Young Rock's Stacey Leilua Recalls Zooming With The Rock And His Mom

Stacey Leilua, who plays Ata Johnson — Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's mother — in NBC's "Young Rock" comedy series, has opened up about the first time she spoke with the real Ata, which also included a surprise appearance from the "The Great One" himself. 

"It was just really funny because the first time that we had the Zoom call, he was there too," Leilua told Wrestling Inc. Senior News Editor Nick Hausman. "Zoomed with both of them, but she was openly talking about stuff and you can see he was like, 'Oh, okay mom,' which I thought was ... it's just such a classic mum and son relationship. But it was, again, it was one of those really surreal moments ... You feel like, 'Oh my gosh, I've got this big responsibility and these shoes to fill and I hope I do it justice,' and all these things."

"Young Rock," which is currently in its third season, focuses on the upbringing and life of global megastar Dwayne Johnson, who is also an executive producer for the show. The first episode of the latest season aired on November 4 and saw 1.81 million viewers on NBC, a decline from the opening episode for its first season, which saw over 5 million viewers tune in. Leilua, who previously acted in theaters in her home native of New Zealand, first joined the cast as Ata in 2021 and was later nominated for Best Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy, at the 1st Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards for her performances in the show.

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