Dwayne Johnson says controversy over “Red One” lateness is 'bulls---'
However, the former pro wrestler does admit that he pees in water bottles while working on set: "Yeah, that happens."
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is cooking up a rebuttal to reports about his chronic lateness.
Back in April, a report in The Wrap alleged that Johnson was chronically late on the set of Christmas film Red One, often by seven or eight hours. It also claimed that he missed several days of production entirely, leading to a major increase in the cost of the film.
Related: Dwayne Johnson says his career took off after saying 'f--- all this' to old leading-man stereotypes
However, Johnson denies these reports, calling the controversy "bulls---" in a new cover story with GQ. Johnson admits that he can be late, but he takes issue with the length of time in the story, as well as the suggestion that he misses filming days. (However, he did cop to reports that he pees in water bottles while filming to save time — "Yeah, that happens.")
“Yeah, that happens too,” Johnson said of his lateness. “But not that amount, by the way. That was a bananas amount. That’s crazy. Ridiculous."
Karen Neal/Prime
Dwayne Johnson in 'Red One'Both Red One director Jake Kasdan and costar Chris Evans also defended Johnson in the GQ story. “[Johnson has] never missed a day of work ever," Kasdan said. "He has a lot going on. He can be late sometimes, but such is Hollywood — that’s the case with everybody. Honestly, I’ve made three big movies with him. I’ve never seen him be anything but great to every single person on the set."
Evans echoed Kasdan's remarks, also noting that Johnson's morning workouts — which The Wrap alleged were often the cause of his lateness — were accounted for in the production schedule. "This is something that the producers, the director, and it’s all his team, so they all know this," he said. "So it’s all basic. It’s not like he’s late unexpectedly, and I wouldn’t even call it late. He comes in slightly later on certain mornings, but it’s part of the plan. It’s worked into the schedules and everyone knows it, so he shows up when he’s scheduled to show up."
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Johnson did admit to occasional lateness and his propensity for peeing in bottles, but he also encouraged anyone with questions about his behavior to come to him directly. "I’ve said a thousand times: 'Hey, I’m here. Come and ask me. And I’ll tell you the truth,'" he noted. Indeed, Johnson has talked lately about his directness and authenticity and the role that it has played in his success.
Red One, which stars Johnson as Santa Claus's bodyguard, hits theaters on Nov. 15.
