It’s no secret Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have a complicated past! For years now, rumors have circulated about their arguments on the set of Fast & Furious. In 2016, Johnson was even said to have called his co-stars “candy asses” and “unprofessional” on Instagram. While he didn’t name names, it was pretty clear he was talking about the 53-year-old, and sources even confirmed that the actors were butting heads at the time!
So what happened behind the scenes to cause the hatred?
The wrestler and film producer have attempted to downplay the headlines for years, but now the franchise’s longtime lead is opening up about the “tough love” he gave The Rock back in the day… and what their relationship is like today!
Related: Paul Walker’s Daughter Shows Support At F9 Premiere!
Speaking to Men’s Health ahead of the premiere of the latest installment, F9, the Cali native dished:
“It was a tough character to embody, the Hobbs character. My approach at the time was a lot of tough love to assist in getting that performance where it needed to be. As a producer to say, ‘Okay, we’re going to take Dwayne Johnson, who’s associated with wrestling, and we’re going to force this cinematic world, audience members, to regard his character as someone that they don’t know’ — Hobbs hits you like a ton of bricks. That’s something that I’m proud of, that aesthetic.”
On former feuds, he continued:
“That took a lot of work. We had to get there and sometimes, at that time, I could give a lot of tough love. Not Felliniesque, but I would do anything I’d have to do in order to get performances in anything I’m producing.”
Luckily the arguments weren’t in vain since it has now been 20 years since the franchise began and Diesel couldn’t be prouder of the series’ legacy, reflecting:
“It’s not uncommon that I’ll give a speech on set where I’ll say, ‘We’re making this franchise for people that are no longer with us,’ which is very real, and the implications of that are very heavy.”
Paul Walker, Vin’s right-hand man in the flicks, tragically passed away in 2013 amid filming for Furious 7. He died after injuries sustained in a single-vehicle car crash, with his portion of the film finished in part by stand-ins. Deciding to continue the franchise following the actor’s death was a “difficult decision” for the entire cast and crew, but it turns out The Rock was a huge reason the eighth edition was created.
“When I was making that difficult decision, should there be a [Fast & Furious] 8 or not, I called [Johnson] and he said, ‘Brother, I will be there shoulder to shoulder with you to make sure it’s the best movie in history.’ And he delivered.”
AH-mazing!!
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Now that they get to continue adding to the franchise, with a tenth movie already in the works, The Ropes screenwriter further mused on the reason he’s so dedicated to the film series:
“But at the same time, we’re making the franchise for the people that aren’t born yet. When you have a unique perspective of creating a franchise that spans generations, you realize, okay, we all have to be as brilliant as possible. We have to reach as high as we can. Because it may be more important than just a movie. More important than two hours of escapism. There may be something more at play.”
Wow, obviously the dad of three takes his job seriously! No wonder 49-year-old Johnson felt like the celeb was difficult to work with if they weren’t on the same page. Times have changed, with Vin now considering Dwayne’s a part of the family:
“In my house, he’s ‘Uncle Dwayne,’ and I’m proud of that. We still love each other, that’s my boy.”
Reactions, Perezcious readers? Think Vin’s just being kind to avoid any negative press or have these two really overcome their past? You can read the full interview HERE and let us know what you think in the comments (below)!
The post Vin Diesel Attempts To Explain His Complicated Relationship With The Rock! appeared first on Perez Hilton.
