Dwayne Johnson's Hercules Beard Was Made From Something Truly Gross
Given just how much of the big screen Dwayne Johnson can fill, taking on the role of Greek demigod Hercules in the 2014 Brett Ratner film didn't feel like that much of a stretch. What may have been strange for some, however, is seeing the star who's synonymous with having a shaved head instead wielding a full head of hair and a lumberjack-level beard to match. Dwayne Johnson had to work out differently to play Hercules in the fantasy film, but incredibly, it was the hairy addition to his appearance that was alarming in more ways than one.
See, the Rock didn't grow any hair out himself, instead needing the assistance of yak hair for the new look. Specifically, it was the animal's nether regions to give the star's chin a change-up.
During an appearance on "Conan," Johnson revealed how he learned about the origins of the hair, through his three-hour, routine make-up prep to step into the sandals of Hercules. It was only after asking his make-up artist what was being included in the process that he discovered what was actually being stuck to his face: "He said, 'Oh, it's yak hair.' ... I said, 'Oh, huh, okay. What part of the yak? I'm curious.'" It's here where Johnson was hit with a truth he may have preferred not knowing. The make-up artist replied, "The b*lls." When Johnson asked why, the artist responded, "It's soft, lays on your face." Speaking to the audience, Johnson concluded, "So the commitment for you people is yak hair, b*lls."
The Rock almost passed out following his Herculean effort
While it might have been a gross process, applying yak testicle hair to his face was the least of Dwayne Johnson's worries with "Hercules." As revealed shortly after filming, the Rock quite literally put all he had into the role, to the point that during one of his most crucial scenes, he passed out from exhaustion.
Speaking to Sky News about the scene in question, Johnson explained, "It was the most important scene for me in the entire movie ... so I asked my props supervisor to give me real chains, real cuffs, real cement so I could not break them if I tried." It turns out that regardless of being one of Hollywood's most iconic heavies in the action genre, he finally reached a limit. Johnson continued, "With all my might and my energy I screamed, 'I am Hercules,' until I had nothing left. The thing is ... if you have no place to put this energy and intensity and it's just stuck here ... you completely black out. I blacked out and fainted."
Unfortunately, it's nothing new for actors to make intense sacrifices for a role, but passing out seems like a rare thing for Johnson to endure given his career has thrived on action movies and franchises. Thankfully, since "Hercules," there have been no instances that have seen the Rock stumble on set, or (to his relief, we're sure) roles that come with quite as much yak hair.
Check out Xoop's list of Dwayne Johnson's best and worst movies.