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It\u2019s proving to be an emotional year at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, and for the first time in his professional acting career, Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson has arrived on the Lido.<\/p>\n
Johnson\u2019s upcoming film \u201cThe Smashing Machine\u201d will have its world premiere Monday night in Venice.<\/p>\n
The wrestler-turned-actor and his costars arrived in the floating city earlier in the day. They held a panel discussion ahead of the film\u2019s big screening, and Johnson opened up about his significant transformation for his role as UFC fighter Mark Kerr, who struggled with addiction.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re in Hollywood, as we all know, and it has become about box office, and you chase the box office and the box office in our business that we know is very loud, and it can be very resounding, and it can push you into a category and into a corner. And this is your lane and this is what you do, and this is what people want you to be. And this is what Hollywood wants you to be. And I understood that. And I made those movies and I liked them. And they were fun and some made \u2013 some were really good and did well and some not so good,\u201d he explained. \u201cBut I think what I did realize is that, the most important thing, I just had this burning desire and this, this voice that was saying, well, again, what if? But what if there is more, what if I can? And a lot of times it\u2019s harder for us to, or at least for me, sometimes to know what you\u2019re capable of when you\u2019ve been pigeonholed into something.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/a> Director Benny Safdie, from left, Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson arrive at the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 1, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt\/Invision\/AP)<\/em><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Johnson then explained how his co-star Emily Blunt, who plays Kerr\u2019s former wife Dawn Staples.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the beginning, from the time we worked on \u2018Jungle Cruise\u2019 together she really encouraged and believed in me and said, \u2018You know, there\u2019s a place that you can put all this stuff that you have gone through as a kid.\u2019 And I\u2019m very close with Emily and shared a lot of everything that I\u2019ve gone through. And she goes, \u2018And that place is what you love to do, which is acting, and you have me, let\u2019s do this together.\u2019 And then Benny [Safdie] was on the other side of that saying, \u2018Hey, I got you both and let\u2019s go for it.\u2019 That transformation could not have happened without my best friend being there to support and encourage me, just saying, \u2018You can do it.\u2019 And also, \u2018I got you.’\u201d<\/p>\n Johnson is already sparking Oscar buzz for his transformation in Safdie\u2019s film. Venice has launched several recent best actor Oscar winners, including Brendan Fraser and Adrien Brody.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Smashing Machine\u201d hits theaters Oct. 3.<\/p>\n