Moana's Maui Was Based on The Rock's Family Member

Johnson reveals a "lil' Disney gem of a secret."

By Jordan Sirani

Maui, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's character in Disney's Moana, was "partly inspired" by the actor's grandfather, former WWE star Peter Maivia.

In response to a side-by-side photo of his Moana character and grandfather posted on Twitter, Johnson wrote, "A lil’ Disney gem of a secret, my character Maui was partly inspired by my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia of Samoa."

The Rock's Moana character, Maui, and his grandfather, Peter Maivia. Image via Anthony Oliveira on Twitter

Maivia was the first of the Maivia/Johnson family to enter the WWE in the late '70s, according to his official WWE profile. While Johnson has become one of Hollywood's most successful actors, his grandfather also flirted with the profession, making an appearance in the 1967 Bond film You Only Live Twice. In 2008, Johnson posthumously inducted Maivia into the WWE Hall of Fame.

Johnson can be seen next in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which hits theaters on December 20 and takes the action from the familiar titular board game to the world of a video game.

Jordan is a freelance writer for IGN. Follow him on Twitter @jdsirani.

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