In 2016, Dwayne Johnson became the highest grossing actor of the year. In a world where Robert Downey Jr, Tom Cruise, and Johnny Depp, that’s a huge deal. Even more impressive is when you look at the man’s WWF (pre-WWE) beginnings. Sure, he was a huge deal in his early wrestling career, but that doesn’t necessarily make for a good actor, or even a good action star.

However, with a whole lot of elbow grease, and the can-do attitude that only The Rock can exude, he’s launched himself all the way to the top. But it wasn’t always peaches and roses for the actor. Nor does he get everything he wants, even when auditioning, as evidenced by a recent reveal on Twitter. According to the actor, he actually auditioned for the role of Jack Reacher.

You can’t fault Johnson for being a quitter, that’s for sure, and you can’t say the man hasn’t paid his dues in his fifteen-plus years of working in the business. Without a doubt, the man has likely had his fair share of rejections along the way.

Johnson started off his career modestly enough, taking on small roles in bigger films to help garner the experience needed to grow. Of course, his most prominent one in the early 2000s was his take on the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns (which also brought us one of the most hilariously amazing visual effects moments in cinema history), and he even revisited the character in the spinoff The Scorpion King.

Interestingly enough, that was the big break it seemed like he needed to get the proverbial snowball rolling. Nowadays, Johnson is booked for the next 1,500 years, and it’s a testament as to how far hard work can get you in the business.

Don’t forget to share this post on your Facebook wall and with your Twitter followers! Just hit the buttons on the top of this page.

SOURCE: Dwayne Johnson (via Twitter)