HOLLYWOOD -- If you want to see a grown man cry, tell Michael Clarke Duncan the WWF is fake.

"I am the hugest of wrestling fans. I'm addicted to WWF.

"I got an invitation to an event at the White House a couple of years ago but couldn't go because it was being held on a Monday.

"Mondays are Monday Night Raw and I don't leave the house for anyone or any reason," says Duncan.

Like millions of other wrestling fans, Duncan's favourite WWF star is The Rock and not just because they co-star in The Scorpion King, the sword and sorcery adventure that opens tomorrow.

"I've been a huge fan of The Rock for almost five years. I don't usually go up to celebrities in person, but I saw him at a restaurant about four years ago.

"I just had to tell him I'm probably his biggest fan."

To Duncan's surprise, The Rock, a.k.a. Dwayne Johnson, returned the compliment.

"Our friendship grew steadily from that night. The really cool thing about The Rock is that he is not jaded by his fame. He's really cool and down-to-earth."

Duncan came to learn he isn't The Rock's only fan.

"We were in Toronto when someone spotted him. People suddenly came from everywhere and they swarmed past me to get to him. They just figured I was another one of his bodyguards.

"I imagine this is what it must have been like to be with The Beatles in their heyday."

Johnson takes credit for signing Duncan to The Scorpion King.

"(The producers) told me they had this great role for Michael, but they were afraid to offer it because word was he was turning everything down after having nabbed his Oscar nomination for The Green Mile," recalls Johnson. "I told them I'd call and see if he was interested.

"I could see they thought I was joking, but I dialed Michael and told him there was a part for him in my movie.

"Michael said he was in. He didn't even want to read the script or talk about salary."

To Duncan's joy, the script called for him to have a major fight with The Rock. It would be his personal WWF moment.

"I immediately started working out to define my body and build up some muscles," recalls Duncan.

He remembers working out the day he and The Rock were scheduled to film their big fight sequence, which begins with them grappling over a staff.

"I was lifting weights and priming when he strolled over and just laughed. He told me we were going to mime the whole struggle.

"The Rock gritted his teeth. His whole body started tensing and his face grimaced, but he wasn't even pushing on the staff. I couldn't believe it because his face was in mine and I should have felt the full force of his power and yet he wasn't even moving that staff.

"It's amazing how he can make it all seem so real, still I refuse to hear, let alone believe, that the WWF is fake, even after what I've seen with my own eyes."

Duncan is proud to note he made The Rock cry one day on set.

"We were doing a punch and I came into him instead of pulling away so his elbow connected with the side of my nose. I fell to the ground.

"It really hurt. I was seeing birds it was so bad, but I refused to let him know he'd hurt me. I said I was fine and just walked off the set."

As he passed the makeup table, Duncan grabbed a couple of fake-blood capsules.

"I broke one and rubbed it all over my teeth and gums and then bit the other one so it would make my mouth fill with blood."

When Duncan didn't return to the set, The Rock came to check on him. "I looked up mournfully and then opened my mouth.

"The Rock was genuinely shocked. He stared at me and started to cry. He thought he'd really hurt me.

"I think he'd like to have knocked a few of my teeth out for real when I started to laugh and he realized the joke was on him, but he's the kind of guy you can tease.

"He loves a good joke even if it is at his expense."


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