Dwayne Johnson may be Hollywood’s tough guy, but the iconic actor showcased his softer side while discussing his late father at the Venice Film Festival. The 53-year-old, who is starring in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, opened up about playing former MMA fighter Mark Kerr, and explained that the athlete is a “walking contradiction…at one time the greatest fighter on the planet, but also kind, gentle, tender, empathetic”. Dwayne revealed that while preparing for the role, he surprisingly took no inspiration from his late father, Rocky Johnson.
A fraught dynamic
Rocky was a Canadian professional wrestler who was the first Black NWA Georgia Heavyweight Champion and enjoyed a successful career in the ring throughout the ’70s and ’80s. “I don’t think my dad was an inspiration in terms of his tenderness,” Dwayne said during a press conference at the film festival.
“It wasn’t really my dad. He was homeless by the time he was 13, so his capacity for love was very limited, and that’s the man that raised me.” The duo shared a fraught relationship and spent much of Dwayne’s adult life not on speaking terms. They grew estranged after a fight over the phone in December 2019, and had not reconciled at the time of Rocky’s death in 2020.
Saying goodbye
The Fast & Furious star shared an emotional tribute to his father a week prior on social media, in celebration of what would’ve been his 80th birthday. “Happy Heavenly Birthday Dad,” he began in the caption. “My dad’s birthday was yesterday, and I thought about him. A lot. I had a good amount of ‘I wonder if…’ thoughts about him and our relationship.”
“He raised me with a tough and complex love. But at least I had love, ya know?” he continued. “I know a lot of men in my life who never had their father’s love at all. Hard to reconcile stuff with your dad when he’s no longer here – but nonetheless, regardless of challenges or any struggle, my dad was a ‘life adapter’, and he taught me to be the same. Work hard and adapt.”
“I’ll always be grateful for that lesson,” he added. “Happy Birthday Soulman up there in heaven. You were never shy, so stop by and say hello every once in a while.” Rocky passed away inside his Florida home due to a pulmonary embolism in 2020.
© FilmMagicNew horizons
Dwayne underwent an incredible transformation to play Mark in the film, and is already generating Oscar buzz for his portrayal of the MMA legend. “This transformation was something I was really hungry to do,” he said at the Venice Film Festival. “I had been very fortunate to have the career that I’ve had over the years and to make the films that I’ve made, but there was just a voice inside of me, a little voice that said, ‘Well, what if I could do more – I want to do more, and what does that look like?'”
© InstagramThe father of three found unprecedented box office success with films like Furious 7, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and Disney’s Moana. The Smashing Machine marks one of his most serious roles and has already earned him critical acclaim.
© Instagram“A lot of times it’s harder for us – or at least for me, sometimes – to know what you’re capable of when you’ve been pigeon-holed…. And sometimes it takes people who you love and you respect…to say you can,” he explained.
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