Dwayne Johnson's path to Hollywood stardom included an early scripted television role in 1999, when he portrayed his real-life father, Rocky Johnson, on That '70s Show.
The cameo placed him in an episode built around professional wrestling, linking his in-ring career with his first steps into acting.
Titled "That Wrestling Show," the installment was the 15th episode of the sitcom's first season.
According to the original report by Yahoo, it became the most-watched episode of the series up to that point.
It ranked second among the first season's episodes and fourth among the show's most-viewed episodes overall.
In the story, the sitcom's characters attend a local wrestling event.
Red Foreman, played by Kurtwood Smith, and Eric Forman, portrayed by Topher Grace, then go backstage hoping to get an autograph from Johnson, who appears with a hairstyle inspired by the 1970s.
Johnson was credited as The Rock but played Rocky Johnson, his father and a professional wrestler with an established career of his own.
The character discusses his young son's potential future, tying the sitcom's storyline to the family's real wrestling history.
An early step from the ring to acting
The cameo arrived as Johnson was beginning his transition from professional wrestling to scripted entertainment.
Later in 1999, he received a small acting credit in The Net and appeared on Star Trek: Voyager as an alien wrestler.
His film career gained momentum in 2001 with The Mummy Returns, followed by a leading role in The Scorpion King in 2002.
Rocky Johnson's own achievements added weight to the television appearance.
According to WWE's official biography, Rocky Johnson and Tony Atlas defeated the Wild Samoans in 1983 to become the company's first African-American World Tag Team Champions.
Rocky also helped train his son for professional wrestling.
Dwayne Johnson later inducted his father into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008, another milestone in their shared history in the sport.
