The Rock Owes Gang Role to Producer's Girlfriend  9/26/06

Action man Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson owes his role as a prison football coach in America's number one movie Gridiron Gang to a producer's girlfriend, who caught the former wrestler's biography show on cable TV.

David Caruso and Bruce Willis were the stars attached to the film project during the 16 years the script was kicking around Hollywood, but producer Shane Stanley knew he'd found his lead when his then-fiancée Val insisted he check out The Rock's biography on US network A&E.

Stanley, who directed the 1990 real-life documentary the new film is based on, recalls, "We were heading for a producers' casting meeting the next day and my then-fiancée called me to the TV.

"I saw the last 20 minutes of this special and I knew I'd found my lead.

"I went into the meeting the next day and said, 'I've found my guy. We've got to have The Rock.'"

And the action man didn't disappoint: "He's so wonderful, very gracious. He really cares about this film and told me, 'This film is special.'"

And Johnson means what he says - he has been out promoting the film with a cast on his smashed left ankle and foot.