Hulk Hogan’s one disastrous 1993 movie might’ve served as a cautionary tale for Dwayne Johnson’s approach to the medium.

Hulk Hogan, who passed away at the age of 71, headlined 1993’s Mr. Nanny, which might’ve accidentally shaped Dwayne Johnson‘s Hollywood run in the years to come. Standing on a minuscule 6% Tomatometer score, the movie was both a critical and commercial flop upon its release, and did little to extend his career as a potential movie star.

Johnson, on the flip side, was able to break the cycle of pro-wrestlers failing to break into Hollywood, and his approach to the business likely stemmed from the failure of Hogan’s 1993 family comedy.

Mr. Nanny Was the Antithesis of Dwayne Johnson’s Hollywood Run

Mr. Nanny featured Hulk Hogan in the role of a former pro wrestler turned nanny and bodyguard for two kids. Unfortunately, instead of propelling Hogan’s career as the family-friendly movie star, the movie was panned by critics and general audiences.

A still from Mr. Nanny | Credit: New Line Cinema

In addition to being a commercial and critical failure, the movie highlights one troubling trend that plagued the Hulkster’s failed Hollywood run: a lack of any good material.

Johnson, on the other hand, put it best during his 2005 interview with Playboy, just four years after his Hollywood feature debut with The Mummy Returns.

I’m not sure. I know what was important to me—choosing good material, studying, making sure everybody knew I wasn’t in it for the paycheck. I’m not too sure if Hogan and those other wrestlers did that.

Considering the Brahma bull was notable for learning from his seniors, both in the squared circle and real life, his interview with Playboy suggests he was adamant about not following in Hogan’s footsteps in the showbiz.

Dwayne Johnson and Hulk Hogan in WrestleMania 18 | Credit: WWE

And as the story goes, Johnson came victorious over Hogan, both in the ring (the Icon vs Icon battle in WrestleMania 18) and Hollywood, thanks to jumping between action, comedy, and franchise roles like Rundown, Pain & Gain, and Fast Five.

How Mr. Nanny Tanked Hulk Hogan’s Hollywood Ambitions

As discussed before, Mr. Nanny was a major critical failure, similar to Hogan’s previous Hollywood releases. However, what made Mr. Nanny‘s disaster more troublesome is that this was Hogan’s second attempt after Suburban Commando to compete with other heavy-hitters in the family-friendly landscape following the success of Kindergarten Cop and Home Alone.

Hulk Hogan in WrestleMania 30 | Credit: WWE

Coming off the back of other less-than-thrilling projects from Hogan’s end, Mr. Nanny destroyed Hogan’s credibility as the next big movie star, something that he never recovered from in the years that followed.

On the bright side, he did return to the ring and delivered a match for the ages with Johnson, successfully passing the torch to a pro-wrestler, who finally broke the curse surrounding pro-wrestlers’ failed Hollywood ventures.

While Johnson has now built a reputation for playing himself in his works, a reasonable complaint from fans, with The Smashing Machine and the reported Martin Scorsese collaboration, it seems he’s finally trying to branch out.

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Mr. Nanny is available to rent on Apple TV+ (USA).