The E! Cover: How Dwayne Johnson Found His Superpower—& His Best Self

“We’re also honoring Rocky’s memory and there’s a therapeutic aspect to being able to tell these stories and being able to delve into this history,” said Hiram, who as Dany’s younger brother has known Johnson since he was a teenager. “You just can’t help but be moved by the process and feel the emotion attached to it.”

In season two, Gewirtz noted, “You really get to see the DNA of Dwayne Johnson come to fruition. But also there are some bumps along the way [for his parents], and he was really open about being able to tell that story.” 

Take, for instance, an argument Johnson witnessed them having in the middle of Nashville’s I-65 highway when he was 15, during which Ata got out of the car and almost walked into traffic before her son pulled her back to the side of the road.

“That was a very defining moment in my life that I will never forget because it scared the s–t out of me,” Johnson said. “But then also the most fascinating thing about that moment, and the psychology of this whole thing, is that my mom has no recollection that ever happened. It was so painful that she completely forgot it.”

Though the moment is “softer” in the show, he said, “people get the idea that there are some rough times in the family.”