Dwayne Johnson has spent over two decades building an empire on charm, muscles, and box office dominance.
But his latest role in A24’s “The Smashing Machine” reveals something audiences have never seen before: raw vulnerability born from decades of buried trauma.
The film, which earned Johnson his first-ever Golden Globe nomination, marks a dramatic departure from billion-dollar franchises like “Jumanji” and “Fast & Furious.”
In portraying MMA fighter Mark Kerr, Johnson doesn’t just transform physically—he becomes completely unrecognizable, channeling pain he’s carried since childhood into what many are calling the performance of his career.
Growing Up in Chaos
Johnson’s childhood was marked by constant upheaval. His family moved frequently, from urban North Carolina to suburban Connecticut, but geography couldn’t outrun their problems.
My own mom and dad had an explosive and volcanic relationship. My dad was a pro wrestler at a time when it was the Wild West. There wasn’t million-dollar contracts. It was paycheck to paycheck and just trying to survive.
His father battled personal demons and addiction while prioritizing career over family. Meanwhile, Johnson’s mother sacrificed her own dreams to support her husband, desperate for acknowledgment that never came.
All she wanted was to be seen, and she was never seen. And I grew up watching that kind of decline in a relationship when a man battles his own demons. I watched their fights. I heard their fights, which is even worse.
Twenty-Six Years of Compartmentalization
For his entire acting career spanning over two decades, Johnson tucked away childhood trauma and focused on crowd-pleasing performances. Action heroes don’t dwell on pain—they entertain.
For years, I didn’t know that could actually serve as a landing place for me to be able to put all this trauma you go through into my work. I was probably scared to go there.
Everything changed in 2017 when Johnson discovered Mark Kerr’s story. The two-time UFC heavyweight champion’s career was derailed by drug addiction in the late ’90s, and something about Kerr’s struggle resonated deeply.
Johnson began pursuing life rights to tell Kerr’s story, recognizing an opportunity to finally channel decades of suppressed emotions into his craft.
Finding the Right Collaborator
In 2019, Johnson approached director Benny Safdie with his vision for bringing Kerr’s story to screen. Safdie, known for gritty indie films like “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time,” had worked exclusively with brother Josh until this point.
He said, ‘I want to make this film with you. I know how to make it. I’m going to write the script on spec.’
Though Johnson met with both Safdie brothers, “The Smashing Machine” was always developed as Benny’s solo directorial effort—a departure that came after “Uncut Gems” as the brothers began exploring independent creative paths.
Bonding Through Shared Trauma
What could have been simply director-actor collaboration became something far more personal. Both men had been scarred by addiction’s destructive wake.
I realized how much we had in common. I said, ‘Benny, I’ve lost 15 friends to addiction and suicide. Perhaps this could serve as a beacon or lighthouse to people who are struggling with addiction.
Safdie opened up about his own family’s struggles with substance abuse, creating a foundation of mutual understanding that would inform every frame of the film.
The Floor Scene That Changed Everything
Near the film’s climax, Johnson and co-star Emily Blunt—who plays Kerr’s girlfriend Dawn Staples—deliver a devastating eight-minute scene. Safdie’s direction came from deeply personal experience.
Benny goes, ‘If you guys could wind up on the floor, that would really mean a lot to me.’ And I said to him, ‘Why the floor?’ And he paused and said, ‘Well, I’ve been through that. I know what it’s like to hold someone while they’re kicking and screaming. You don’t want to let go.’
That vulnerable admission crystallized why this project mattered so much to both filmmakers. They weren’t just telling Mark Kerr’s story—they were processing their own.
Breaking Free From Likability
Johnson joins recent performers like Demi Moore in “The Substance,” Nicole Scherzinger in “Sunset Boulevard,” and Pamela Anderson in “The Last Showgirl”—actors previously defined by physical appearance who delivered transformative dramatic performances.
For male actors, such opportunities remain remarkably rare. But Johnson embraced the chance completely.
It was the most freeing I have ever felt in my entire career. When you make these blockbuster films, you have the responsibility of making the audience feel good and the choices you make [are dictated by] the character’s likability. And for the first time, every shot, every day, regardless of the scene, that never crossed my mind.
Johnson’s willingness to sit in discomfort—both his character’s and his own—represents a seismic shift. After decades of entertaining audiences with feel-good action, he’s finally allowing them into his pain.
Variety will honor Johnson with the Creative Impact in Acting Award at the 2026 Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 4th. It’s recognition not just of one performance, but of an artist brave enough to stop running from his past and instead transform it into art.