Dwayne Johnson Pays Tribute To 'Uncle André' The Giant

Actor Dwayne Johnson is excited about “Young Rock” season 2.

The NBC sitcom sees a fictional Dwayne Johnson running for President in 2032 and takes a comedic look back at his life growing up to see the family, friends, and wrestlers that ultimately shaped him into the person he is today.

In a series of Instagram posts, he took a look back at several of his family members to explain the impact each of them had on his life.

Many fans probably weren’t aware that Dwayne Johnson grew up around André The Giant, who he called Uncle André.

“Some little kids played with Barbies and some played with GI Joes,” Johnson began. “I played with and got thrown around by Uncle Andre 🤣👍🏾As in Andre the Giant. Seeing the 7’4 500 POUND Andre, walk thru our apartment door was always COMPLETELY NORMAL to me 😊”

“He would toss me from one side of the room to the other, which I loved,” he continued. “He was like my big toy. Just like I am, to my little girls today 😂He was always so cool and loving to this little punk little boy with a crazy afro, but the most important thing to Andre - was RESPECT.”

“Had to look him in the eye and always had to shake his hand. And that’s how I am today,” he said. “Thank you, boss for the lesson.”

“And thank you to the two greats @mojowillig aka Andre & @adriangroulx aka Little Dewey 🖤💪🏾” he concluded, naming the two actors that play them on the show.

Dwayne Johnson revealed that his grandmother, Lia Maivia, had a story that could rival his own.

“My sweet 😉 Samoan grandmother, Lia Maivia was also a trailblazer in pro wrestling,” he began.

“She was one of the first ever female wrestling promoters and operated her business out of HAWAII with an iron fist and some violence when she felt it was necessary,” he explained. “Her tough business practices caught up with her as she was indicted by the FBI on extortion charges. ‘bang bang’. True story.”

“Eventually, a federal jury acquitted my grandmother and her business partners,” he continued. “The FBI came back around on illegal alien charges, froze what little assets she had and deported her back to SAMOA. By 1991 my grandma was homeless. In 1992 I was able to identify a legal loophole and get her back - legally - into the U.S.”

“I was also able to secure social security for her - legally - and moved her into a little one room apartment in Tampa, Florida,” he went on. “Once I started making some decent money in WWE, I bought her a condo where she would live happily for the rest of her life, a few miles away from us in South Florida.”

“My grandma passed away in 2008. I miss her a lot,” he concluded. “Fa’afetai tele lava to the amazing @atuisila for bringing my grandma “back to life” on our show.”

The Rock shared a throwback photo to his earlier days, where a much younger Johnson is standing beside his parents.

“Here’s a crazy throwback to 1987,” he began. “My dad, Rocky Johnson. My mom, Ata Johnson.

Me at 15yrs old. This pic is very telling of the times as we all look fairly miserable 😂”

“6 months earlier we were evicted off the island of HAWAII and forced to move to Tennessee,” he recalled. “Then 3 months later, we were forced to leave Tennessee. Complicated story. We wound up settling in, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where this pic was taken.”

“And I was just suspended from my new school (Freedom High) for fighting,” he added. “And arrested for theft.”

“My old man had a lot of pressure on him just to pay the rent. As did my mom. You can see it in their faces,” he wrote. “Luckily I eventually got my s--- together and found a few buddies who I started going to the gym with, who eventually became my best friends. (Nick T & Joey G).”

“And finally, I LOVE the pic of our beautiful and talented actors playing my family @staceyleilua @officialjosephleeanderson @bradleyconstant.”

Joseph Lee Anderson commented, “Much love big bro. Thanks for all that you do.”

Bradley Constant wrote, “Proud to share you and you’re family’s story, nothing but love always. Grateful.”