Some day, movie fans may look back on this decade and wonder why the world fell so madly in love with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson - and they'll have their pick of reasons. His work ethic, unwavering positivity, humility, and true appreciation for how high he has climbed from humble beginnings. And today, the star of Fast & Furious 8 (and too many other films and projects to count) has reminded his fans that honesty is also one of his virtues - even when it's his co-stars he's speaking the truth about.
As production on Furious 8 wraps up for Johnson, he's taken to social media to promise fans a thrilling ride, and heaped praise on his female co-stars... while calling out some of his male counterparts for a lack of professionalism or general 'candy assery.'
For those who've been out of the loop concerning Furious 8, the cast has swelled to include a truly staggering amount of stars. With franchise mainstays Johnson, Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, and Michelle Rodriguez returning, Kurt Russell, Nathalie Emmanuel, Lucas Black and Jason Statham sticking around from the previous adventure, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, Kristofer Hivju and Scott Eastwood are the latest additions.
Unsurprisingly, Johnson took to social media as his final week of shooting commenced to applaud the experience working with some legitimate Oscar-caliber actresses (and the existing, fan-favorite ladies). As for the others... well, read Johnson's comments for yourself:
This is my final week of shooting Fast & Furious 8. There's no other franchise that gets my blood boiling more than this one. An incredible hard working crew. Universal Studios Entertainment has been great partners as well. My female co-stars are always amazing and I love 'em. My male co-stars however are a different story. Some conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals, while others don't. The ones that don't are too chicken sh*t to do anything about it anyway. Candy asses. When you watch this movie next April and it seems like I'm not acting in some of these scenes and my blood is legit boiling - you're right.
Bottom line is it'll play great for the movie and fits this Hobbs character that's embedded in my DNA extremely well. The producer in me is happy about this part. Final week on FAST 8 and I will finish strong.
#IcemanCometh #F8 #ZeroToleranceForCandyAsses
It's a light that most fans of The Rock aren't used to seeing in: voicing his obvious disapproval (but ultimately, peaceful acceptance) of how some of the film's cast have conducted themselves during production. Of course, if being a beaming example of how to live a positive life wins you anything, it's the benefit of the doubt that if something did bother Johnson on set, it was worth speaking out against - without naming names (Editor's note: it may not be fair to call anyone not willing to "do something about it" to a human wrecking machine a "chicken sh*t").
The first conclusion some may jump to is to assume Johnson is speaking to a newcomer or two, but that doesn't seem the most likely explanation. After all, the unrivaled success of the film series is the kind of universal praise that changes performers over time... and having a number of seasoned, acclaimed dramatic performers on set may have brought the less professional members' behavior into sharp relief (for Johnson, at least).
But instead of spinning up the rumor mill, it's important to focus on Johnson's own conclusion: that the tension or disapproval from his end may only result in a more visceral film, and the producer in the star is excited about the new change.
NEXT: The Rock Posts Furious 8 Behind-The-Scenes Set Videos
Fast 8 opens in U.S. theaters on April 17th, 2017, followed by Fast and Furious 9 on April 19th, 2019, and Fast and Furious 10 on April 2nd, 2021.
Source: Dwayne Johnson