The Rock Speaks Out About His Tense Relationship With Vin Diesel
They both may be bald and completely jacked, but that's about as much as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and his "Fast and Furious" co-star, Vin Diesel, have in common. While the actors have known each other for more than a decade, an ongoing feud between the two men came to light in August 2016 after Johnson referred to unnamed male co-stars in a since-deleted scathing Instagram post, calling who fans speculated was Diesel, a "candy ass" and unprofessional.
"Some [male costars] conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals, while others don't," the "Jumanji" star wrote (via Us Weekly). "The ones that don't are too chicken s*** to do anything about it anyway. Candy asses. When you watch this movie next April and it seems like I'm not acting in some of these scenes and my blood is legit boiling — you're right."
After Diesel had seemingly issued his own response in an Instagram video in which he told fans to give him a minute to tell them everything, the pair's "Fast and Furious" co-star, Michelle Rodriguez, tried to offer an explanation for Johnson and Diesel's beef, saying, "Any human being who knows what men are like knows to stay out [of those] situations and let them figure it out. They're 'bros,' man. They're friends, and ultimately even friends reach a point where they have to set aside their differences to make a movie for multicultural people around the world, and that is the bigger scheme of things."
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson got candid about his feud with Vin Diesel
In an interview with Vanity Fair published on October 12, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson got candid about his ongoing feud with Vin Diesel, addressing the infamous Instagram post that started it all. "I shouldn't have shared that," Johnson admitted. "Because at the end of the day, that goes against my DNA. I don't share things like that. And I take care of that kind of bulls*** away from the public. They don't need to know that. That's why I say it wasn't my best day."
Although Johnson wishes he had never shared that post on social media, he still stands by it, telling the outlet that he means everything he says. "But to express it publicly was not the right thing to do," he added. Additionally, Johnson explained that he and Diesel are just "philosophically two different people" who go about movie making in completely different ways.
"It's the philosophy of going into work every day. Looking at everybody as equal partners. And looking at the studio as equal partners," Johnson revealed, alluding that Diesel treated crew members poorly while on set. "And looking at the crew, regardless of where you're at, either on the call sheet or otherwise, as equal partners — with respect and humility, and being respectful of the process and every other human being who is putting in just as much time, just as much hard work and sweat equity, if not more."
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson didn't hold back about his feud with Vin Diesel
In the lengthy Vanity Fair interview, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson had no problem airing out his dirty laundry with his former "Fast and Furious" co-star, Vin Diesel, telling the magazine that after he had spoken publicly about Diesel's on-set behavior and his treatment of the hardworking crew, many crew members found a way to thank him for standing up for them. "It caused a firestorm. Yet interestingly enough ... [it was] as if every single crew member found their way to me and either quietly thanked me or sent me a note," Johnson revealed.
The former WWE wrestler also didn't hold back about his feelings toward Diesel's "purposeful method manipulation" as a producer on set, which Diesel spoke openly about in an interview with Men's Health in June, telling the outlet that he issues "a lot of tough love to assist in getting that performance where it needed to be."
Diesel went on to tell the outlet that as a producer, he loved "forcing this cinematic world" on Johnson, who was best known as a professional wrestler before making his way into the acting biz. "That's something that I'm proud of, that aesthetic. That took a lot of work," Diesel explained. "We had to get there and sometimes, at that time, I could give a lot of tough love. Not Fellini-esque, but I would do anything I'd have to do in order to get performances in anything I'm producing."
The Rock's reaction to Vin Diesel's 'Fellini' quote is priceless
Upon hearing Vin Diesel's "Fellini" reference again during his interview with Vanity Fair, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson couldn't contain his laughter — the same reaction he had when he first read his former co-star's quote about his producing style. "I came up differently and was raised differently. And I came from a completely different culture and environment. And I go into every project giving it my all," Johnson said. "And if I feel that there's some things that need to be squared away and handled and taken care of, then I do it. And it's just that simple. So when I read that, just like everybody else, I laughed. I laughed hard. We all laughed. And somewhere I'm sure Fellini is laughing too."
And although Johnson and Diesel's feud has been very public for the past few years, the "Jungle Cruise" star revealed that the former co-stars have basically agreed to let bygones be bygones after having a "meeting of clarity" in Johnson's trailer one day. "He and I had a good chat in my trailer, and it was out of that chat that it really became just crystal clear that we are two separate ends of the spectrum. And agreed to leave it there."