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Former wrestling sensation The Rock was born Dwayne Johnson in May 1972. His transformation into one of the stars of the colourful world of American pro wrestling has been eclipsed recently by a more profound evolution into a very serviceable action hero in movies like The Scorpion King, Welcome To the Jungle, and now Walking Tall. Next he can be seen playing a gay actor in Elmore Leonard's Be Cool.

How well did you know the original 1973 film upon which Walking Tall is based?

I know it very well. The funny thing is that this came about when I was on the set of The Scorpion King, and we were all talking about our favourite movies and this was one of mine. I called my agent the next day to find out who owned the rights to it. He thought that I wanted the DVD, so he called me back and said it was at MGM now, and he'd gotten me a copy. I said I was actually interested in remaking it. So we actually went to the film company with the idea.

The original character, who really existed, was called Buford Pusser and yet you play Chris Vaughn. How come?

I said that I couldn't in all true authenticity play Buford Pusser. I look nothing like him. That's why we changed the name. And that led to a bigger conversation, and in the end I went down to McNairy County in Tennessee where he lived. I talked with his family just to let them and the townspeople know that while I'm playing Chris Vaughn in the movie, all respect goes to Buford Pusser.

Walking Tall comes at a time when your acting career is blossoming. Next you play a gay character in the Get Shorty sequel, Be Cool - does this mean you're leaving action roles behind?

I don't think so, but it depends on the material. I was happy to work with John Travolta and Uma Thurman, and do a movie written by Elmore Leonard. I love to try different things. The next movie I'm doing, I play a villain. I'm always trying to think what the next move should be for me. If there are two guys I think have got it, and personify that type of range, they would be Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis. If I could have something similar to the careers they've had, it would be great.

Do your friends in the world of wrestling find this acting lark a bit cissy for one of their own?

Oh my God no. It all comes under the entertainment umbrella, and there's a profound respect for it. They've been really supportive.

You've known disappointment as well as success in the sporting world. Did that serve you well when you came to acting?

Sure. I was at the University of Miami, which was a big school, and I played with a lot of great players who went on to play in the NFL. Some are still playing today. You anticipate that, it's what you work for. By the time my senior year came around I didn’t get drafted. I ended up making a few hundred dollars a week playing in Canada, while all of my buddies were becoming millionaires. That was really disappointing. And then I got cut, so I wasn't even good enough to play there any more.

It was after that that one chapter of my life had to end. I didn't think to myself that I wanted to become 'The Rock', to be a wrestler or do films. I just thought I really wanted to make more money than 300 bucks a week, Canadian. That was eight or nine years ago. I had seven bucks in my pocket and I moved back in with my family. You leave home at 18 ready to tackle the world, but then you move back in at 23. So I appreciate what I've got now.

Your body is covered in a series of very impressive tattoos - do they hold particular significance?

They're Polynesian tattoos that tell the story of my life. It's not too bad having them covered up on movies, it's more of a pain in the butt for me because I lose an hour's sleep in the morning going into the makeup trailer early. But that's OK.