"Find and work your own gimmick": Inside 'Young Rock', the unconventional biopic of The Rock

Time traveling with Dwayne Johnson, or as the world adores him, "The Rock", takes us down a riveting nostalgia lane with NBC's sitcom 'Young Rock'. The sitcom, inspired by the towering legend's life, "bounces around four different time periods" as reported by Rolling Stone in 2021.

"Every Wrestler Has to Find Their Own Gimmick"

The series adroitly navigates the life of a young Dwayne Johnson, living in the world of wrestling, transitioning into a larger-than-life action hero, and ultimately foreseeing his potential presidential run in 2032. It's a rollercoaster ride of Dewey (Adrian Groulx) in 1982 living with his wrestling father, Rocky (Joseph Lee Anderson), to a towering teenager in 1987 (Bradley Constant), a budding football player in 1990 (Uli Latukefu), and the People’s Champion in 2032.

Foraying into the multi-era narrative, a popular trend in TV now, Young Rock, however, isn't just a meandering journey across timelines. "After a busy pilot episode," as Rolling Stone put it, the sitcom digs deep into one of its three young Rocks, offering insights into his life peppered with Johnson's commentary.

Wrestling the Challenges and Stepping into the Future

Navigating multiple eras in a half-hour broadcast network comedy could be a daunting task, yet the series holds its ground. The charm of Johnson, undoubtedly one of the few universally beloved celebrities of our times, carries the series despite his massive presence sometimes shadowing the other incarnations of the title character.

The show thrives best when it zeroes in on one aspect of the young Rock's life. Johnson narrates his life's pivotal moments during an interview with FOTB star Randall Park. From the lessons learned as little Dewey, schooled by Rocky that every wrestler must find their unique gimmick, to the aspiring politician Dwayne, he told Park, his gimmick was a simple one: "Be me." The authenticity of Johnson's larger-than-life persona resonates throughout the series.

The series presents Johnson as an entertainer throughout his career, honest and genuine, the key to his worldwide appeal. While the 2032 scenes might feel like a launchpad for his real political career, the charm of his childhood and early career resonates powerfully.

In retrospect, Young Rock was no laugh riot in its early days. Instead, it seemed to be a slow-cooked treat where the laughs were likely to grow with the audience's growing familiarity with the characters. In a world waiting to "smell what the Rock is cooking", this sitcom offered a taste of Dwayne Johnson's extraordinary life before his fame.

(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)