1 week Ago By Curtis Calhoun
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson didn’t hesitate to take on the steep challenge of playing a beloved MMA icon in the upcoming film entitled The Smashing Machine . Johnson’s interest in MMA has surged in recent years. At the inaugural BMF title event at UFC 244 , Johnson wrapped the belt around Jorge Masvidal after his victory against Nate Diaz at Madison Square Garden.
But, avid MMA fandom couldn’t’ve prepared Johnson for the tall task of playing MMA legend Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine , an A24 film set to release next year. The movie covers the history, in and out of the cage, of Kerr at a point when MMA was struggling to gain global relevancy. Johnson is no stranger to physical transformations, but he admits the challenge of embracing Kerr’s character was a unique one.
The WWE wrestling superstar had to learn the ins and outs of MMA to portray Kerr effectively. READ MORE: Jon Jones’ rival highlights Stipe Miocic’s biggest weakness that could lead to KO at UFC 309 Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson opens up on ‘The Smashing Machine’ portrayal In a recent interview with GQ , Johnson explained why he accepted the challenge of playing an MMA legend, especially one with Kerr’s roller-coaster life story. “I knew this was an opportunity to disappear into a character, with prosthetics, and also play somebody who is still alive,” Johnson explained.
“Someone who has gone through the battles and wars of life. Not only in the Octagon and in the cages, but also about addiction, failure, loss, mental health struggle. “And that’s the bug that I got bit by and thinking: ‘Oh, this is what I want to do!’.
..to challenge myself in ways that I hadn’t been challenged.
“Where the material is deeper, it allows me to sink my teeth into something deeper, richer.” Johnson, despite his immense Hollywood success, is still grinding in his acting career. This year alone, he’s starred in recent releases like Moana 2 and Red One .
READ MORE: Colby Covington slams Shavkat Rakhmonov in explicit social media rant after mocking recent fight callouts Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson plays Mark Kerr in ‘The Smashing Machine’ Kerr fought in Pride and the UFC during his memorable combat sports career. He’s widely recognized as a UFC pioneer, winning two heavyweight tournaments over the likes of Dan Bobish and Dwayne Cason. Kerr retired from MMA in 2009 after a first-round knockout loss to Muhammed ‘King Mo’ Lawal at M-1 Global: Breakthrough.
Throughout his career, he struggled with an addiction to painkillers , as highlighted in the HBO documentary The Smashing Machine . Before making the move from the wrestling mats to the cage, Kerr was a force in collegiate wrestling, leading Syracuse to an NCAA Division I national championship in 1992. He also earned victories at the 1993 and 1994 USA Wrestling World Team Trials.
Johnson and Kerr have similar physical attributes and competitive backgrounds, but their similarities didn’t make it any easier for Johnson to take on the role. Despite the immense challenges, Johnson had to challenge himself, unlike any other film he’s starred in previously, including multiple award-winning performances. READ MORE: Stipe Miocic publicly apologizes to Jon Jones after offending him with X-rated slur.
