Dwayne Johnson on Cancer Scare, Not Talking Politics and Oscar Snub

Dwayne Johnson gave a wide-ranging interview to Esquire magazine ahead of the release of Disney’s live-action “Moana,” in which he reprises the role of demigod Maui. The cover story begins with Johnson’s revelation that he had a cancer scare earlier this year that coincided with his “Jumanji” press duties at CinemaCon. The actor discovered a lump on one of his testicles and went to the doctor in the morning before his trip to Las Vegas.

Per Esquire: “The doc felt the lump and said it was probably epididymitis, inflammation of a tube at the back of the testicle that stores sperm, but it could be cancer. ‘What’s your schedule today?’ the doctor had asked. Johnson told him about the all-day ‘Jumanji’ event. His doctor said Johnson needed to get an ultrasound first thing the next morning.”

“So I had to live with that for those 24 hours, not knowing — and I had to be on all day, joking around, making speeches. But! I’m okay,” Johnson said, noting he did really just have epididymitis and not cancer.

“Jumanji” and “Moana” bring Johnson back to the blockbuster fold after last year’s A24 drama “The Smashing Machine” stretched his dramatic acting chops and earned him career-best reviews. Oscar buzz was instant the second “Smashing Machine” premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where Johnson notably broke down in tears during a standing ovation for the movie. Alas, Johnson was not nominated for best actor earlier this year.

“It would have been incredible to get nominated for an Oscar,” Johnson admitted to Esquire. “I realized very quickly that it’s a rare thing to reach this pinnacle where you’re even having these conversations. And it’s exciting! It would have been amazing. I wish it happened. But it didn’t. But in no uncertain terms did I ever think, ‘Oh, that doesn’t matter.’ I always thought it mattered. And it has lit a fire in my spine, which is: Let’s go back to work.”

While Johnson is open to discussing his relationship to acting and awards, he is staying quiet when it comes to politics. He notably told Fox News in 2024 that he regretted endorsing Joe Biden for president in 2020 because it caused division amongst his fans, adding: “My goal is to bring this country together. I believe in that. There will be no endorsement. At this level of influence, I will keep my politics to myself. It is between me and the ballot box.”

Johnson expanded on his newfound aversion to political talk by telling Esquire: “What I have learned through experience is that I need to keep — need, not want — the main thing. And the main thing for me, the thing that in the morning I swing my legs out of bed and I run towards, is creating. It’s art. It’s storytelling. I’ve learned I’m going to keep my politics to myself. There are moments when, hey, there’s nothing we can’t talk about. If I’m wrong, I’ll tell you I’m wrong. Or if I feel like I got a leg up and this is the right way to go, I’ll share it with you. Politics is omnipresent and it’s forever. I don’t like it. I hate it at times. I hate the slinging. I hate all the bullshit that comes with it.”

Johnson is writing off political talk, but he’s not doing the same with AI. Esquire noted that Johnson was “cautiously interested, even excited” when the topic of AI and its threats came up during the interview.

“I’ve always been an advocate for embracing big change—after taking a hard look at it,” he said. “We can either stick our heads in the sand and be afraid, or we can say, ‘Okay, we’re here. Let’s see. Let’s explore.’”

Head over to Esquire magazine’s website to read Johnson’s cover story in its entirety.