'The Rock' waxwork in Paris retouched after skin tone complaints

A famed Paris museum said it would on Wednesday reinstall a waxwork of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson with a more true-to-life look after it was taken off public show for additional work when the US actor complained about its pale skin tone.

Johnson, who is of Samoan and black origin, took to Instagram this weekend to joke about the Grevin Museum's wax figure, which appeared to depict him with white skin, and bears only a vague likeness to his features.

"We removed the waxwork (from the show) on Monday evening. Our craftspeople worked on his complexion through the night and day," the museum's director Yves Delhommeau told AFP.

"Dwayne Johnson promised us... to stop by the museum during his next trip to Paris. Let's have a good glass of wine together! We can make changes he might still want."

He added: "We worked for more than a year on the character of Dwayne Johnson, in particular to reproduce his very complicated tattoos. We used photos because Dwayne could not travel to Paris to finalize his waxwork."

Dressed in a short-sleeved polo shirt and navy blue pants, the actor has Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney and even Meryl Streep as neighbours in the museum.

"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," wrote Johnson, best known by his stage name The Rock.

The figure of Johnson was unveiled on social media last week by the Grevin Museum, which draws nearly 800,000 visitors a year and is the Paris equivalent of famed London waxwork tourist magnet Madame Tussauds.

The Grevin Museum draws nearly 800,000 visitors a year © Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP

But a photo intended to promote the new statue drew an outcry from Johnson's fans, ranging from bemusement to anger.

Comedian James Andre Jefferson Jr. released an online video mocking the statue, prompting Johnson to respond.

Jefferson said in the video that The Rock was being made to look like former England soccer star David Beckham or "part of the Royal Family."

The real Dwayne Johnson had been unimpressed © Stefano RELLANDINI / AFP

"I'm low-key offended," said Jefferson.

In 2018, the museum drew similar mockery for an unflattering figure of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Producing a Grevin sculpture takes six months and costs 50,000 to 60,000 euros ($60-70,000).

© 2023 AFP