WATCH: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson redeems Kiwi reporter after 'cheehoo' blunder

Disney's live-action 'Moana' is about to hit cinemas, and with it, a wig-wearing Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson arrives as Maui in the flesh.

While bringing the iconic demigod to life was a massive undertaking, 'DJ', as I affectionately (and maybe inappropriately) referred to him, revealed that the character isn't just inspired by his grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia - it's also deeply rooted in 'The Rock' himself.

Embodying Maui

Dwayne said that 'Moana's live-action reimagining allowed him to fully embody Maui’s signature mannerisms, which he admits share a lot of DNA with his legendary wrestling persona. From the "bravado and ego" to the "rizz" and, of course, the legendary 'People’s Eyebrow', the lines between the two characters are thinner than you might think.

"I love that you brought up The Rock, because there is so much in Maui that is The Rock too," Johnson said, citing the ability to own the room and the "this is who I am" attitude as shared traits.

On Vulnerability and Wigs

The conversation took a deeper turn when discussing Maui’s ego, leading Dwayne to share his philosophy on masculinity. He told me he's learned that being vulnerable is a "superpower," particularly for men, who often keep emotions trapped inside.

These days, he believes opening up leads to "real authenticity," which in turn gives the ability for everyone to be their "most real self."

Of course, we also had to talk about addressing the glorious mane Maui sports in the film, a wig which became the topic of much conversation when the first look at 'Moana' dropped.

Dwayne, who famously described his natural hair as a cross between an "afro and the hair on a llama's ball sack," in a tweet from 2017, said despite being "memed up and beat up" (which he actually found very entertaining), the wig gave him a lot of mana, and also reminded him of his beloved grandfather, who the character's look was based on. 

The Ultimate Cheehoo Redemption

The best bit of the interview for me came when Dwayne helped me claw my way back from the embarrassment of butchering the word "cheehoo" on the red carpet with Jason Momoa a few years back.

Who better to teach me than Maui himself, who liberally cheehoos his way through the movie? 

My old mate DJ was happy to oblige, treating the moment with the gravity of a "big middle finger to all the critics".

After breaking down the key elements of a good cheehoo, a brief breathing exercise and a moment of holding hands for spiritual support, we unleashed a powerful, synchronised cheehoo that echoed through the room and hopefully redeemed me from one of the biggest fumbles of my career. 

Disney's live-action 'Moana' is in cinemas from July 8th.