[Kane Knight]

Originally Posted by Cobain Agreed. Rock does have tremendous acting skills, but his movies haven't been bringing in big numbers. Here is why- When the Rock was in Mummy 2, he had a supporting role. The Rock's appeal to wrestling fans might've caused them to go see Mummy 2, so The Rock's appearance was seen as a benefit (in a supporting role that is). HOWEVER, in Scorpion King, The Rock was instead the main attraction. Having The Rock in that situation solely caused wrestling fans to go see the movie. My point- the Rock mass appeal is only within the wrestling audience. For moviegoers to support the notion of The Rock as a 'big-time' star, he would first had to be featured in supporting roles, and then gradually have him take on larger roles. In this way, the public will be more familiar with him, and he would be able to attract a larger audience.

I disagree.

All that it will take for mainstream moviegoers to accept the Rock is for him not to totally suck up the action scene. He's been in a couple of summer blockbusters, which will get him into the general public's eye. Meanwhile, he's got diehard wrestling marks willing to hel the grosses, and free promotion on the WWE shows. Neither of these factors would immediately save the day or make a huge difference, but a difference they will make. on top of that, people must be seeing star potential in him, because he's getting a lot of roles. With Hollywood willing to throw money at promoting him, it seems he's got one foot in the door by default.

However, for most people, being labelled a "wrestler" would be a stigmata that would do far more harm than good. The Rock, on the other hand, is the Rock. As obvious and possibly asinine as that sounds, he's had a certain something (likely his raw personality) that has given him a mainstream appeal most wrestlers couldn't hope for. Now, that's not a free trip to the top by any means, but for him, it's not a total liability.