Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has a strong, recognizable look. Big smile. Kind eyes. Biceps like three biceps stacked atop one another. Bald head. The latter signature is nearly as iconic as the photo of the Rock himself, minus about 20 years, but plus a turtleneck, gold chain, and fanny pack. Wherever the Rock is, there goes that gorgeous bowling ball of a noggin.
Now, thanks to a single GIF, the mystery of why The Rock went fully hairless has been solved. Johnson is not bald by genetic predisposition; he is bald by choice. His self-deprecating explanation follows, but proceed with caution. The descriptions gets gnarly:
A non-comprehensive survey of all The Rock photographs in recent history seems to suggest he made the choice circa 2010. That year, right before taking the plunge, he appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman with a slight salt-and-pepper buzz—a small maturity-tell on an otherwise ageless head. After that, it was smooth sailing.
Here’s a fun fact to close us out: if Johnson indeed runs for president in 2020 like Zac Efron says he will and wins, he would be the first openly bald president since Dwight D. Eisenhower.
