Beyond The Rock: Dwayne Johnson’s Rawest Role Yet in The Smashing Machine

In Dwayne Johnson’s 26-year acting career, he has played numerous memorable roles, and his new film The Smashing Machine is set to rank among his most iconic performances. In this biopic of UFC legend Mark Kerr, Johnson undergoes a dramatic transformation, appearing nearly unrecognizable. Mark Kerr earned the nickname “The Smashing Machine” for good reason. After launching his MMA career in 1997 he quickly became a rising star. That success brought him to the UFC, where his dominance made him one of the sport’s early icons, despite the league facing public backlash and political pressure in its early days. Kerr moved to Japan to fight in the PRIDE circuit, but behind his success was a growing addiction to painkillers, driven by repeated injuries and mounting pressure.

The 2002 HBO documentary The Smashing Machine offered a raw look at Kerr’s struggle, including graphic scenes of drug use and emotional turmoil. His partner Dawn urged him to get clean, especially after a near-fatal overdose in 1999. Though he returned to the ring, his career never fully recovered. He retired after a series of tough losses, and now, at 56, battles health issues linked to his fighting past and former addiction (Independent). The trailer, released on April 29, 2025, showcases Johnson as Kerr, featuring significant alterations to his face and physique to match the fighter’s look. The A24 Drama is directed by Benny Safdie, best known for co-writing and directing Uncut Gems and Good Time with his brother. 

A New Side to Dwayne Johnson 

This movie will reveal a more serious and dramatic side of Dwayne Johnson as he portrays Kerr’s personal and professional struggles, including his complex friendship with a fellow fighter and his turbulent relationship with his wife, Dawn Staples, played by Emily Blunt. Johnson told Variety that he and Safdie want to create stories that are "raw and real," even when they explore uncomfortable truths. He added that he is driven to push himself further as an actor by making films that "matter," ones that explore humanity, struggle, and pain. 

This marks a departure from Johnson’s usual type of film and character. While he has played fighters before, in Fighting with My Family and during his wrestling career in the WWE, this role promises to be far more sincere and somber. When people think of The Rock, they typically associate him with action, crime, and comedy films, genres where he’s become a household name. Dwayne Johnson usually plays physically powerful, athletic characters who are heroic or redemptive, often serving as protectors or leaders, especially of family, while blending toughness with charisma and humor, and remaining unbreakable under pressure in high-stakes situations. 

The Smashing Machine still portrays Johnson as the strong, commanding figure audiences know him for, but this role demands a deeper emotional range, confronting addiction, vulnerability, and psychological pain. In stepping away from the invincible action hero archetype, Johnson shows his willingness to evolve as an actor and embrace more complex, character-driven storytelling. This film could very well redefine how audiences see him, not just as a blockbuster icon, but as a serious actor capable of portraying real human struggle with authenticity and depth. The Smashing Machine comes to theaters in October.