Dwayne Johnson took up 'Ballers' comedy series for its realism

Actor Dwayne Johnson says he was drawn to comedy TV series "Ballers" for its realism.

Johnson, who will soon be seen on the silver screen with Indian actress Priyanka Chopra in "Baywatch", started out as "The Rock" -- a popular name in professional wrestling, and then made a transition to Hollywood.

He will soon be seen in the second season of "Ballers", which will premiere on Star World Premiere HD in India on Tuesday. The series is also executive produced by him and his friend and actor Mark Wahlberg.

Johnson, who has starred in blockbusters like "The Scorpion King", "Fast and Furious 6" and "Hercules", shared his views about the show with Post-Gazette newspaper, read a statement.

The series explores the relationship between football star turned financial manager Spencer Strasmore (played by Johnson) and his clients.

He said: "They're all very real, authentic stories, and that was one of the most important things for us, creatively, to make sure that we were telling stories that were authentic and that they were derived from real scenarios."

Johnson added: "We have great players, former players, coaches. We have consulted with who come on, agents, financial advisors, a multitude of people who are able to help us."

Talking about his character, he said: "Spencer Strasmore has a life I wanted. I wanted that life. Down here, University of Miami, 18 years old, I stepped on campus. I had no money, and we struggled for a long time. But my No. 1 goal was to make it to the NFL just so I can buy my parents their first house that they lived in."

"I never lived in a house until I was 28 years old. So we lived in efficiencies and apartments."

--IANS

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