11 Aug 2004

Samoa gives chiefly title to actor Dwayne Johnson

2:22 pm on 11 August 2004

Dwayne Johnson, popularly known as The Rock, now has another name, that of Seiuli, a chiefly title bestowed on him by Samoa's Head of State, Malietoa Tanumafili II.

Johnson last visited Samoa, the country of his mother Ata, as a 14-year-old boy.

Samoa Broadcasting Corporation TV has so far aired two of Johnson's movies two nights in a row and he's again on the front page of the country's main newspaper, the Samoa Observer.

Johnson's return visit to his homeland began with a full-fledged welcome at the airport where he was greeted by a Cabinet minister, the Commissioner of Police and a government-organised concert party .