During the red carpet event, Variety's Marc Malkin asked Johnson about the first time he saw his culture represented "in a way that wasn’t a caricature." Johnson responded that while he didn't recall such a moment, the live-action Moana offers that opportunity. He then volunteered the story of being inspired by "Indiana Jones" as a child.
"When I was a kid, Indiana Jones inspired me. When I was eight years old, watching Indiana Jones, Harrison Ford, I’m like, ‘Oh, I want to be that guy.’ But that guy didn’t look like me."
Variety's edited clip stopped at this point. However, Johnson continued, explaining that as an eight-year-old, the conclusion he drew from watching Harrison Ford was simply wanting to emulate that heroic persona, not feeling barred from it due to differing appearances.
"No," Johnson replied when asked if a part of him said "but I can’t be him because, ". "Oh, I love that… There was a part of me that said, ‘Oh, I want to be that.’ I was in Charlotte, North Carolina, and I was like, ‘I want to be that.’ And okay, that was it. That’s where it ended."
Johnson then pivoted the conversation, suggesting that for children globally, the message should be about aspiring beyond perceived limitations. He stated that now, little boys and girls, regardless of skin color, should be encouraged to "see beyond the reef" and strive for more, rather than accepting limitations.
Further elaborating in an interview with GMA, Johnson expressed pride in sharing Polynesian culture and emphasized its shared values with the rest of the world.
Reports indicate that reactions on social media platforms largely focused on Variety's edited clip, leading to discussions that echoed Johnson's initial sentiment without acknowledging the full context of his response.
Featured names
- Dwayne Johnson
- Indiana Jones
- Harrison Ford
- What Johnson
- Actually Said
- North Carolina
- With Johnson
- Teenage Mutant
- Ninja Turtles
- Premiere Dwayne
- Variety Malkin
