'I'm well aware politics is not the business I'm in, so the best thing I can do is continuing to listen and learn as much as I can,' the actor, who recently received a star on the Walk of Fame, said.
- Dec 15, 2017
AceShowbiz - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has revealed in a new interview that he's actually considering running for President of the United States. But the thing is, instead of running for office in 2020, the multi-hyphenate star says he may do it in 2024.
The Rock, who just received a star on the Walk of Fame this week, cites his hectic schedules as the reason why he rules out running for president in 2020. The "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" actor, however, confirmed to Variety that he will "100|percent| consider" running for office.
"I couldn't do both," he says about his rocketing career as a movie star, producer as well as the businessman behind his company, Seven Bucks Productions, which he co-owns with his longtime manager and ex-wife, Dany Garcia. "Realistically, as we go into 2018, when you look at my slate as we're developing and shooting into 2019 and 2020, the slate goes deep into 2021, so it feels like the realistic consideration would be 2024."
Of the Washington Post's June 2016 column about suggesting him to run for president, Dwayne says, "It all started out of the blue." He added, "It was never something that I trumpeted and beat my chest and ever said publicly, 'This is what I'm going to do,' but as that story picked up, Americans picked it up and there was this sentiment of, 'We're not joking, and we would really love the idea if you would run.' "
"In that, I knew I had to listen to the people and really, really think about it," he goes on saying. "That's where I'm at right now -- I'm well aware politics is not the business I'm in, so the best thing I can do is continuing to listen and learn as much as I can."
"The Fate of the Furious" actor, who has attended both Republican and Democratic conventions, says that he's "continuing to watch our presidency and watch how every new development is handled." He adds, "I continue to watch our leaders in government, and like all Americans, I continue to be hopeful that our leaders exhibit poise, perspective and the ability to bring our country together during these tough times -- which I don't feel our presidency is currently doing -- so that's where I'm at."
Revealing that he's currently a registered Independent, Dwayne says, "I care deeply about our country, and I care deeply about our people - especially now. Decency matters and being a decent human being matters, and character matters, and leadership matters."
The wrestler-turned-actor and Tom Hanks previously joked about running for president during their appearance on "Saturday Night Live" back in May. "Now, in the past, I would have never considered running for president. I didn't think I was qualified at all, but now I'm actually worried that I'm too qualified," The Rock quipped. Hanks replied, "Dwayne, I could not possibly turn this down. The truth is, America really needs us. I have been in two movies where a plane crashes, and people are still happy to see me on their flight."
