Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, 53, appears in Benny Safdie‘s film, The Smashing Machine, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 1. The biographical sports drama about former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr also stars Emily Blunt and several professional wrestlers and boxers, including Ryan Bader and Bas Rutten. The film received a 15 minute standing ovation. The Rock, who is known for his stoicism and strength, broke down into tears at the response to his film and hugged an emotional Benny as Emily stood by.
Dwayne transitioned into acting in 2001 after wrestling professionally for five years. His first role was in The Mummy Returns alongside Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Dwayne’s first leading part was as the Scorpion King in the 2002 movie, The Scorpion King. His biggest role of the mid-2000s came in 2015 when he starred in Furious 7 with Vin Diesel, Jason Statham, and the late Paul Walker.
He’s had immense commercial success and was the highest paid actor in 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2024 due to his roles in many blockbusters including the Disney animated film, Moana. The wrestler turned actor is finally receiving critical acclaim for his most recent role as Mark Kerr. Since its premiere, The Rock’s portrayal has made headlines.
Variety asked: “Is The Rock headed to the Oscars?” while BBC wrote: “Don’t be surprised if [Dwayne] is Oscar-nominated. His Hollywood blockbusters have raked in billions of dollars, so this serious, nuanced role gives his peers an obvious chance to reward him for his lucrative career.” While several professional athletes, like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Steph Curry, have won Oscars, The Rock would be the first to win an acting award.
At the premiere, Dwayne shared his process for The Smashing Machine, telling BBC News: “I’ve been scared to go deep and intense and raw until now, until I had this opportunity to do [this film].” He continued: “When you’re in Hollywood, as we all know, it had become about box office and you chase the box office. And the box office in our business is very loud, it can be very [overwhelming].
© Getty Images“Sometimes it’s hard to know what you’re capable of when you’ve been pigeon-holed into something,” Dwayne continued. “But I think what I did realize is I just had this burning desire, this voice that was just saying, ‘What if there’s more, what if I can?'”
© InstagramThe Rock not only evolved emotionally for his role in the film, but physically too. He told The Hollywood Reporter that he challenged himself to lose some of his muscle mass so that he could play more dramatic roles. The actor gave credit to Emily, who he refers to as his “best friend,” and who was also there for his journey of preparing for the role.
© Rodin EckenrothWhile this isn’t Emily and The Rock’s first film together, it is their first time playing a couple. Emily appears as Dawn Staples, Mark Kerr’s wife. Dwayne and Emily’s other film was 2021’s Jungle Cruise and are set to appear in the sequel as well. Jungle Cruise grossed approximately $221 million worldwide.
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