Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is officially a Disney Legend after being inducted into Disney’s 2026 class Sunday night at D23 in Anaheim, California, with Emily Blunt doing the honors.
Blunt wasted no time joking about what she expected when she first met Johnson, saying she assumed she was getting the larger-than-life WWE version of The Rock. Instead, she found someone completely different behind the character.
“When I first met Dwayne Johnson, I had assumed, wrongly, that he would have the energy of a man who was a sort of walking suplex. But the bravado of The Rock was actually nowhere to be seen. The Rock, in fact, is a performance. It’s the performance of a lifetime.”
Blunt described Johnson as wise, gentle and unpretentious, while also calling him a “rule-breaking” rebel who is “funny as hell” and “filthy.” She then took a shot at everyone who once doubted his chances in Hollywood, saying those people were “morons” because Johnson went on to redefine what it means to be a modern movie star.
“He has, in no uncertain terms, redefined what it is to be the modern movie star. He has captivated the world with his ludicrous charisma and talent, which are as powerful as his kindness.”
The Rock then hit the stage and immediately looked back at how far he had come, going from a kid with very little to standing at D23 as one of Disney’s newest Legends.
“From growing up a trailer park kid to being introduced on stage here today by one of my closest friends, Emily Blunt, as a Disney Legend and sharing it with all of you, this is a pretty damn cool day.”
Johnson revealed he didn’t prepare a written speech and instead wanted to speak from the heart. That quickly turned personal when he talked about taking his oldest daughter Simone to Disney when she was five years old and watching her close her eyes to make a wish during a princess breakfast. Johnson said the moment stuck with him because he was still trying to figure out life as a father at the time.
Things then turned into a full-on birthday celebration when Johnson revealed it was Simone’s birthday weekend and got the entire D23 crowd to sing “Happy Birthday” to her. He used the moment to explain what he believes fame should really be about, saying his daughters already know the answer.
“If you ask Jazzy and Tia, her sisters, ‘Hey, what’s the best part of fame?’ They’ll say, ‘Making people feel good.’”
Johnson closed his speech with the same message, saying trends and algorithms will always change, but how people treat each other is what sticks.
“Trends will come and go, and algorithms will do what they do, but being kind and being good to people… I heard this quote when I was 15, and I’ll never forget it: ‘It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.’”
The Rock has already been a WWE Champion, Hollywood blockbuster star, producer and the voice of Maui in Disney’s Moana franchise. Now he can officially add Disney Legend to that list.
What did you think of The Rock’s Disney Legends induction and acceptance speech? Let us know your thoughts and leave your feedback in the comments.
