Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson’s Daughter Loves ‘You’re Welcome’ From ‘Moana’ — And Had No Idea Her Father Is Actually Maui
Maui from Disney’s animated film, Moana, is a demi-god, shapeshifter, and a hero to all. The actor behind this character, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has a few titles of his own, including WWE champion and NAACP Image Award recipient.
Here’s what we know about Johnson and what his daughter had to say about his Moana performance.
Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson voiced Maui in Disney’s ‘Moana’
The ocean chose Moana. Tasked to restore the Heart of Te Fiti, this Disney character teamed up with demi-god Maui to fight an ocean filled with monsters and save her island. The voice of Maui in this animated film was Johnson, known for his roles in movies like Fast and Furious 4, Baywatch, and Jumanji.
Other actors included in this production featured Auli’i Cravalho as the title character and Hamilton original cast member Christopher Jackson as the singing voice of Chief Tui. As this powerful demi-god, Johnson performed the song “You’re Welcome,” earning praise from critics and the hardest critic of all — his then-2-year-old daughter.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson performed the song ‘You’re Welcome’ for the ‘Moana’ soundtrack
Moana included songs “How Far I’ll Go” and “Shiny.” Based on the number of Spotify plays, “You’re Welcome” is among the most popular songs from this production, with over 335 million plays. In 2020, this song even earned 4x platinum certification.
“Thank you to my brother,” The Rock wrote on Instagram. “The one and only iconic maestro, Lin Manuel Miranda, for writing this classic for me to sing and the world to sing along to.”
Lin-Manuel Miranda also appeared as one vocalist on the song “We Know the Way,” also included in the animated film’s official soundtrack. “You’re Welcome,” though, is even a popular hit in the Johnson household.
“A huge daddy thank you to the real reason this song is 4Xs Platinum and growing,” he continued. “My 2-year-old boss, Baby Tia, who LOVES hearing me sing this song to her but has no idea I’m actually Maui – which kinda makes this whole thing that much more awesome.”
In a separate video, this actor sang “You’re Welcome” along with the character for his daughter, saying it was the “937th” time. He reprised his performance in 2020 while trying to his daughter, Tia, to sleep.
Dwayne ‘the Rock’ appeared in other Disney-related projects
Moana wouldn’t be the first time Johnson acted in a Disney project. During the “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get the Phone” episode of Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana, the Rock played himself. In 2008, Johnson portrayed a professional football player in the comedy film The Game Plan.
Initially released in theaters, Moana is now available on Disney’s streaming platform. The adventure film, Disney’s Jungle Cruise, starring Johnson and Emily Blunt, joins the Disney+ library on Nov. 12, the unofficial “Disney+ Day.” To learn more about this subscription service, visit their website.
