Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is an established name in box-office blockbusters, from explosive action hits to family-friendly animations. Now, the former WWE World Champion is taking on a much different role in A24’s impending Mark Kerr biopic ‘The Smashing Machine.’
For Johnson, the role of the UFC fighter who battled both opponents and substances, is a far-cry from the likes of Jumanji or the Fast & Furious franchise. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Johnson was open about his nerves leading up to production on The Smashing Machine.
“It was very real. I had not experienced that in a very, very, very long time, where I was really scared and thinking, I don’t know if I can do this. Can I do this? I realized that maybe these opportunities weren’t coming my way because I was too scared to explore this stuff.”
The Smashing Machine reunites Johnson with Jumanji co-star Emily Blunt, who is impressed by Dwayne’s drive to do something new. The English actress reflected on how the role as Kerr is different to anything Johnson has done before.
“DJ has been pigeonholed into the image of the big hero who’s got all the answers and he’s going to fix everything and he’s invincible. I think until this moment, maybe he thought that was the only lane that people wanted to see him in.”
Johnson has had his eye on The Smashing Machine since 2019, when he reached out to co-director Benny Safdie about a potential Kerr project. Though the pandemic derailed countless plans in Hollywood, Johnson never gave up on The Smashing Machine, as Safdie explained:
“Dwayne felt so deeply about it, it was something I couldn’t shake… It was literally like, ‘What about the thing you haven’t stopped thinking about for four years? That’s it!’”
Now, Johnson has the chance to show that he is much more than bulging big-screen muscles and cheesy quips. As he prepares to bring the two-time UFC heavyweight tournament champion to the big screen, it remains to be seen if his performance will be a knockout in the Octagon.