Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson says he finally feels liberated as an actor after years of being typecast as a big-screen action hero. The 53-year-old Hollywood star has received strong reviews at the Venice Film Festival for his performance in The Smashing Machine, where he portrays UFC fighter Mark Kerr. The role, Johnson says, fulfilled a “burning desire” to dig deeper into storytelling, breaking away from the explosions and high-octane franchises that made him one of the world’s most bankable stars. Critics have described his performance as a revelation — sparking early talk of an Oscar nomination.
Breaking Away From Hollywood’s Expectations
Johnson, best known for box office juggernauts like Jumanji, San Andreas, Black Adam and the Fast & Furious series, admitted he often felt “pigeon-holed” by Hollywood. “When you’re in Hollywood, it becomes about box office,” he told journalists in Venice. “It can push you into a corner. You get told, ‘This is your lane, this is what you do, this is what people want you to be.’ I understood that, and I made those movies. Some were good, some weren’t. But I had this voice inside me saying, ‘What if there’s more?’”
He said playing Kerr — a fighter battling personal demons in the early years of UFC — gave him the chance to go “intense, raw and vulnerable” in a way he had previously shied away from.
A Film Beyond the Ring
Directed by Benny Safdie, The Smashing Machine reunites Johnson with Emily Blunt, who plays Kerr’s partner Dawn Staples. The film explores not only Kerr’s rise as one of UFC’s most formidable fighters between 1997 and 2000 but also his struggles with addiction and his turbulent personal life.
Blunt said she relished portraying a character rooted in truth rather than a “movie-fied” version of a relationship. “It was the full weather system of what it means to live with a fighter — the devotion, the eruptions, the chaos and the love,” she said. Of Johnson’s performance, she added: “He completely disappeared. It was spooky.”
Critical Reception: “A Revelation”
Early reviews have been glowing. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman called Johnson’s turn “a revelation,” while The Telegraph’s Robbie Collin awarded the film four stars, praising a performance that was “warm, sincere and admirably ego-less.” IndieWire’s Ryan Lattanzio wrote that while the film may not be “obvious awards bait,” Johnson had “secured his place among this year’s prize contenders.”
For Johnson, the praise is validation of a risk he long wanted to take. “It’s not about proving anything to Hollywood,” he said. “It’s for me, internally. To ask myself: what am I capable of?”
Returning to His Roots
Johnson’s connection to Kerr stretches back decades. As a professional wrestler in the 1990s, he met the fighter and admired his reputation. The two are now close friends. Johnson describes Kerr as “a walking contradiction — once the toughest fighter on the planet, but also the most gentle and empathetic person you’ll meet.”
The film’s title comes from Kerr’s nickname after an early UFC tournament victory. A 2002 HBO documentary of the same name chronicled his career and struggles, making him a cult figure in combat sports history.
Awards Buzz and a Crowded Race
Whether Johnson secures his first Oscar nomination remains to be seen. This year’s best actor race is packed with heavyweights including Leonardo DiCaprio, George Clooney, Jesse Plemons and Timothée Chalamet. Still, the Venice reception has put Johnson firmly in the conversation. Even if the Academy does not bite, the Golden Globes could offer recognition with their broader slate.
For Johnson, the transformation is less about statues and more about artistic freedom. “I started asking myself: am I living my dream, or other people’s dreams?” he said. “You can play it safe, or you can step out and do what you’ve always felt you could. This was my chance.”
