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At the youthful age of 43, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has lived quite a life. The former professional wrestler is now one of the busiest and highest grossing actors in Hollywood, with nine films in various stages of production between 2015 and 2019.

In the latest episode of Oprah’s Master Class, Dwayne gives viewers a very in-depth look into his upbringing and the many experiences that shaped his life.

At just 15 years old, he saved his mother, Ata Maivia Johnson, from committing suicide. His parents were in an argument while driving, and his father pulled the car over on the side of the road. Ata got out and began walking into oncoming traffic, until Dwayne pulled her out of harm’s way.

“In that moment, one of the greatest lessons I’ve ever learned was how precious life is and in an instant, it can all go away,” he shared.

Another life-changing situation included being passed over by the NFL after playing football throughout high school and at the University of Miami. At age 23, Dwayne fell into a deep depression and was uncertain about what to do next with his life.

“I found that with depression one of the most important things you could realize is that you’re not alone. You’re not the first to go through it, I wish I had someone at that time who could just pull me aside and [say], ‘Hey, it’s going to be okay,’” he said.

Two months later, Dwayne got a call from the head coach of the pro team that originally cut him, asking him to return to the field.

“I hung up the phone, and my dad said, ‘You’re going to do it, right?’ I said, ‘No, I don’t think so. I think I’m done with that. … My gut tells me I’m done.’”

Dwayne’s father Rocky Johnson and grandfather Peter Maivia were professional WWE wrestlers. Dwayne wanted to follow in their footsteps, despite his father’s disapproval.

Dwayne’s father eventually became his trainer, and he told Oprah that his decade-long career as a wrestler was one of the greatest chapters in his life.

Check out some exclusive clips from the episode below.

SOURCE: Us Weekly | VIDEO SOURCE: Twitter

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Shares Battle With Depression, Saving His Mother’s Life On “Oprah’s Master Class”  was originally published on hellobeautiful.com