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Dwayne Johnson shared his reaction to not being Oscar-nominated for The Smashing Machine<\/em>: “I wish it happened.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n The Jumanji<\/em> star understands the gravity of an Oscar nom: “I always thought it mattered.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n Johnson said that awards season “lit a fire in my spine.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Dwayne Johnson<\/a> is reflecting on missing an Oscar<\/a> nomination.<\/p>\n The Moana<\/em><\/a> star, who received awards buzz last year for his dramatic turn in Benny Safdie<\/a>‘s The Smashing Machine<\/em>, discussed his reaction to missing the Best Actor nominations lineup in a recent interview with Esquire<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n “It would have been incredible to get nominated for an Oscar,” he said. “I realized very quickly that it’s a rare thing to reach this pinnacle where you’re even having these conversations. And it’s exciting! It would have been amazing. I wish it happened. But it didn’t.”<\/p>\n Johnson recognizes the weight of an Academy Award nomination, and said that his experience during this past awards season has given him new motivation. “In no uncertain terms did I ever think, Oh, that doesn’t matter,” he said. “I always thought it mattered. And it has lit a fire in my spine\u2026which is: Let’s go back to work.”<\/p>\n Dwayne Johnson in ‘The Smashing Machine’ The Oscar for Best Actor ultimately went to Michael B. Jordan<\/a> for Sinners<\/em>. His fellow nominees were Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet<\/a> for Marty Supreme<\/em>, Leonardo DiCaprio<\/a> for One Battle After Another<\/em>, Ethan Hawke<\/a> for Blue Moon<\/em>, and Wagner Moura for The Secret Agent<\/em>.<\/p>\n Though he didn’t make the Oscar five, Johnson’s turn as MMA fighter Mark Kerr did receive a nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture \u2013 Drama at the Golden Globes<\/a>. That award went to Moura.<\/p>\n Johnson has a few more dramatic projects in the works, including a crime movie set in Hawaii that Martin Scorsese<\/a> will direct. The Goodfellas<\/em> filmmaker told Esquire<\/em> that he greatly admired Johnson’s most recent film.<\/p>\n “Dwayne is remarkable in The Smashing Machine<\/em>,” Scorsese said. “He and Benny, along with Emily Blunt<\/a> and Ryan Bader, went deep together. They got into some challenging and uncomfortable territory that really stunned and enlightened me. Dwayne is one of a kind.”<\/p>\n Safdie, who is reteaming with Johnson on his next film Lizard Music<\/em>, also had high praise for the actor.<\/p>\n “His film knowledge is incredible,” the Uncut Gems<\/em><\/a> director told Esquire<\/em>. “I can talk about Jimmy Stewart<\/a>‘s performance in It’s a Wonderful Life<\/em><\/a> and relate it to Mark Kerr, and Dwayne knows exactly what I’m talking about. In the subtle breaths he was taking and the pauses he made \u2014 I realized I could ask Dwayne to do anything.”<\/p>\n Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our<\/em><\/strong> EW Dispatch newsletter<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n In a broader reflection on his career evolution, Johnson explained what motivates him now. “By the time I hit my fifth level \u2014 I’m 53 \u2014 I was working hard just to find what peace meant,” he said. “Things in my world have become less presentational, less broadcast-y, more ‘I’m going to put in the work, and I’ll keep it as quiet as I can.'”<\/p>\n
Credit: A24<\/i><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n