Dwayne Johnson reveals fears and prosthetic struggles for The Smashing Machine

Dwayne Johnson is stepping into one of the most challenging roles of his career with The Smashing Machine, Benny Safdie’s upcoming sports drama from A24.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Johnson revealed he spent “three to four hours” in the makeup chair each day applying prosthetics to transform into two-time UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr.

The actor, best known for his action-hero persona, admitted he faced deep anxiety ahead of filming. “It was very real. I hadn’t experienced that in a very long time, where I thought, ‘I don’t know if I can do this,’” Johnson said. “Maybe these opportunities weren’t coming my way because I was too scared. But I was hungry for something raw and gritty, and Smashing Machine gave me that chance.”

The film explores Kerr’s professional victories as well as his personal struggles, including substance abuse and a turbulent relationship with wife Dawn, played by Emily Blunt. Johnson and Blunt previously starred together in Disney’s Jungle Cruise, and their off-screen friendship helped him embrace vulnerability on set.

Blunt praised Johnson’s commitment, calling his transformation “a full disappearance, spooky… He cracked himself in half for this role.” Johnson said the process, which involved up to 14 prosthetic pieces, helped him embody Kerr fully: “By the time I got to set, I was Mark Kerr — from the way he walked to the way he looked at life.”

The actor added that the experience was both terrifying and freeing: “I ripped it open.”

The Smashing Machine will premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival before its theatrical release on October 3 through A24.