Dwayne Johnson breaks Hollywood action star mould in gritty fight drama at Venice Film Festival

VENICE, Italy – Dwayne Johnson, best known for his high-octane action roles, has stepped away from his Hollywood comfort zone to take on a bruising dramatic turn in The Smashing Machine, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival on Sept 1.

The former professional wrestling star and box-office powerhouse plays real-life American mixed martial arts (MMA) pioneer Mark Kerr, whose towering physique and prowess in the ring belied a soft-spoken nature and private struggles.

The role marks a sharp turn for the American actor, who has spent the past two decades headlining family franchises such as Jumanji (2017 to present) and the Fast & Furious series (2001 to present).

“Sometimes it’s harder to know what you’re capable of when you’ve been pigeonholed into something,” Johnson, 53, told reporters in Venice.

“It could push you into a category and into a corner, and this is your lane, this is what people want you to be, this is what Hollywood wants you to be. I just had this burning desire, this voice that was saying, ‘Well, what if there is more?’”

Directed by American film-maker and actor Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, 2019; Good Time, 2017), The Smashing Machine traces Kerr’s rise in the early days of MMA and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), when brutal combats in Japan helped define the nascent sport.

The story also shows the toll it took on Kerr – a dependence on painkillers, a turbulent romance with his girlfriend Dawn (Emily Blunt) and the crushing pressure to deliver victory after victory.

“It’s about the pressure to win, the pressure to deliver, and what happens when winning becomes the enemy,” Johnson said.

“It’s a love story about Mark and Dawn, but also about Mark’s love for the thing he did, and his struggle to deliver and overcome his challenges.”

Johnson is almost unrecognisable in the role, sporting curly brown hair and appearing even more muscular than usual to reflect the physical stature of Kerr himself.

Safdie, 39, making his debut as a solo director after previously sharing credits with his brother Josh, said: “I cannot believe I even asked, but I said, ‘Dwayne, I think you need to get a little’, and I was like, ‘how do I say this, bigger, puffier?’”

English actress Blunt, 42, who co-starred with Johnson in Disney’s 2021 adventure flick Jungle Cruise, said she had been “spooked” by his transformation.

“I remember when he walked in as Mark for the first time. It changed the air in the room. It was like everyone parted, everyone went very quiet,” she said.

Kerr, 56, was in the room for the news conference and tears filled his eyes as he was introduced.

Johnson said Kerr was “a walking contradiction, at one time the greatest fighter on the planet, but also kind, gentle, tender, empathetic”.

Johnson’s own father was a professional wrestler, but the actor said he had not been a model for this role.

“I don’t think my dad was an inspiration in terms of his tenderness. It wasn’t really my dad. He was homeless by the time he was 13, so his capacity for love was very limited,” said Johnson, who acknowledged to feeling nerves at his first appearance at a major European film festival.

The Smashing Machine is one of 21 films competing for the festival’s prestigious Golden Lion prize, which will be awarded on Sept 6. REUTERS