The image Some people will forever be known by their nicknames, no matter how hard they try to shake them. Roscoe Arbuckle will always be "Fatty"; Mark Wahlberg will always be "Marky Mark"; Tommy Lister will always be "Tiny"; the Marx Brothers will always be "Groucho", "Harpo", "Chico", "Zeppo" and "Gummo"; I will always be "Porkchop"; and Dwayne Johnson will always be "The Rock". The way to tell that a nickname has really stuck is when it’s not only used in the credits of a film but when it is also the official entry-name for an actor on IMDb. Chances are Lister’s SAG card says Tommy ’Tiny’ Lister and chances are Johnson’s simply says "The Rock", or maybe it used to and then it was changed to Dwayne ’The Rock’ Johnson, as his credited name has been extended since the beginning of his acting career.

With the release of Southland Tales, Johnson will be credited as just Dwayne Johnson, no nickname included, and he’s hoping to keep it that way. Of course, the fans, the journalists and probably most of the world will continue calling him "The Rock". It will never go away. Just as I will forever be called "Porkchop" (even though I haven’t had big sideburns for five years), Johnson will forever be called "The Rock", a name that began with his wrestling days (where he had previously been called Rocky Maivia). The only thing the guy can do is retire his signature stare and his culinary catch phrase. Other than that, look forward to "The Rock" in Southland Tales, out this fall.