(Photo Credit: Robert Kamau/Getty Images)

Back in 1996, “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson took a super awkward photo in which he wore a tight turtleneck, no facial hair, and a fanny pack.

He was known as Rocky Maivia at the time and about to get ready to begin one of the best runs in WWE history as the youngest Intercontinental Champion.

The movie star retook that photo before hosting Saturday Night Live, and he decided to finally give the story behind it after it went viral.

See his inspiring post below.

 

When I took this iconic absurdity of a picture in 1996 I was one year removed from sleeping on a used mattress I took from a garbage dumpster in the back of an hourly sex motel. Couldn’t afford to buy a bed so we do what we gotta do to get by. You can imagine all the fun colorful bodily fluids I tried my best to clean off. 21 years later I’m taking the same photo backstage hosting #SaturdayNightLive for the fifth time. If you’re going thru your own tough times “used mattress” stage, do your best to have faith things’ll get better and always be willing to outwork your competition because you never know where life is gonna take you. And ALWAYS remember to place a soft tissue under your left elbow as to protect the fabric of the cheap ass swag turtleneck that had you out here looking like a bad ass buff lesbian. Oh and tuck the thumb in the fanny pack. Always tuck the thumb.

A post shared by therock (@therock) on May 23, 2017 at 6:57pm PDT