BeatBoxBetty Interviews THE ROCK about THE SCORPION KING!

He's 6'5" and weighs in at hefty 250 pounds. He's also perhaps the finest specimen of testosterone alive - and he's coming to a theater near you!

If you can smell what I'm cookin' then you already know about this amazing wrestler (AKA Dwayne Johnson) with the perfect pecs and trademark raised right eyebrow. But while winning oodles of WWF titles is fine for some guys, The Rock is now setting his sights on conquering Hollywood. And what box office carnage he'll bring!

Join Betty as she chit-chats with The Rock...

The Rock pulling his weight on the set of The Scorpion King
Photo - Universal Pictures

BETTY: The Scorpion King is full of crazy and probably dangerous stunts. I was curious, did you do all of your own work?
THE ROCK: I actually had two stunt men, because some stuff had to be shot from a certain point of view... but for the most part, I did all of my own stunts. There is one exception with the sand storm scene where I'm suppose to jump off the horse, do a flip and behead a guy. But I couldn't jump on or off this horse - so that was about it.

BETTY: Starring in a huge box office smash is a great launching venue for your career in film. Do you want to stay in this genre or are you looking to diversify in your next few roles?
THE ROCK: Right now I'm looking at a contemporary action comedy with Universal Pictures. But [The Scorpion King] gave me a great opportunity to showcase a little depth and a little bit of poignancy at times. I have the same mindset that I have when I'm wrestling, which is not afraid to step out of the box and try different things. So maybe I'll try a romantic comedy... with some action!

BETTY: Now I've seen how camels behave in their natural habitat and well, they're not the sweetest of God's creatures. Got any horrific camel stories?
THE ROCK: Well, the first camel that we worked with passed away. That camel was fifteen. So the second one they brought on was three and that's like an ornery teenager. He was just pissy and moaning, so every scene we did we had to go back and do voice overs because he would not shut up. They regurgitate their food and they spit it at you...

BETTY: I understand that they can also do it from quite a distance as well.
THE ROCK: Yes. They're quite good at projectile vomiting.

BETTY: What about riding him? Any difficulties hanging on?
THE ROCK: It's a lot different than a horse. Horses can be smooth, but a camel is only smooth when it's running.
Walking with the hump is something else.

BETTY: I've read that you always wanted to be an actor and I was curious, why did you take the route of becoming the WWF Champion first?
THE ROCK: I think it's something that I've always wanted to do because I love films so much, but wrestling as well. I grew up in the [wrestling] industry so I knew I'd be involved in it in some fashion. I didn't know to what capacity I'd be involved, but once I was into it, I realized that I really wanted to be in films.

BETTY: Your first hosting of Saturday Night Live is what caught producers attention. Was that your idea to host the show?
THE ROCK: I think that at that time I had just shot The Mummy Returns and I think that it was all part of the publicity. They called my agents and we called them back. Not only did I really want to do it, but I was adamant about not doing any wrestling on the show. They said, "Okay, but how do you feel dressing up like a monkey - or a woman?" And the rest is history.

What about his recent box office movie madness? The Rock says, "Just Bring It!"

BETTY: When you were a kid, who were the movie stars that you looked up to?
THE ROCK: Between the ages of eight and nine I fell in love with Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars and Rocky. Even now, Rocky is just a fantastic story...So, Harrison Ford, Sylvestor Stallone and of course Arnold. Mel Gibson is a great modern day actor and has shown so much range - and Denzel Washington... I thought he was fantastic as Malcolm X. People compare me to Arnold and Stallone a lot, but I always say that those guys' shoes are too big to fill - so I won't even try it. I'd rather make my own route and take my own path.

BETTY: Speaking of idols, you worked with one of the biggest of the 80s, Hulk Hogan, at WrestleMania recently and the audience turned on you briefly...
THE ROCK: That was great. And I anticipated the fans getting on his side because there's such novelty in that. There's a nostalgic vibe that you can't help but feel. I mean here's a guy who twenty years ago who was the icon of professional wrestling - and now he's back facing the icon of wrestling today... And it's a testament to him really. I think the guy's 50 this year and he's kept himself in tremendous shape. Even in our world of theatrics, showmanship and everything being choreographed and scripted, it's still a real story. And he's still 50 and making a comeback. I think that's great.

BETTY: How long do you think you'll stay with the wrestling?
THE ROCK: I think I'll try to balance both as long as I can. But it's tough not having a day off for three months. I don't know. The great thing about my fans is that they're very patient and loyal to me and I appreciate that. They know that when I go do a movie I want them to be thoroughly entertained.

BETTY: What's the down side to making movies?
THE ROCK: The down time in between set-ups. Your in this big emotional or fight scene and then someone says, "It's time to reset the lighting for the different angles, and we'll see you in an hour." But there's a luxury in having choices in film.

How long will The Rock be slammin guys down on the mat?

BETTY: Okay, I gotta say this - you look amazing. And when you first popped up on screen I heard everybody gasp. For the film, did you have to do anything extra?
THE ROCK: Thanks. I'm a lot leaner now. Other than all of the martial arts and sword and staff fighting that we had to do for three months in pre production - I may've look big on screen, but that's because I was on screen with guys who are smaller. Until I get near Michael Clarke Duncan - that guy is HUGE. Other than that, I just tried to watch what I ate, because the wardrobe cut into my stomach and it wasn't always that attractive.

BETTY: I guess that you've seen the film by now, so I'm wondering what you thought of the audience reaction.
THE ROCK: I was really happy because I'm very critical. And I didn't have anything to gauge my performance by. The Mummy Returns wasn't a good gauge because it was all in Egyptian dialogue and it was all fighting. And the director and producers all said I did a great job, but I wanted to see it myself. And I was really happy. All I really want is for the audience to be fully entertained. And I was like a little kid myself!