Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has confirmed that he is not going to run for president in 2020.
The iconic action star was heavily teasing his political aspirations after the 2016 election. In the midst of all the panic, he made several TV appearances suggesting that he might put his name on the ballot next time around. Tom Hanks even insinuated that he might be the actor’s running mate. However, at the premiere of his newest movie, Skyscraper, Johnson told Vanity Fair that he simply does not think now is the time.
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“Unfortunately I don’t see it happening in 2020,” he said. “It’s a position that requires years of hard work and experience to learn the skills. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and due to my schedule, it’s not possible in 2020.”
Johnson got overwhelming support for his presidential run on social media, and even in the press. When he officially declared the campaign dead on arrival, he showed how seriously he takes the office of the president.
“I have so much respect for the position,” he said. “It’s something that I seriously considered. What I need is time to go out and learn.”
At the moment, Johnson is one of the hottest commodities in Hollywood — particularly for the kind of big budget summer blockbusters that tend to represent the most cash for major studios. The 46-year-old actor is intent on capitalizing on that while he can, and for the moment that rules out politics.
Johnson’s current filming schedule extends past the 2020 election already. He is already committed to a sequel for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and a spin-off of Fast & Furious titled Hobbs and Shaw — centering around his character and that of Jason Statham. In addition, he is currently filming another Disney production titled Jungle Cruise alongside Emily Blunt.
Still, Johnson’s close friend and president of his production company, Hiram Garcia, told Vanity Fair that the presidential aspirations were never just a publicity stunt.
“People called for Dwayne to run for president, and as that sentiment started to build up, he really started to respond to it and seriously thought about it,” Garcia said.
He also suggested that there’s a good chance Johnson will take a run at the oval office in the future.
“Dwayne really does care about the people, and he has great respect for the position that it requires and holds,” Garcia said. “Whenever we talk about him running for president, he’s very aware of the position and knows what is required of it, and he doesn’t like to speak loosely about it ’cause he respects the job, and respects the people and what it took to get there.”
