{"id":2041692,"date":"2025-09-22T19:01:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T19:01:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2041692"},"modified":"2025-09-22T19:01:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T19:01:07","slug":"dwayne-johnson-was-hit-so-hard-on-smashing-machine-set-his-bell-rung","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/dwayne-johnson-was-hit-so-hard-on-smashing-machine-set-his-bell-rung\/","title":{"rendered":"Dwayne Johnson Was Hit So Hard on Smashing Machine Set His ‘Bell Rung’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Dwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s dedication to his role in The Smashing Machine<\/em><\/a> was steadfast \u2014 so much so, the actor almost got knocked out cold on set.<\/p>\n

Johnson, 53, revealed that one scene in the biographical sports film, in which he portrays MMA fighter Mark Kerr<\/strong>, left him weak in the knees after he was punched incredibly hard.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt felt like when you get rocked by a real fighter multiple times,\u201d Johnson told CBS Sports during a combat sports media roundtable for the upcoming Benny Safdie<\/strong>-directed movie on Monday, September 22. \u201cThere\u2019s a moment in the trailer where I\u2019m on my knees in the ring and I look up dazed. That\u2019s real. I got my bell rung. Benny said, \u2018Hold on! Stay right there!\u2019 I was seeing three heads of Benny Safdie and 15 heads of Mark Kerr.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Johnson opted to do his own stunts in the movie, he wanted to make sure the camera caught his raw reaction to getting hit by his opponents. Safdie, 39, takes viewers close up into the ring during another fight, in which Johnson went full method<\/a>. The former WWE superstar had a conversation with his scene partner about not holding anything back.<\/p>\n

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\n Related: <\/span>The Rock Weeps During Epic Standing Ovation at Venice Film Festival<\/span><\/a>
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\n\t\t\tDwayne \u201cThe Rock\u201d Johnson wept during a 15-minute standing ovation at Venice Film Festival. Johnson, 53, was overcome with emotion while taking in the rapturous response to his latest film, The Smashing Machine, which screened at the fest on Monday, September 1. Footage from inside the event showed the actor wiping tears and clapping as [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI said, \u2018Hey brother, you\u2019re pulling the punches. You need to lay it in and hit me,’\u201d Johnson remembered. \u201cHe said, \u2018What do you mean?\u2019 I said, \u2018Benny isn\u2019t cutting away. This is the end of the movie. You know this really happened to Mark. You have to lay it in.\u2019 I said, \u2018Look, just don\u2019t hit me here, you\u2019ll break my jaw. Don\u2019t hit me in the temple, you\u2019ll kill me. But if you can hit me in my cheekbone.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson continued, \u201cHe goes, \u2018No, no, no. I\u2019m not going to do that.\u2019 I said, \u2018I need you to hit me.\u2019 He goes, \u2018I respect you. I\u2019m not doing that.\u2019 I asked Benny to come over. Benny said, \u2018You have to hit him because I\u2019m not cutting away.\u2019 I grabbed him and said, \u2018Please, brother. It\u2019s you and me here. It\u2019s OK.’\u201d<\/p>\n

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Eric Zachanowich \/\u00a9 A24 \/Courtesy Everett Collection<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After the initial hesitation and encouragement from his cast and crew, Johnson\u2019s scene partner began hitting him with full force.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe hit me so hard!\u201d Johnson said. \u201cThat\u2019s what you see in the movie. Not only is he hitting me, but I realized watching back that he\u2019s coming down. That was a punch! Dude!\u201d<\/p>\n

Johnson underwent a dramatic transformation<\/a> to portray Kerr, 56, sitting through three to four hours of hair and makeup each day on set. He showed off a leaner physique<\/a> at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival ahead of the film\u2019s premiere.<\/p>\n

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