The Rock wants to keep his politics private, but not everyone in Hollywood is giving him a pass for it.
After Dwayne Johnson told Esquire that he has learned to keep his politics to himself, Star Trek icon George Takei jumped on Threads and criticized that stance with a blunt response: “Silence is complicity.” Wil Wheaton then replied to Takei’s post and went even harder on The Rock: “So disappointing to find out he is such a coward.”
That reaction came after The Rock said he is not interested in turning his platform into a political battlefield. Johnson explained that his focus right now is creating, storytelling, and entertainment, not getting pulled into political fights.
“What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep—need, not want—the main thing the main thing. And the main thing for me, the thing that in the morning I swing my legs out of bed and I run towards, is creating. It’s art. It’s storytelling. I’ve learned I’m going to keep my politics to myself.”
The Rock did not say tough subjects should be ignored completely. He said he is open to difficult conversations and can admit when he is wrong, but made it clear the nonstop fighting around politics is something he wants no part of.
“There are moments when, hey, there’s nothing we can’t talk about. If I’m wrong, I’ll tell you I’m wrong. Or if I feel like I got a leg up and this is the right way to go, I’ll share it with you. Politics is omnipresent and it’s forever. I don’t like it. [Laughs.] I hate it at times. I hate the slinging. I hate all the bullshit that comes with it.”
Johnson also brought up Bruce Springsteen criticizing Donald Trump and said his instinct was not to choose sides, but to wonder why the two do not simply sit down and talk.
“Because when I hear you talk about Springsteen, who I love, and this idea that he’s speaking directly to Trump in his concerts, my first thought as you were telling me that, in my head, I went, Oh, then why don’t they talk? They should sit down and talk. I don’t know where that goes, but I do know that’s an important step.”
So there it is. The Rock says he wants to stay focused on movies, storytelling, and entertainment, but Takei and Wheaton clearly think staying quiet is not good enough. Johnson may be trying to avoid the political fire, but now the fire has come looking for him anyway.
What do you think about George Takei and Wil Wheaton calling out The Rock over his political stance? Please share your thoughts and leave your feedback in the comments below.
