pay homage to the mythology this time around.”
On his prep work for the role: “It was a long prep, probably around 12 to 14 weeks. I wanted to come in in tip-top shape because both the cartoon character and the action figure are one of a kind. So I wanted to at least attempt to look like that.”
On his fight with Firefly in the film: “The fight with Ray [Stevenson] was pretty challenging because Jon had the idea of creating a fighting style that hadn’t been seen before on film called ‘gun-kada’ with kicks and bullets. So Ray and I were working on that for weeks and weeks to try and get it down.”
On working with Bruce Willis: “I was a fan of Bruce when I was 15 with Die Hard and he’s great to work with. We have been buddies for a long time and I was over the moon when I found out he was going to be involved. Bruce is the ultimate man’s man, and is perfect in this role.”
On his track record in reviving franchises: “It really comes down to whether I love the script and if I could elevate it a little bit. If I can help in any way, I will do it.”
On balancing his prep for Hercules: The Thracian Wars and WrestleMania: “It’s a very busy – and fun – time. What makes it fun, for me and for audiences, is that it’s a bit like a buffet. Whatever you want, you’ll get…It’s a challenging time in the schedule because I have to promote the movies coming out, while also preparing for WrestleMania and for Hercules at the same time. It’s a delicate balance.”
On his family’s influence on his work: “I think about my family and about the audience – would they enjoy seeing me in this role, whether it’s comedy, action, or family or drama? That’s number one.”
On his wish to be in the next Star Wars: “When I was a kid, I (imagined I) was Han Solo and Boba Fett. I would love to do it, sure. I’ve got an emotional connection to Star Wars. So, Jedi, Sith, you got it.”
On a potential role in The Expendables franchise: “I love those guys, and Statham and Stallone are good friends of mine. I saw The Expendables 2 last night and I can honestly tell you they’re not ready for me.”
