Dwayne Johnson is a huge movie star. The Rock has made some of the biggest blockbusters of recent memory, but he’s never done anything quite like The Smashing Machine. The movie, which will see The Rock star as Mark Kerr, an early UFC champion, is unlike anything we’ve seen him do, perhaps ever, but Johnson says that’s exactly why he made it.
If you were to watch the trailer for The Smashing Machine without knowing it was Dwayne Johnson, you’d be forgiven for not even realizing it’s him. He’s unrecognizable underneath the makeup and prosthetics. Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Johnson says he has been looking for a role he could “disappear” into, as well as something that would challenge him in a new way. The Rock said…
I had been wanting for years now to chase the challenge and be inspired by the challenge. I love making the bigger blockbuster movies. They’re a lot of fun. They’re hard as shit to make, and a lot of people enjoy them, hopefully, knock on wood, around the world. But I wanted more, I wanted a challenge. And I just wanted the opportunity to disappear into something and disappear into a part and a role that would really challenge me in ways that I’ve never been challenged before.
In addition to Dwayne Johnson being unrecognizable, The Smashing Machine is clearly a more dramatic role than the actor has ever had. The Rock has been accused of playing very similar characters in a lot of his movies before, but that’s certainly not what’s happening here.
Dwayne Johnson isn’t just a movie star; he’s also a brand, so the fact that he’s taken a role that he disappears into is in itself a big step. Whether he’s up for the challenge of such a seriously dramatic role remains to be seen, but his desire to take it on says a lot.
And this likely won’t be the only more dramatic performance for Johnson in the coming years. He’s also on board a new movie that will co-star Leonardo DiCaprio and be directed by Martin Scorsese that will deal with organized crime in Hawaii.
Whether or not Dwayne Johnson will become the next Oscar darling remains to be seen, but the actor is clearly looking at the sorts of roles that might lead to those conversations. Hopefully, he won’t give up on making the big blockbusters entirely. A lot of people really do enjoy those movies, but if this is the start of a wider career for Johnson, it’s likely not a bad thing.
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