Dwayne Johnson, Highest Paid Actor, Says He Was Once Evicted, Broke

Dwayne Johnson said becoming the highest paid actor was something he couldn't imagine growing up, finding himself without a home as a teenager and penniless after playing college football at the University of Miami.

Johnson, though, took to Instagram this week to share the news that Forbes magazine declared him the best compensated actor years after he emerged from the professional wrestling circuit to conquer Hollywood.

 

"The wolf is always scratchin' at the door" was the first thing I said when we found out from @forbes I was officially the world's highest paid actor. Well, actually the first thing I said was "Aw shit!", then I said the wolf part. Receiving news like this will always serve as my anchoring reminder to continue to work even harder. We not only want to "embrace the grind", but take the grind to new levels. I learned a few invaluable lessons a long time ago that can help all of you guys out there succeed at whatever it is you're doing. Greatness is never achieved alone. Surround yourself with hungry, brilliant individuals who not only buy into your philosophy, but who are all willing to work just as hard as you. Power of teamwork. And don't ever forget where you came from. I was evicted at 14yrs old and completely broke by 23. Every day I wake up as if that eviction notice is right around the corner waiting for me.. which is why I always say, "the wolf is always scratchin' at the door". He's scratchin' cause he's hungry and never satisfied. We embrace and respect our past (even if it was f*cked up), but we never let it define our future. Let's stay hungry and chase that greatness. I will now jump in my pick up truck, go to work and figure out whether or not I need psychiatric therapy for this damn wolf that's become my best friend. #Celeb100 #SevenBucksProductions #HardestWorkersInTheRoom #1WolfOnThePlanet

A photo posted by therock (@therock) on Jul 13, 2016 at 6:18am PDT

"Receiving news like this will always serve as my anchoring reminder to continue to work even harder," Johnson said on Instagram. "We not only want to 'embrace the grind,' but take the grind to new levels."

"… I was evicted at 14 [years old] and completely broke by 23. Every day I wake up as if that eviction notice is right around the corner waiting for me, which is why I always say, 'the wolf is always scratchin' at the door.'"

Forbes reported that Johnson pulled in $64.5 million over the past year, a far cry from the small role he had during his big screen debut in "The Mummy Returns" in 2001.

"In the 15 years since, he's used his action hero physique, deep voice and on-screen charisma to climb the ranks of Hollywood, claiming the title this year of the world's highest-paid actor, with total earnings of $64.5 million and the 19th spot on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list," the magazine wrote about the former wrestler "The Rock."

Johnson's path to acting fame and fortune is something that is rarely accomplished in Hollywood, noted Forbes.

"What Johnson has pulled off with that a**-kicking and grinning — parlay his original career into a lucrative 'second act' — is rarely done successfully and takes time," Forbes wrote. "He transitioned from ensemble roles in films like 'Fast and Furious' to be a box office draw, as evidenced in his $472 million grossing star vehicle 'San Andreas' — from which he likely got a hefty backend cut."

In Forbes' Celebrity 100 ranking, which was released Tuesday, it listed pop singer Taylor Swift as the top-ranking entertainer, making $170 million over the past year. The top 10 top-grossing entertainers also included boy band One Direction ($110 million), author James Patterson ($95 million), Dr. Phil McGraw ($88 million), soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo ($88 million), comedian Kevin Hart ($87.5), radio talk show host Howard Stern ($85 million), soccer star Lionel Messi ($81.5), singer Adele ($80.5) and conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh ($79 million).

Hart, who costarred with Johnson in the new movie "Central Intelligence" received most of his money from stand-up and was ranked as a comedian instead of an actor, noted CBS Sports.