Jeri Ryan didn’t know who The Rock was and it led to some unintended hilarity

Jeri Ryan didn't know who The Rock was and it led to some unintended hilarity

As a gamer who’s been around since the millennium, I can’t help but reminisce about the golden days of television crossovers. Back then, in 2000, Star Trek: Voyager managed to snag none other than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for an episode, a move that was as unexpected as a Vulcan mind-meld at a dance recital.


Back in the year 2000, I found myself immersed in the sci-fi world of Star Trek: Voyager. As February rolled around, the series was fighting tooth and nail to stay relevant, gearing up for its penultimate season. Enter Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine, a game-changer for the franchise that brought a breath of fresh air. Later on, they struck a deal with UPN, aiming to maximize their audience reach.

1999 saw them successfully debut WWF SmackDown, their hit Thursday night show on WWE (formerly WWF. Later, Star Trek started a custom of incorporating wrestling stars into their series. This move wasn’t unexpected, considering that shows airing on the same network frequently featured guest appearances by prominent actors or actresses. In fact, such collaborations occurred even when the shows weren’t broadcast on the same network.

Like in 1998 when Voyager brought over NewsRadio star and all-around terrible person, Andy Dick.

Back in 2000, Star Trek struck a deal to feature the charismatic wrestler, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. At that time, he was widely known by either of his identities – some called him Dwayne Johnson, while others, like me, knew him as “The Rock.

In the 15th episode of season six, titled Tsunkatse, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made an appearance. During this episode, Seven of Nine became entangled in an underground fighting ring, where she had a fight with The Rock, who wasn’t portraying his WWE persona but instead the Pendari Champion. This was the character that Seven of Nine fought on screen.

On set, Johnson was friendly and maintained positive relationships with everyone, including Ryan. He was a joy to be around, and when he departed, he kindly signed autographs for everyone – one even for Ryan. However, at that time, Ryan didn’t recognize Johnson outside of their professional interactions and had no knowledge about pro wrestling. Consequently, when she came across the autograph later, she was completely puzzled. In 2020, she shared this anecdote with The Big Issue (as reported by SlashFilms).

It was his first or maybe second acting job ever. I didn’t know who he was. I didn’t watch wrestling. I wasn’t aware of his character of The Rock. […] So, the first time I met him was a fight rehearsal, and he came in, and he was just a super sweet, unassuming gentle guy named Dwayne. We’re talking about our kids and he’s just lovely. We had a nice time working together…When I got to my trailer he had left a signed picture in character as The Rock, and it said ‘The Rock smells what you’re cooking.’ Like, what?! It’s the weirdest thing I’d ever seen somebody write. Luckily others on set could explain his famous catchphrase. The makeup guys in the prosthetic trailer were like, ‘Dude, it’s The Rock, that’s his thing! He smells what you’re cooking!’

Initially, The Rock was not widely recognized beyond the wrestling ring, but his status and persona expanded in the movie industry as the years passed. Today, he’s among the most prosperous actors ever, gracing multiple blockbuster film series such as Jumanji and the Fast and Furious franchise (and its spinoffs).

As a gamer, I’d say: Even I, a wrestling fanatic, wouldn’t stand out in the galaxy of Star Trek stars, given that heavyweights like The Big Show (Paul Wight) and Tiny Lister graced Enterprise, while the iconic 80s wrestler, Tom Magee, made an appearance on The Next Generation.

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2024-11-10 03:23

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