Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson drew inspiration from grandfather in return as Maui in live-action 'Moana'

It's been 10 years since we first met Moana, and Disney's animated smash hit is now coming to us in live-action.

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is back. He was first the voice, and now he's the face of the character Maui.

I sat down with him in Hawaii to talk about his emotional, cultural, and personal connection to the shape-shifting demigod.

"I'm just so proud that it's been globally embraced," says Johnson. "It's incredible to bring everyone the real-life version of this now."

For Johnson, this truly is real life. His grandfather was the inspiration for the character Maui.
Now, he gets to embody that in live-action.

"It's unbelievable," says Johnson. "It's surreal in many ways."

His grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, was a Samoan professional wrestler. His flowing locks, his build, and his tattoos are all immortalized in Maui.

"The High Chief," he says with reverence, "this was for him. This role was for him. He's buried here in Hawaii, and he lost his life here in Hawaii, and this is all so meaningful."

In fact, this film features three generations of his family.

"When DJ's mom and his daughters were here, we put them in the scene with the ancestors," says the film's director, Thomas Kail. "The cycle of that, the circle of that, celebrates their culture, and we wanted to make sure it was represented with integrity."

Every stitch, every voice, every dance move, every face on screen in this film belongs to Polynesia.

"It was just real reverence and respect for the culture," says Johnson. "I'm so proud because this is what I grew up with here. This is the culture and the value system and the music and the dancing. It means everything: legacy, life, and pride."

Johnson is one of the only voices from the animated series to join this live-action film.

Newcomers include 19-year-old Samoan Australian breakout star Catherine Laga'aia, who plays Moana.

Disney's "Moana" is in theaters on July 10.

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