DWAYNE JOHNSON - THE ROCK LEARNED TO CONTROL HIS NASTY TEMPER

Wrestler-turned-movie star THE ROCK learned to control his terrible temper by turning the other cheek as fight fans hurled abuse, batteries and coins at him.

The once-angry action man, real name DWAYNE JOHNSON, once famously chased a college mascot around an American football field during a televised game in a fit of rage, but he had to keep his tantrums in check when he became one of the most hated wrestlers in the US.

He recalls, "I became so hated that when I went into the ring I was bombarded with batteries, coins, cans, you name it. I had to leave every night with security covering my head.

"Once, fighting my way through the crowd, I got cut with a knife... I've got a four-inch scar on my arm. I also got sliced on my back. I've got a cut on the back of my head."

Now a laid back father and role model, the movie star cringes when he thinks back to his brawling days, and his most embarrassing moment - when he was caught chasing SAN DIEGO STATE's Aztec mascot after fighting with the man in the suit during a college game on TV.

He says, "Mom saw it... I embarrassed her; I embarrassed myself. What am I doing? I'm chasing a mascot. My helmet is off, and I've got the big Afro. Thank goodness I didn't catch him."