The Rock Reminisces About Babyface Advice Vince McMahon Gave Him

A long time ago, in a wrestling promotion far, far away, a babyface Dusty Rhodes took a long look into the camera and said, "Before they loved me, I was as bad as you could get", to describe his transition from hated villain to beloved hero. It's a tale as old as time for many professional wrestlers, and that includes wrestling legend turned international movie star, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

In an interview with "The New York Times," promoting his upcoming DC Films release, "Black Adam", "The Rock" talked about how he embraced being a heel and advice that he got from then-WWE Chairman Vince McMahon about being a babyface that may have helped him embrace the change even more.

"Before I became a great bad guy, I came in as the babyface [the good guy]," "The Rock" said. "I was told, 'You can't smile enough.' Vince McMahon told me that. 'You have to go out there and be grateful to be here.' I was booed in every arena across the country. So I did have to withstand that kind of vitriol. By the time I did turn heel, I couldn't have opened my arms wider to get them boos, to come in and embrace them."

Long-time fans will recall that "The Rock" debuted as Rocky Maivia in the fall of 1996 as white meat babyface, only for the fans to sour on the second-generation superstar. A little less than a year later, "The Rock" turned on the fans and joined the Nation of Domination as a heel, while also changing his demeanor entirely. To borrow a phrase used many times before, the rest was history.