A new wax fugure meant to resemble Dwayne Johnson has raised eyebrows, as many people are questioning whether “The Rock” was actually the inspiration for the odd-looking sculpture.
The Musée Grévin in Paris recently unveiled a wax figure of the former WWE star on Monday 16 October, prompting many people on social media to make comments about how little the sculpture actually looks like him. On Friday, celebrity gossip account Pop Crave posted a picture of the wax museum’s latest creation. The figure featured the actor in a blue polo with jeans and a black belt. His arms were crossed and his signature tattoos were peeking out from his sleeves.
However, many comments focused on the complexion the artist used for Johnson’s wax figure. Fans were quick to point out that the Hollywood actor is of Samoan descent, but the wax figure’s skin tone was made to appear much lighter than in reality.
“This is white rock,” one person commented on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Wayne ‘the white’ Johnson,” another person joked on the platform.
Some fans assumed the wax figure was intended to be used for another celebrity, such as his Fast and Furious co-star, Vin Diesel. “The Rock ft Vin Diesel,” one person wrote on X, who believed the sculpture resembled a combination of the two star.
Another commenter agreed, writing: “Vin Diesel and The Rock made a baby.”
Others were convinced the sculpture was meant to be Mr Clean, the cartoon mascot for the cleaning product brand of the same name. “That ain’t The Rock, that’s Mr Clean,” one commenter posted.
“MR CLEAN MR CLEAN MR CLEANNN,” another person joked, along with a GIF of the character.
Over the years, many people have questioned exactly how accurate celebrity wax figures are upon unveiling. When a new Beyoncé wax figure was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in Berlin in January, its “uncanny valley” appearance had people doing a double-take.
Madame Tussauds Berlin shared clips of the new Beyoncé wax figure on Instagram, set to her viral song "Cuff It”, and fans were quick to share their mixed reactions to Queen Bey’s likeness. Some people were pleased with the results, as other wax museums haven’t been able to accomplish the same level of similarity. “Yes finally y’all did it right,” commented one Instagram user. “Best one yet,” said another.
One person wrote, “It looks so real,” while another said: “OMG it looks just like her. They did a wonderful job!!!!”
On the other hand, some believed something about the Beyoncé was figure was a little off. “They were so close yet so far,” tweeted one fan. “So THIS is what people mean when they say ‘uncanny valley,’” said someone else.
“This looks like a person that isn’t Beyoncé but looks kinda like Beyoncé,” another user wrote, while one person said: They should melt this and try again.”
Others felt the statue had a closer resemblance to fellow singers Jennifer Lopez, Tori Kelly, Leona Lewis, or Shakira. “BEYONCE? Beyonce? Beyonce?… that’s Tori Kelly,” replied one user. “That looks like if Beyonce and J-Lo had a child,” another said.
“Leona Lewis would be so happy,” joked one person.
“Shakira???” asked another.
Other wax figure failures include the Hollywood Wax Museum’s statue of Billie Eilish. The goal was to have the figure inspired by Eilish’s 2020 Oscar’s outfit, but many fans thought it missed the mark, with one calling it “Barely Eilish.”
