Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson shows off his intense voice acting for Disney's 'Moana'

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The Rock Moana

Disney

"Moana" will be out in theaters on November 23, 2016.

While you were eating hot dogs at a Memorial Day barbecue, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was hard at work making Disney magic.

Johnson has a major role in the upcoming animated Disney film "Moana." Set in the South Pacific, Johnson plays demi-god Maui, who teams up with the young Moana (Auli'i Cravalho) on her journey across the sea.

It is a common belief that voice acting is an easy paycheck for a lot of actors. Haters like to claim that actors show up to work in their pajamas, record a few lines of dialogue, and then wait for the direct deposit to come in.

However, a lot more work goes into it than you might expect.

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Johnson took to Instagram to show off his intense voice work in the movie. The very brief clip he posted shows him performing an ancient ritual known as a Haka - a traditional war cry originating from the Maori people.

Johnson got really into his performance because he has a close connection to the tradition.

"It's my DNA, but hard to explain the 'mana' (spiritual power) that comes out when you perform the Haka," Johnson said on Instagram. "[It's] highly intense and emotional and I always need a few minutes to calm down after I do it."

Johnson added that he always records the Haka last because it makes him "blow out [his] damn vocal chords."

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"Moana" will be out in theaters on November 23, 2016. Check out a sample of Johnson's voice acting below:

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