Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney

Dwayne Johnson reveals why he turned down Emmy hosting gig

Habeab Kurdi

Published: Jul 14, 2022 07:53 am

We were so close!

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It turns out, if it wasn’t for timing, this year we would have had Dwayne “The Host” Johnson on our televisions and streaming screens.

The ultra-delightful, witty, humorous, and dedicated Johnson recently revealed that yes, he was offered the chance to host this year’s Emmy Awards, and he even wanted to do it.

It wasn’t out of fear of failure for the man once known as The Rock, nor was it wanting to avoid a hosting role after the incredibly famous turn that happened earlier this year when Chris Rock was hosting the Oscars and Will Smith forcibly reacted to one of Rock’s jokes.

No, this Rock said there was one reason and one reason alone why he wasn’t to be the one hosting this year, simply that it was not meant to be, as he told Entertainment Tonight in a recent interview.

“It was just schedule. I was really, truly honored when they came to me and asked, but it was just a scheduling thing. That’s all. That’s really what it comes down to.”

As we know well, Johnson stays very busy between his multiple projects, and it’s nearly certain that to host a show such as the Emmys, he would have had to invest a lot of time and energy in preparation for the event, as he is not one to take a role of any kind lightly.

Johnson is set to costar in the upcoming DC League of Super-Pets along with Keanu Reeves, John Krasinski, and old pal Kevin Hart, with the film releasing later this month on July 29.

On top of that, don’t forget the TV series he lends his name, voice, and likeness to, Young Rock, which debuted last year and already ran its second season earlier this year. It has also been renewed for a third season to come.

And he’s set to take part in this year’s “Shark Week” on the Discovery Channel as its first “Master of Ceremonies,” which begins airing its 34th year on TV on July 24.

Perhaps in the future, a less-busy (or earlier-offered) Johnson can bring his unique personality to the sometimes unpredictable world of hosting.

As of now, there has been no host announced for the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards, which is scheduled to air on Sept. 12.

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Author

Habeab Kurdi

You could say Habeab is bit like Roy Kent — here, there, every-f’ing-where. Immersed in journalism for 20 years now, he writes about life — from sports to profiles, beer to food, film, coffee, music, and more. Hailing from Austin, Texas, he now resides in the gorgeous seaside city of Gdynia, Poland. Not one to take things too seriously, other than his craft, BB has worked in brewing and serving beer, roasting and pouring coffee, and in Austin’s finest gin distillery among myriad other things. A graduate of the University of Texas, he once worked for the Chicago Sun-Times and Austin American-Statesman when newspapers were still a thing, then dabbled in social media and marketing. If there is water, he will swim there — from the freezing seas of Copenhagen and Gdynia, to the warm waters in Texas and Thailand.