“Holy S**t I’m In”: Dwayne Johnson Thought He Got the Role of This Iconic Character Played by Johnny Depp

WWE legend The Rock has made an exceptional fortune by switching his career path to Hollywood. His action-packed thriller movies grossed billions, but there’s one thing to wonder. Could Dwayne Johnson have pulled off a versatile fictional character that would have required him to change his modus operandi of acting?

He has done so as he has featured in action films as well as comedies. The People’s Champ has been nothing less than a top-notch success in the movie business. He has excelled in roles such as a fictional assassin in Scorpion King to a slightly eccentric spy in Central Intelligence. But did you know that the former WWE champion was once so close to playing Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory?

In an Instagram post, DJ detailed the story of how he almost played the character Johnny Depp eternalized.

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Willy Wonka and his mouth-watering candy paradise have been every child’s dreamland since 1971 (honestly, many adults too!). Roald Dahl’s story of a little sincere boy named Charlie Bucket, who apparently lives in a house full of old people, caught people’s eyes like a fairy tale. Further, in the story, Charlie meets Willy Wonka, the owner of the best chocolate factory. He eventually wins his tests and wins a lot of chocolate. What a delicious ending!

There was a 1971 movie that introduced the story. Its director was Mel Stuart and Gene Wilder played Wonka. But in 2005, there was a new and amazing rendition of the fiction, under the direction of Tim Burton. Also, the highlight of the movie was Johnny Depp’s exceptional portrayal of the eccentric and introverted Willy Wonka.

Dwayne Johnson was almost cast as Willy Wonka, before Johnny Depp

Although Dwayne Johnson can execute any task there is, portraying Willy Wonka may have proved to be tough. Yet, DJ could have followed a path he had never chosen before. In an Instagram post, The Rock revealed how he was almost cast as Wonka by Tim Burton.

He wrote, “So shines a good deed, in a weary world” 👏🏾🙏🏾💫 This morning I introduced our babies to one of my all time fav films – Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. They loved it and now fully expect me to deliver a room full of chocolate and candy. That’ll be my next project 🤣 Some cool history – back in the early 2000’s, iconic director, Tim Burton had considered me to play Willy Wonka is his remake, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I remember thinking “HOLY S**T, IM IN” 🎶 😳🙋🏽‍♂️”

He added that he was just starting out in Hollywood with no box office strength or real acting experience to even pull it off. Also, the role went to Johnny Depp, a Tim Burton staple, and one of the biggest stars in the world.

Nevertheless, looking back as a fan of the fiction, any cinephile would agree that no one could have played it better than Depp. But for a fan of ‘The Great One’, it would have been a unique experience to watch DJ play an amazingly jacked chocolate maker.

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