In the lead-up to Thanksgiving, actor and former WWE champion Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson went out of his way to honor a US Navy veteran at a recent film screening. The moment was captured on camera, and the video was posted to Johnson’s Twitter account on November 24, 2021.
The surprise occurred during an invite-only screening of Johnson’s new Netflix film, Red Notice, which he stars in alongside Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot. During the event, Johnson called down a member of the audience – Navy veteran Oscar Rodriguez – and spoke about his many selfless actions in front of the crowd.
Rodriguez works as a personal trainer, and in his spare time is a leader in his church, provides meals to victims of domestic violence, and takes care of his 75-year-old mother. “Your story really moved me because I hear that you’re a personal trainer, you’re always keeping it positive and motivational and optimistic,” Johnson said to Rodriguez.
After speaking with Rodriguez, the actor led him outside the venue, where he surprised the veteran by giving him his personal pickup truck, a customized and lifted Ford F-150 Raptor. According to Johnson, he originally wanted to give him the Porsche Taycan he drove in Red Notice, but the company said no.
“But I still said, yes, I’ll do one better. I’ll give away my personal custom truck as a gift. My baby,” he said.
He deserves a lot more than my personal truck.
Kindness matters to me, so thanks @ORodri240 for being so kind to so many people.
You said it right, just before you drove away ~ it’s just love.
That’s all it is, brother.
Just love.Enjoy your new truck dude 🛻👊🏾
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) November 25, 2021
After Johnson prompted Rodriguez to look inside the vehicle, the veteran read a note, after which he fell to the ground and began to cry. As he drove away, Johnson turned to the camera and said, “His laundry list of caring credentials is pretty amazing, so it’s just an honor for me to give a little bit of joy to a dude who probably deserves a lot more than just my truck.”
Johnson expanded on this statement on Twitter, writing:
“He deserves a lot more than my personal truck. Kindness matters to me, so thanks [Oscar Rodriguez] for being so kind to so many people. You said it right, just before you drove away – it’s just love. That’s all it is, brother. Just love.”
Prior to the screening, Johnson collected information on those planning to attend. It was during that process that he came across Rodriguez’s story.