Dwayne Johnson on 'Hercules': 'It was a role I was born to play'

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- "Hercules" star Dwayne Johnson says he is excited about playing a character that means a lot to him personally.

"It was a role I feel I was born to play," said Johnson.

Johnson has been a fan of the character Hercules since he was 5 years old. Now, he gets the chance to bring his own spin to the larger-than-life role in the new action-filled 3D film.

"It wasn't until I actually put the wardrobe on, transformed into character with the beard and the hair and the scars, that I realized that his most powerful moment and asset is when he finally realizes I'm just going to be me and who I was born to be," said Johnson.

That type of real-life self-realization did not come easy to this wrestler-turned-actor.

"I'm comfortable now, but it has taken some time. For example, when I first got to Hollywood, I was told, 'Well if you want to be a leading man or movie star, you can't be as big as you are.' So you start to struggle with that but it's not until I realize, 'Well the hell with that. I'm going to be me,'" said Johnson.

Johnson put himself on a rigorous, eight-month diet and exercise regimen to transform himself into Hercules: lots of cardio and bodybuilding work, plus seven protein-heavy meals a day.

But to show he's human, just like us, Johnson had a plan for his first post-Hercules meal.

"We were shooting in Budapest. I said, 'I'm coming home, I'm going to put my feet on U.S. soil, and I'm having my pizza and I'm having my dozen brownies,'" said Johnson.

"Hercules" hopes to show strength at the box office this weekend.