Dwayne Johnson, widely known as “The Rock,” recently found himself at the center of a wax figure controversy at the renowned Musée Grévin in Paris. The issue revolved around the skin tone of his life-sized wax replica. Shortly after the figure’s unveiling, Johnson addressed the matter in a good-humored manner, announcing his intent to work on improvements.
Taking to Instagram, the 51-year-old Hollywood superstar shared his thoughts, saying, “For the record, I’m going to have my team reach out to our friends at Grevin Museum, in Paris France so we can work at ‘updating’ my wax figure here with some important details and improvements- starting with my skin color.” He even added a playful touch, mentioning that on his next visit to Paris, he would stop by for a drink with his wax counterpart. Johnson, whose heritage is a blend of Samoan and Black, recognized the need for the wax figure to be a more accurate representation.
Yves Delhommeau, the managing director of Musée Grévin, also addressed the matter through an Instagram video. He admitted the surprise they experienced when they noticed that the wax figure’s “skin tone seemed too pale” under the museum’s lighting. He candidly acknowledged, “We suddenly realized we might have got it wrong.” Delhommeau elaborated that the team had worked with a variety of photos of Johnson, emphasizing the actor’s different appearances in various pictures. Despite this, the museum remained committed to refining the wax figure to better capture Johnson’s likeness.
To promptly address the situation, the museum took action to update the wax figure, darkening its skin tone, and subsequently returned it to display.
Veronique Berecz, the spokesperson for Musée Grévin, clarified that Johnson’s response to the situation was quite amicable. She explained that the issue was not a result of any intention to “white-wash” the figure but rather an honest mistake based on the photos they had used during the creation process. In light of the reactions on various blogs and social networks, the museum acted swiftly to correct the error.
The museum’s website underscores the painstaking effort invested in crafting Dwayne Johnson’s wax figure, including the meticulous work on replicating his tattoos and the careful adjustment of his eyes to ensure they faithfully capture the star’s distinctive appearance. The swift and friendly response from both Johnson and Musée Grévin highlights the dedication to authenticity that museums strive to achieve in their wax figures.
