The internet went into overdrive this week as photos of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson showed how he leaned into his role as MMA legend Mark Kerr by leaning out, dropping 60 pounds for what many critics are hailing as his finest performance yet. In fact, the reception for The Smashing Machine has been so great that DJ even shed a tear during its recent premiere.
As The Rock went viral for cutting a more svelte look while in Venice for the premier of his Mark Kerr biography, The Smashing Machine, the buzz was already beginning around a potentially career defining performance that could add an Oscar to his list of accomplishments. The film, directed by Benny Safde who is perhaps best known for Uncut Gems starring Adam Sandler, and also starring Emily Blunt, digs into the trials and tribulations of the two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion Mark Kerr, and is based on the 2009 HBO documentary, also called The Smashing Machine.
In contrast to Johnson’s lighter roles in box office behemoths like Jumanji and Jungle Cruise, the former WWE Champion would need to channel a more vulnerable side of his character to deal with a story that encompasses the mental health and substance abuse issues that Kerr faced during his illustrious but challenging career. To become a believable MMA fighter, Johnson worked with Kerr’s former rival-turned-friend, Mark Coleman. UFC’s president, Dana White has praised the project, telling Collider; “I think that this could be the opportunity for The Rock to actually be nominated for an Oscar.”
Could Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Win an Oscar for ‘The Smashing Machine’?
While Johnson made headlines for his lean, mean, smashing machine of a figure in Venice, critics were weighing-in on the movie itself. “It’s difficult to recall another time when the actor has been so outwardly vulnerable on screen,” wrote Jack King of GQ Magazine. “You often forget it’s Johnson at all, in part due to the prosthetics behind which he is subtly masked, but also because he is so emotionally transformed.”
Yasmine Kandil of Discussing Film wrote, “The Smashing Machine is more than just another sports biopic, examining what makes or breaks us as humans through a spectacular lead performance from Dwayne Johnson.”
Some critics have been less convinced, however. “The awards season equivalent of a “fugazi” diamond,” wrote Kevin Maher of The Times. “It looks like an Oscar contender, it sparkles like an Oscar contender, but on closer inspection it’s entirely plastic and mostly worthless.”
Whether or not DJ gets his flowers come Oscar season, “The People’s Champion” has shown just how much this performance has mean to him. The gentle giant was reduced to tears during the 15-minute standing ovation that the film received in Venice. A vulnerable Johnson also got real while reflected on his acting resume, during a recent interview with Vanity Fair. “I realized that maybe these opportunities weren’t coming my way because I was too scared to explore this stuff,” he explained. “I was so hungry for an opportunity to do something raw and gritty and rip myself open. And, all of a sudden, Smashing Machine comes along.”
The Smashing Machine hits theaters on Oct. 3, 2025. To follow The Rock on Instagram, click here.
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