Think back to who your biggest hero was at the age of 12 for a moment. Now imagine what it would have been like to not only have lunch with that person, but to leave school early to do so. That’s what happened to actor O’Shea Jackson Jr. in his childhood, as his dad, Ice Cube, once set up a lunch between them and none other than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. While it can be cool to be a celebrity’s kid at times, Jackson admitted to being quite starstruck during that big encounter with his idol.
In an interview with The Kelly Clarkson Show, O’Shea started his story with learning he was being mysteriously pulled out of school early. The Cocaine Bear star eventually revealed that after wondering if he was in trouble for something so massive that his dad had to pick him up, he learned that they were having lunch with Mr. Johnson. That led to the big moment, as described by O’Shea Jackson:
So we go to this restaurant, we sit down [at a] big table. Here comes The Rock, all six foot-four of him, and he sits down, and I can’t say a word. You have to prepare a child for when they’re about to meet their hero. I had nothing lined up! I’m just staring at this man talking to my dad, and my dad’s nudging me like, ‘Say something!’ And I just couldn’t.
That’s probably how any 12 year old would react to having a moment with someone they idolize in the world of entertainment. This is also before some of Dwayne Johnson’s best movies had even been made, as this lunch’s presumed 2003 timeframe would have seen Johnson debuting The Rundown. Picture a contemporary 12 year old trying to speak with The Rock while eating a cheeseburger, and the result might still be something very similar to what was shared above.
Though O’Shea Jackson Jr. did happen to make a smooth move during his lunch with Dwayne Johnson. Despite freezing up in conversation, the young man was moved to snag himself a keepsake from this auspicious day, revealed in this further comment during that same interview:
When he paid for his meal, and the lady came and brought his change, I took a quarter. I took The Rock’s quarter. I have it in a sandwich bag to this day.
Being the star that he is now, it wouldn’t be all that surprising if some other celebrity’s kid had lunch with O’Shea Jackson Jr. and found themselves freezing up as he had so long ago. Though in this often cashless world we live in, one would have to get extra creative when it came to the souvenir they’d bring home. It’s all just a firm reminder that no matter how close you are to fame in this business, people can still be star struck in the right circumstances.
You can catch O’Shea Jackson Jr. in his recent performance for Elizabeth Banks’ Cocaine Bear, as the film is currently streaming for those with a Prime Video subscription. Plus, the 2024 movie schedule has even more fun for fans, as Jackson’s return for Den of Thieves 2: Pantera is slated to debut at some point in the year to come.