Dwayne Johnson was 'really nervous' making transition from wrestling to acting

Dwayne Johnson was "really nervous" about making the transition from wrestling to acting.

In the late '90s and early 2000s, the star was best known for his performances as The Rock for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), impressing millions of fans around the world with his signature moves in the ring, alongside the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin and Triple H.

He had his first major movie role in 2002's The Scorpion King, and since then, his Hollywood career has gone from strength to strength, featuring leading roles in the Fast & Furious franchise, San Andreas, Baywatch, and the rebooted Jumanji saga.

In a candid post on Instagram, the 47-year-old reflected on his impressive success and told his 176 million followers that while he wanted to a create a long-lasting acting career for himself, he knew his wrestling history would make it difficult for him to be taken seriously.

"I wanted to have a real, long-lasting career that had weight and had value. And I wanted to become a real box office presence. I wanted to have a real box office cache," Johnson explained. "I was really nervous because I also knew historically it didn't matter.

"Whoever was successful in another arena, just because you were a successful professional wrestler did not mean, in any uncertain terms, that you were gonna become a box office draw or a legitimate movie star. There were no guarantees."

In the caption to the clip, the Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw star said he made "tough decisions" to become a viable global box office draw.

"I made the tough decisions and the most important of all, was deciding I was done trying to be someone I'm not to conform to Hollywood.

Instead, I decided to be my own man and Hollywood would eventually conform to me," the father-of-three added.