MTV announced on Thursday that wrestler-turned-actor and global phenomenon Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be honored with the “Generation” Award during the 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards. To accept the award, Johnson returns to the awards show after hosting in 2016 with Central Intelligence co-star and social media rival Kevin Hart.
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“Johnson is an icon on both film and TV who has become one of the most beloved actors of our generation,” said Amy Doyle, General Manager, MTV, VH1, CMT and Logo. “Throughout his career, Johnson has proven to be the ultimate badass – an action star with a flair for comedy, one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time and a true family man. He continues to captivate his audience worldwide and we are thrilled to celebrate him with the Generation Award.”
Johnson’s film revenues exceed $10 billion worldwide, meaning the actor has solidified himself as a global box-office sensation. Following his early days as an athlete at the University of Miami and an iconic wrestling career, Johnson made a Hollywood entrance with his first starring role in 2002’s The Scorpion King. Over the last 17 years, Johnson has appeared in more than 40 film and TV titles, elevating from playing the tough guy into a worldwide movie star. Recent career highlights include, The Fast and the Furious franchise, HBO’s Ballers, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Skyscraper, and Rampage. In addition, he starred in the high grossing live action comedy, Central Intelligence, and also lent his voice to the Disney animated film Moana. More recently, Johnson created, produced and starred in NBC’s large-scale competition series The Titan Games. Johnson will next be seen in the Fast and Furious spinoff, Hobbs and Shaw in August 2019, a Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle sequel in December 2019, and Disney’s Jungle Cruise in 2020. Each of the titles are produced by Johnson and his Seven Bucks Productions.
Prior to the “Generation” Award, Johnson has been widely celebrated and was most recently named one of 2019 Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People”in addition to 2018’s Variety500, 2017’s NAACP’s Entertainer of the Year and People’s Sexiest Man Alive in 2016.
The “Generation” Award celebrates beloved actors whose diverse contributions to both film and television have turned them into household names in the industry. For over 25 years, the remarkable body of work of recipients speaks directly to a generation of MTV viewers. Past recipients of the award include Chris Pratt, Will Smith, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Wahlberg, Sandra Bullock, Jamie Foxx, Johnny Depp, Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Mike Myers, Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, and the Fast & Furious franchise.
The 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards will be hosted by Shazam! star Zachary Levi, airing on Monday, June 17 at 9pm ET.
