Among the highest paid actors in the world and widely considered as one of Hollywood’s nice guys, Dwayne Johnson is often asked whether he would think about running for president.
But when he is visiting the UK – and with the country in just a spot of political turmoil at the moment, it’s fair to say – how about a move into Number 10 to try to sort things out?
Speaking to Sky News at the premiere of his new “anti-hero” superhero film Black Adam, Johnsonmentioned his political namesake as he asked if the UK would be prepared for him.
“Are you ready for another Johnson prime minister?” he said. “Maybe Rock prime minister?”
Image: Pic: Warner Bros
Johnson, also known by his nickname The Rock from his days as a professional wrestler, does not give much away.
“I will tell you this… It’s great to be back in London. I will tell you that.”
The star’s comments came as a YouGov poll of Tory members found that more than half (55%) think Liz Truss should resign now – and almost a third (32%) believe her predecessor Boris Johnson would be the best person to replace her as prime minister.
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Johnson (The Rock, not the former PM) has addressed calls in the US for him to make a White House bid several times, saying in a recent interview with CNN: “I have seriously considered it. You have to. When you start looking at some of these polls, and these numbers creep up into the 46%, 50% of the country would vote for me should I run, and I have been – I’ve been really moved by that.”
In September 2020, Johnson endorsed Joe Biden with a video interview in which he described the then upcoming election as “arguably the most critical” in decades.
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The star said at the time that he was a “political independent and centrist” who had voted for both the Democrats and the Republicans in the past.
‘The most important role of my life’
Image: Pic: Warner Bros
At the moment though, with his career on screen showing no signs of slowing down, politics is on the backburner.
Johnson has played numerous action men and tough guys in the past, but Black Adam is his first foray into the superhero world.
Fifteen years in the making, he describes the film – based on the DC Comics character of the same name – as a “passion project” that he fought to turn into a reality when some studio executives weren’t sure it would sell.
Teth Adam is an anti-hero slave, blessed with the powers of Superman, who rises once again some 5,000 years after being imprisoned for using his powers for vengeance. In modern times, as he wields his dark sense of justice, he is challenged by a group of heroes known as the Justice Society.
Image: Pierce Brosnan and Aldis Hodge also star as Dr Fate (Brosnan) and Hawkman. Pic: Warner Bros
Once a professional wrestler, and with a physique that lends itself to playing a superhero, Johnson has said this role was the only one he wanted to take on, writing on Instagram before the premiere: “When I was a little boy the one thing that drew me to Teth Adam when I saw my first Black Adam comic…
“He was a hero of color.
“That mattered to me then.
“As it matters to me now. Kids of ALL colors around the world will now be able to see themselves in Black Adam.”
Speaking to Sky News, Johnson said Black Adam was the “most important movie of my entire career”.
He continued: “I think it’s the most important role of my life. And what I mean by that, context for people, is I feel like everything that I have done has led to Black Adam.
“I also feel like Black Adam represents a commitment and a tenacity to keep pushing, when… there were a lot of people throughout the course of the past 15 years who felt like, well, is there real value in introducing Black Adam to the world? Will people like him?
“And I truly in my heart, I felt, yeah, if we make the movie right, we can create a character that people can see themselves in.”
Black Adam, also starring Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, Sarah Shahi, Noah Centineo, Marwan Kenzari and Quintessa Swindell, is released in cinemas in the UK and Ireland on 21 October
Comedy writer Bill Dare, – who worked on shows including Spitting Image and Dead Ringers – has died after an accident overseas, his agent said.
Described as a “super producer” by his peers, Dare, 64, worked on eight series of hugely popular satire puppet show Spitting Image.
Airing on ITV during the 1980s and 1990s, the show delighted in lampooning public figures including politicians, celebrities and royalty, winning BAFTAs and Emmys. It was rebooted in 2020.
Dare also created Dead Ringers, a comedy impressions show broadcast on BBC Radio 4.
He also produced The Now Show, a satirical take on the news which ran on Radio 4 from 1998 to 2024.
Dare worked on a wide range of comedy shows during his career, including the radio production of The Mary Whitehouse Experience in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He had also written several novels.
In a statement released on Monday, his agent JFL Agency confirmed he died at the weekend.
A spokesperson said: “We are shocked and greatly saddened to have to announce the death of our brilliant client Bill Dare, who died at the weekend following an accident overseas.
“Our thoughts are with his wife Lucy, daughter Rebecca, and with all of Bill’s family and friends who will be devastated by his loss.
“Bill was a truly legendary producer and writer, and his comedy instincts were second to none.”
Image: Oasis depicted on Spitting Image in 1996. Pic: ITV/Shutterstock
Colleagues were quick to pay tribute and reflect on his talent.
Impressionist Jon Culshaw wrote on X: “It’s impossible to express the unreal sense of loss at the passing of the incredible Bill Dare. The wisest comedy alchemist and the dearest, dearest friend. Much love to Lucy and all Bill’s family and friends. We shall all miss him more than we can say.”
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David Baddiel posted on the social media platform: “Just heard that the original producer of The Mary Whitehouse Experience on radio, Bill Dare, has died. Bill was an amazing creative force. I owe him much. RIP.”
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Former EastEnders actress Tracy-Ann Oberman said she was “devastated” and that her “entire comedy career was down to Bill”.
She wrote: “When I was on the BBC Radio 4 rep company early on in career – I ran into Bill in the corridors – He asked if I was good at accents. I said yes.
“He cast me in a sketch show. I had to do about 15 different accents. We recorded in front of a live audience at Broadcasting House – afterwards Bill said ‘Why have I never met you – you’re going to have a big career’.
“He was incredibly loyal and supportive and really opened a path for me into the R4 comedy world and then TV having come out of the RSC and theatre it was all new. I will always be grateful. Fly high Bill.”
Comedian and writer Mark Steel wrote: “This is so grim. Bill was a compassionate hearty soul with the ability to be beautifully grumpy, a marvellously thoughtful comic mind.
“He’d argue but always listen and you’d always laugh, he made a million shows and wanted them all to matter and would have made a million more.”
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Have I Got News for You writer Pete Sinclair said: “I am utterly devastated by Bill’s death. I still can’t believe it. He was a comedy genius. A hugely talented writer as well as a brilliant producer. A close friend and co-writer. I cannot begin to say how much I’ll miss him.”
Julia McKenzie, comedy commissioner for Radio 4, said: “I am so terribly sorry to hear this tragic news and my thoughts are with Bill’s wife, family and friends.
“Bill has been a huge part of Radio 4 comedy for decades, as a writer and producer, and listeners will have heard his legendary name at the end of many of their favourite shows.
“Bill was a comedy obsessive, and very instinctive about making the funniest choices when it came to writing, directing and editing.
“He cared so much about his work that in the production booth during Dead Ringers you’d see him crouched over the script, utterly focused on the show.
“He was funny and very dry in person, amusingly cynical when he needed to be and always pushed to keep the comedy he made, and particularly satire, spiky.
“I’ve known and worked with him for 18 years and like many I can’t believe he has gone, he will leave a big hole in the comedy world and in our hearts.”
An ex-prison officer who boasted about performing a sex act on an inmate who “manipulated” her has been jailed.
Mother-of-one Katie Evans, 26, burst into tears in court as the judge described how she was “corrupted” by an “experienced criminal” not long after she started work at Doncaster Prison when she was just 21.
As well as starting an intimate relationship with the prisoner, Daniel Brownley, Evans had more than 140 phone calls with him, moved money around bank accounts for him, and supplied him with information the prison held on him, the court heard.
Brownley had been jailed in 2016 for attempted robbery, burglary and handling stolen goods, the court heard.
“It appears you indulged in some form of sexual activity in the prison. It has been described that on one occasion you had oral sex with him,” Judge Jeremy Richardson KC told Evans at Sheffield Crown Court.
“It is truly a terrible situation for a judge to be passing sentence on a former prison officer who has been branded a corrupt prison officer.”
Judge Richardson told Evans “he corrupted you and not the reverse”, adding: “I’m entirely satisfied you were manipulated by an experienced criminal to assist him.”
He said Evans was “young and immature” at the time but added: “Your misconduct materially affected the good order and discipline of the prison.”
“You were inexperienced and immature but that is, however, no excuse for what you did.”
Judge Richardson said the sentence of 21 months should have been longer but, “purely as an act of mercy”, he reduced it to take into account the effect it will have on Evans’ relationship with her young daughter and the difficulties she will have in prison as a former officer.
Evans, of Hatfield, Doncaster, admitted misconduct in a public office at a previous hearing.
Still crying, she waved at family members in the public gallery as she was led from the dock.