Dwayne
Johnson

He is one of the few men to run two complete careers above the line. The third-generation wrestler who turned a sneer and an arched eyebrow into a worldwide catchphrase, then walked off the ramp and into the highest-grossing actor bracket without losing the muscle.

Arc

He debuted in WWE on 10 March 1996 as Rocky Maivia, took the name The Rock by August 1997, and won the WWF Championship that November. He left for film in 2004. *The Mummy Returns* in 2001 was the cameo. *The Scorpion King* in 2002 the lead. *Fast Five* in 2011 added Luke Hobbs to the *Fast & Furious* slate, and the budget arithmetic changed. *Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle* in 2017 was a billion-dollar reset. *Moana* in 2016 cast him as Maui, then again in 2024. *Black Adam* in 2022. By the back end of the decade his films had crossed $11.4 billion worldwide. He still makes the occasional return to a WWE ring.

Why he’s in the library

A face the model reads with no ambiguity. Wide-set eyes, raised brow, square jaw; the bald crown adds geometry rather than removing it. Stadium light, action close-up, magazine cover — the readings hold. The most-recognized male action lead of his generation. A stable anchor for the index.