01x01 - Working the Gimmick

[bunniefuu]

Good evening,
I'm Randall Park.

The primaries are over
and the nominees

for the 2032
U. S. presidential race are set.

And one name...

you may have heard before.

Candidate Dwayne Johnson
has wasted no time

hitting the campaign trail

with his
No Muss, No Fuss bus tour,

traveling cross-country
to talk to American voters.

I'll get the upstairs.

And show
that he's one of them.

Wow.

It's about as big
as Kevin Hart's ego.

But that level of fame
also has its downside.

Dwayne Johnson's success
is being used against him

by his critics.

They say he's lived
the cushy Hollywood life

for so long, he can't relate
to the struggles

of the average American.
Randall,

that couldn't be
further from the truth.

I have had one hell of a life,
but I wasn't born into it.

I've had to work very hard for
everything that's come my way.

There's still so much that
I have to share with the world.

Hmm, I'm surprised
to hear you say that

because you're such
an open person.

Well, I try to be as open
and as real as I can.

For example, people don't know
that every time

I open the fridge,
I still gotta...

you know.

Can you do it?
You want me to do it?

I'm begging you to do it.

Are the people ready?
They are not ready,

but they need to see it.

Well, every time
I open the fridge,

I've gotta say,
"Can you tell...

llll...

that the Rock is hungry?"

Oh, yeah.

I do that too.

You're a wild man.

So, as you can see, Randall,
there's still so much

that I haven't told anyone.

Stories about my life

that I haven't been ready
to share until now.

- You can't tell because
I used to be an actor,

so I'm skilled
at hiding my emotions,

but I'm on the edge of my seat.

I can tell.
You're a hell of an actor.

Oh.
True.

You know, Randall,
to understand me,

you gotta understand
where I came from.

I was born into
a wrestling family.

Your dad was wrestling
superstar Rocky Johnson.

The "Soul Man"
Rocky Johnson.

That was him.
Yeah!

The crowd is in an uproar.

There he goes!

Mom, listen to this crowd.

Dad is over.

He is.
They love him.

My mother's father
was the legendary

Samoan wrestler,
"High Chief" Peter Maivia.

Wrestling is in my blood.

Rocky hits him
with a dropkick.

Yes, Rocky!

Oh, the Samoan
is in trouble now.

He's done, he's done!

And Rocky Johnson
is the winner tonight.

Rocky! Rocky!

You know, being a kid
growing up

in the world
of professional wrestling,

I learned a lot of stuff
very early on in life.

Sign my chest?
I'll sign your chest.

Ah, no, you won't.

Thank you.

I won't be signing any
chests, but how about an arm?

Is this Carl Weathers?

But, at the same time,
I was also

just a regular little boy.

And I idolized my dad.

Dad, how come our car is
nicer than where we're staying?

'Cause the fans don't drive
home with us, do they?

They need to see me
leave the arena in style.

That's called
working the gimmick.

Hmm, interesting.
Cars, the clothes,

the jewelry--they need to think
who I am inside the ring

is who I am outside the ring.

That's why we can't hang out
in public

with Uncle Iron Sheik.

That's right.
And get this:

one day, you work the gimmick
hard enough, it'll become real.

It will?
Sure will.

Soon, our house will be
as nice as our car.

Then I gotta buy
a better car.

Ooh, red one?
You know I love red.

I know you like red.

Hey.
I'm gonna get changed.

We'll go to your grandma's
so I can get paid,

then I'll take us
out to dinner.

A quick stop at my mom's.

Yeah, yeah, I know.

Hey, get your buns in here.

Hey, boys.
Hey!

Yo.

Uh, Grandma?

What's wrong
with your dog again?

It's a belly tumor,
but don't worry.

It's benign.

Is that mushroom
looking one new?

Go shake everyone's
hand, Dewey.

Junk Yard Dog,
great match tonight.

Let me see how fast you are.

Oh, that's quick.

Damn, kid.

Hi, Uncle Afa.
Hi, Uncle Sika.

Hey.

I hated you guys tonight.
Great job.

Dewey.

- Who wants a margarita?

- I make with almost
all triple sec.

- Shake it, baby!
- Dewey baby,

are you old enough
to drink yet?

- I'll drink it for him.

- Hey!

- Anyone want to play cards?
- Yes.

- Hell, yes.
- Yeah, I'll take your money.

- Hey, babe, you don't mind
if we order food here, right?

- We were just gonna do
a quick in and out.

- Please, Mom?
I want to hang with the guys.

- Ah, that's my boy.

- Hey, and, after, I promise
we'll get some ice cream.

- Okay.
- You wanna play Belote?

- And it wasn't just my dad.

I was surrounded by people
working the gimmick.

- I worked a match in Detroit
with Playboy Bobby Riggs.

Ton of talent, man.
Terrible body.

- He looked like a loaf
of bread, huh?

- Bobby Riggs is funny guy.
Like the Burt Reynolds.

- No, he's gotta work
the gimmick.

Wild Samoans, André the Giant,
"Soul Man" Rocky Johnson.

- You can have all the skill
of the world, right?

But if the audience
don't buy your look--

- You'll never get over.

- His beige trunks aren't
doing him any favors.

- How's your girlfriend doing?
- Not so great.

She stabbed me.

- I've come a long way from
when Peter--miss you, Peter.

Love you, High Chief--

from when he first
took me to his matches.

I thought he was
really getting hurt.

Aah!

- Lia, no, Lia, no, no, Lia!

I bet the crowd loved it.

Now that's a sh**t.

- I don't get why
there's so many rules.

It's all fake anyway.

What happened?

- Does this feel fake?

Then it's not fake.

You never use the F word.

Comprends?

- Yes.
- Good.

Now we hug.

Huh?

- I did not raise him
like that.

- That's your boy.
- I'm so sorry.

That's your boy.
- Your move.

- Let's go.

- Slight change of plans.

I'm gonna go grab drinks
with the guys.

- I knew we shouldn't
have stopped here.

- It's just André's thinking

about investing
in this tiki bar,

and he wants us
to check it out.

- I want you all to be
honest with me.

- You promised Dewey you'd
take him for ice cream, Rocky.

- Dewey will be fine.

Hey, Dewey.

Daddy's got to go take care
of some business

with André and the guys.

So we're gonna have to
rain check on that ice cream.

- Can I go with you?

- I'm sorry, buddy.
It's adult stuff.

But hey, ice cream
for breakfast tomorrow.

I'll see you later.

I love you.
- Love you too.

- Okay.
- Bye.

Hey, come on.
Let's go.

You ready to go?
- Mom, why doesn't Dad

let me do anything with him?

Can you keep a secret?

I told your dad
I wouldn't tell you, but...

the president
called earlier today.

Now, he can't talk about it
or give any details,

but it's big,
and no one can know.

- Like in "Shogun Warriors"?

- Mm-hmm.

- Whoa.

Does Grandma know?
- No.

So let's not mention anything
when we go for ice cream, okay?

- Okay.
- Good boy, go get your shoes.

- Grandma, we're going
for ice cream.

- So even though my dad
clearly had flaws,

when I was that little boy,
he was still my hero.

- Well, it seems like your mom
helped with that.

In her own way, she was
working the gimmick too,

but for your benefit.
- That's right.

Working the gimmick
was how my family lived,

and we all embraced it.
As a matter fact,

it was working the gimmick that
eventually led to me stealing.

- Stop!
Can we stop?

I don't know if we should
be going down this road.

- It's okay, Sandy.
And I told you I gonna get

very real
with this thing, Randall.

- Yeah, Sandy.
- Oh, my God.

- Okay, can we lock the set
down, please?

- So I'm gonna get real.
And the real is

working the gimmick led to me

doing some pretty bad .

I'm sorry, Randall,
can I say that?

- It's not very presidential,
but it.

- That's my guy.
You know, back then,

I wanted people to see me
in a certain way,

and I did whatever had to
to make that happen.

- Need any help
finding anything?

- Nah, nothing's really
catching my eye.

Thanks, though.

- Was it wrong?
Yeah, it was wrong.

But, honestly,
who among us hasn't done

a little five-finger boost,
huh?

- Right.
Or a little credit card fraud.

- You must be rich.

Yeah.

- What's your name again?

- Tomas.

- Tomas?

Why'd you say
your name was Tomas?

- 'Cause it sounds way cooler
than Dwayne.

Look, new school, new name.

And now that I look rich,

I'm finally getting attention
from girls,

like Karen from algebra.

- Big hair Karen?
- Fine-ass Karen.

The one who front-knots
her PE shirt.

- Oh!

- I couldn't get the security
tag thing off,

so I banged it with a rock,
and all this ink exploded out.

- Just tell people you spilled
your blueberry wine.

- Hmm.

Anyway.

The best part is Karen
invited me to a party tonight.

- So life is good, huh?
- It is.

- Well, it's not gonna last.
Fine-ass Karen aside,

the reason why these girls
haven't been giving you

the time of day
isn't 'cause you look poor.

It's 'cause you look like
a undercover cop.

Like Johnny Depp
from "21 Jump Street."

- No one thinks that.
- Dwayne, everyone thinks that.

He's looking at me.

He's a cop,
like Johnny Depp.

- I'm 15!

- You have a full mustache,
and you're bigger than a dad.

You look like you work
at a auto parts store.

- Whatever, man.

None of that matters now
that I got a girl into me.

- Yeah, but that girl thinks
you're rich, and you're not.

And you ain't fooling anybody
riding the bus.

- Hey, baby.
How was school?

- When is Dad getting back
with the car?

- When the wrestling convention
is over.

He's getting paid
to sign autographs.

We could use the money.
- We could also use the car.

I'm boxing pizzas after school.

You're cleaning houses,
like, five towns away,

and we both
have to take the bus.

- What's wrong
with taking the bus?

There was a man sitting across
from me

playing the flute yesterday.
It was beautiful.

- Karen will think I'm poor
if she sees me riding the bus.

- Who's Karen?

- Can't we just
get another car?

Look, I got some money saved.
I can get us one.

- How much money?
- $103.

- Dewey, you won't be able
to get a car for that.

But you know what you could do?

- Borrow the other
16,000 from you?

- No.

You could help us
with groceries and bills.

- Karen doesn't care
about that stuff.

- Who's Karen?
- She's a pretty girl I like.

- That's what you care about?

Your priorities
are out of whack, Dewey.

- Fine. Can you at least cosign
on a credit card for me?

I mean, it doesn't even
have to be a good one.

It can be from
Strawbridge & Clothier.

- I'm desperate, man.

I've called
every ad in the paper.

Nobody's selling their car
for 103 bucks.

- Dude, you're not
bargaining right.

You gotta start at a dollar
and then meet in the middle.

- Need a car?

I got a car for sale, dude.

Well, here she is.

- I'll give you a dollar
for it.

- Come on, man.
I overheard you say

you had $103.

I'll take that.

- Deal.

- Congrats, kid.

Oh, you're gonna want
to wash that key.

- Man, this ride is smooth.
- Dude, yeah.

I'm just trying to get us
some tunes here.

This radio
only pulls one station.

- Who cares?
Blast it.

What's up?

What are those?
Chips?

Hey, yep.

- So, what's our plan
for tonight?

- Grab some beers and hit
that Westside party

Karen invited me to.

- Okay.
Every place around here IDs.

How are we gonna get beers?

- I guess we could hit that
one store in the next county

where the dude is blind.

- Where are we heading?
- Oh!

Stop the car, stop the car,
stop the car!

- Go, go, go, go, go!
- Oh, my God.

- Who the hell are you?
- I'm Waffle.

Where's Billy?
- Billy sold my boy this car.

Billy is always

selling things Waffle is in.
- I'm sure that's true.

Now, can you get
out of the car?

- Allow me to present
a second option.

Heard you're going to a party
on the west side.

What if you let me hitch
a ride with you?

My buddy Bernard's townhouse
is right there.

- No way.
Get out.

- I also heard you say
you needed to buy some beer.

- D, I've got to find the can.
I'll see you in there.

- Didn't even say goodbye.

- What the--

- Waffle?
- Hoody.

- He's a good guy.

Five-finger boost, huh?
You know, you remind me of me.

- No offense, Waffle,

but me and you
are not the same.

- I was once a poor kid

trying to impress people
that don't matter.

- You gotta see this girl.

Trust me.
She matters.

- I promise you, in ten years,
she won't.

The only things that
really matter are your family,

your integrity,

and freezing your eggs
if you're a lady.

- That's real bleak, Waffle.
- It's not bleak.

It's about priorities.

If I could do it
all over again,

I would have cared more
about the people

who, you know, cared about me.

- Need a ride?

- Dewey?

- Get in.
I'll explain.

- Hey, Mama.

I'm Waffle.
- Hello, Waffle.

Whose car is this?
- It's ours.

Mine and yours.
Look what $103 can buy.

It has seat belts, a hole where
a cigarette lighter was.

It gets the news.

You love the news.

- I'm sorry about earlier.

- I'm glad you got
the car you needed.

- Look, there's a lot of things
that we need,

and I'm gonna start
helping with that.

But I promise you one thing.

One day, I'm gonna get you
a Cadillac.

- A red one?

You know my favorite
color is red.

- All the colors.

Look, one for every day
of the week.

- Or seven red ones.
- Or seven red ones.

Oh, seven red ones.

- Bye.
- Bye, Mama!

- Hey, man, I appreciate
that advice you gave me.

- Hey, no problem, kid.

I can tell how much you
and your mom love each other.

I know you're gonna give her
all those things one day.

- I mean, I hope so.
- No, no, no.

No, you will.

- As long as you keep doing
one thing.

All you got to do is--

- All you got to do is what?

Waffle?
Waf--

Yeah, there's a dead guy named
Waffle in a random Thunderbird

that's officially owned
by nobody.

Yeah, my name
is Mayor McCheese.

- Gosh, I wasn't expecting
to care about Waffle so much.

- I know, right?

Every time
I pass a Waffle House,

I always kiss my fingers
and point to the sky.

That's for you, Waffle.

- And you kept the promise
you made to your mom.

I believe we have a picture of
one of the cars you gave her?

Mama Rock.

She just loves her red Caddies.

- I need to call my mom.

Last time I talked to her
was...

30 years ago.

- Oh, wow.
- Yeah.

Now, was it at this point
in your life

when you decided to stop
working the gimmick?

- The truth is, I've never
stopped working the gimmick.

I've just learned to make
the gimmick work for me.

I started figuring it out

when I got
to the University of Miami.

- Oh, you were there on
a football scholarship,

a five-star recruit
coming out of high school.

- And I was fired up

because in 1990, the U wasn't
just a football team.

We were a movement.

Three national titles
under three different

head coaches in the '80s.

An incubator for future stars.

You know the 'Canes
became legends for the joy

they played with and,
of course, that swagger, baby.

- When I got to Miami,
I just wanted to fit in.

I had no intention
of working the gimmick.

I was just gonna keep
my head down and grind.

- There he is.
The Beast of Bethlehem.

- What up, Coach Orgeron?

- How the hell are you, son?
Welcome to Miami football.

Hey, you want some coffee?

- No, thanks.
I don't drink coffee.

- Oh, me neither.
I chew it.

Sends it straight
to the blood.

All right, first D-line
meeting's at noon.

- Yes, sir.

- Yo, what's up man?

Jessie Armstead,
best linebacker in the country.

- Hey.
- Russell Maryland,

young D-line legend.

- Dwayne Johnson,
Beast of Bethlehem.

Also known as Hitzilla,
Edward Blitzerhands,

and the Chairman
of Goldman "Sacks."

- Yeah, we know.

Your dad was here an hour ago
bragging on you.

- My dad was here?
- Yeah, Rocky Johnson.

I used to watch him
when I was a kid.

I even got his autograph.
Check it out.

- Congrats, man.

He said you was gonna be
on the Wheaties box.

- What?

- Some next generation
athlete-type thing.

When's it hit the shelves?

- You know, we did that
for Wheaties Asia,

so it's not
coming out in the States.

- Even better.
I've got some family

out in Singapore.
Maybe they can peep it.

- Oh, no.
See, that's the thing.

That's South Asia, and it's
coming out in North Asia.

- You're lying to the wrong
geography buffs.

- Yeah, wait till my uncle
in Singapore hear about this.

Freshmen, man.

- Dad, you were
here this morning?

- Drove all the way
from Tampa

to be there
when the gym opened.

I go outta my way
to set my son up for success.

- Yeah, but you didn't even
come see me.

- That would have spoiled
the surprise.

- What surprise?
- I put you over with the guys.

It was your first day
in the program,

and I wanted
to make you look good.

- What, by telling them I was
gonna be on a Wheaties box?

- Surprise!

You're surprised, ain't you?

- No, I'm not surprised.

I had to cover and tell 'em
it was for Wheaties Asia.

- Wheaties Asia?
No.

No, son.
You're messing it up.

Look, all you gotta
do is work the gimmick.

- There is no gimmick to work.

I'm not gonna be
on a Wheaties box.

- But they don't know that.

Hello?

- Hey, champ,

truck's loaded up
and all ready for delivery.

- You got it, boss.

I'm just on the phone
with my kid.

All right, son.

Father's gotta
go back to work.

Oh, no, no, no, no.
I'm not the best.

God's the best.

- Kid's knocking those out.

- Yeah.
- What's he on?

- 20.
- Okay, okay.

all: 25, 26...

27, 28...

29, 30...

- Come on, come on.

all: 31...

- All right, come in,
come in!

32, 33...

34!

35!

36!
- Yeah!

- Damn.
Your dad wasn't lying.

- You better eat
your Wheaties, Asia.

- That's when I found my
version of working the gimmick.

Be me, but with the dial
turned up to 11.

So that's who I was every time
I flashed the People's Eyebrow.

That's who I was
when I threw Ludacris

off a bridge in "Jumanji" five,
and that's who I was

when I played Gene Simmons
in that Kiss biopic.

- But, Dwayne, I have to ask.

Wouldn't it have been easier
to just tell your teammates

that your dad made that whole
Wheaties thing up?

- Yeah, of course it would
have been easier,

but I couldn't do that,
Randall.

That's my dad.
The truth is, in his way,

he pushed me to do things
I never would have done.

- Well, can you give us
some more details?

Like, how did you get
from Hawaii to Pennsylvania?

Did you ever know Waffles'
last name?

When did you start
playing football?

- I'm gonna tell you
all of that, Randall,

and much more.
And, look, once people

hear these stories
about my life and my family,

they're gonna see how much
we actually all have in common.

- I can't wait.
- That's right.

Oh, and I've got
some pretty cool stories

about André the Giant.

- That's a great question.

And so, yes, the dalmatians--

- Hey!

Bonjour, babies.

Let me tell you my career, huh?

What are you looking at?