Luke Hemsworth is set to guest star on Young Rock, with images teasing the actor’s role. The series, which is co-created by Dwayne Johnson and Nahnatchka Khan, centers around the childhood of the future Hollywood heavyweight and chronicles key moments that encompass high school years and beyond. The sitcom also features Johnson running for president in 2032, an aspect which has garnered plenty of speculation.
The cast of Young Rock, from its mainstays to its recurring characters, includes both actors playing versions of themselves and famous faces popping up in cameos. Randall Park appears in most episodes, having given up acting to become a journalist, while Rosario Dawson plays Johnson’s controversial running mate. The show also includes regular guest appearances from sports icons, such as Andre the Giant and Randy Savage. Heading into its season 1 finale, Young Rock will bring in a notable name from the world of football.
Luke Hemsworth, the brother of Chris and Liam, who is known for portraying Ashley Stubbs in the HBO series Westworld is the latest familiar face to join Young Rock. He’ll appear in the sitcom’s penultimate episode in the role of Coach Dennis Erickson. Before becoming an NFL head coach for the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers, Derrickson was known as University of Miami’s national championship-winning head football coach. You can check out Hemsworth’s upcoming appearance, from EW, below.
Erickson is set to help the college-aged Johnson (played by Uli Latukefu) through his college career, offering guidance as Johnson dreams of an NFL future. This premise is a familiar one to fans of Young Rock. While the version of Johnson who's running for president in 2032 largely has his perspective figured out, his younger selves often find themselves learning and making mistakes. In the case of Johnson, as he’s entering his college years, perhaps viewers will gradually begin to see more about what made the future WWE star turn away from football in favor of a wrestling career.
The conceit serves as an example of what makes Johnson such an interesting candidate for a sitcom. Between his unique and occasionally turbulent upbringing, to his time in professional sports, to his initially bumpy beginnings as an actor, there’s a lot for Young Rock to examine. And, for his part, Johnson has teased that the show will touch on some of these elements if it’s renewed for season 2. But, for the time being, the series is focused on wrapping up its first installment by bringing in Hemsworth as a notable name from Johnson’s past.
Source: EW