Dwayne Johnson On His ‘Gritty’ Role In ‘The Smashing Machine’

Dwayne Johnson, known for his onscreen fare in action tentpoles like Netflix’s Red Notice and Jumanji reboot films, posited he wasn’t getting the opportunity for more “raw and gritty” roles as he was “too scared” to explore more vulnerable themes.

In an interview with Vanity Fair promoting the forthcoming release of A24‘s The Smashing Machine, the professional wrestler-turned-performer noted he was nervous about portraying legendary MMA fighter and two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion Mark Kerr in the Benny Safdie-helmed biopic.

“It was very real. I had not experienced that in a very, very, very long time, where I was really scared and thinking, I don’t know if I can do this. Can I do this?” he said. “I realized that maybe these opportunities weren’t coming my way because I was too scared to explore this stuff.”

Johnson added, “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.”

For the role, the Moana actor explained he had to don over a dozen prosthetics to portray the gentle giant known for his fighting prowess: “I just sat in front of that mirror for three to four hours and watched it all change. There were about 13 or 14 different prosthetics. Subtle, yet I think very impactful,” he said. “By the time I got to set, I was Mark Kerr and I felt it, from how he walked to how he talked and how he looked at life.”

The Smashing Machine, also starring Emily Blunt, will have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival Sept. 8, before debuting in theaters Oct. 3.

View the trailer for the movie here.