The Rock admits missing out on an Oscar nomination for The Smashing Machine stung, and he is using that disappointment as fuel. Dwayne Johnson recently opened up about the snub a year later, framing it as a rare moment of acknowledging he fell short and a motivation to chase that level of recognition again.
Johnson drew awards talk for his portrayal of former UFC star Mark Hunt in the Benny Safdie-directed biopic. While he and co-star Emily Blunt both landed Golden Globe nominations, the film itself only secured an Academy Award nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Asked how he feels about the situation now in a recent interview with Esquire, the WWE star said it never stopped mattering to him.
It would have been incredible to get nominated for an Oscar,” Johnson said. “I realized very quickly that it’s a rare thing to reach this pinnacle where you’re even having these conversations. And it’s exciting! It would have been amazing.
He continued, “I wish it happened. But it didn’t. But in no uncertain terms did I ever think, Oh, that doesn’t matter. I always thought it mattered. And it has lit a fire in my spine [laughs] which is: Let’s go back to work.
The Rock’s Next Big-Screen Projects
Apart from a cameo in Zootopia 2, the Great One has not been seen on the big screen since the unwhelming box office performance of The Smashing Machine. Johnson has two major franchise films on the way, which could re-establish his Hollywood dominance. The live-action Moana film, in which he reprises his role as Maui, is arriving in July, while Jumanji: Open World, is set for release on December 25
The Final Boss also recently revealed some personal troubles away from the box office, detailing a recent cancer scare in another candid moment. Despite not having appeared on WWE TV since Elimination Chamber 2025, speculation about his in-ring future continues as well, with reports that he could be a part of WrestleMania 43.