Dwayne Johnson Called ‘Courageous’ For Playing Ex-MMA Fighter Mark Kerr

Dwayne Johnson made a “courageous” decision to play Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine.

That is according to ex-UFC fighter and now actor Keith Jardine. Johnson will portray the two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion and PRIDE FC champion, Kerr, who had notable struggles with addiction. The Smashing Machine will debut on September 8 at the Toronto International Film Festival, with a wider release to follow on October 3. Johnson has been vocal about the physical transformation he has undergone for this role. While Johnson is most known for his ‘The Rock’ alter ego in wrestling, this movie role will push himself to the limit. Jardine praised the actor, hoping he would deliver. 

“Yeah, I hope they do it justice. Like it’s an interesting story and all that. I hope The Rock does a really good job and I think it’s really courageous of him to take on this real acting role. It’s not a superhero thing and all that. Like he’s really become this character. Look at how he changes the way he looks and everything. Like I’m really hopeful for it. I’m a huge Benny Safdie fan though. I think A24 is doing that. I’m huge into all of that. So like I’m more excited about that than anything,” Jardine said 

The Challenges

Playing Mark Kerr is a major departure from the type of roles Johnson typically takes on. His characters, from Luke Hobbs in the Fast & Furious franchise to the lead in Jumanji, are In contrast to this demanding role. Kerr’s story is one of a flawed and vulnerable man. This role requires Johnson to shed his “Rock” persona and portray a character wrestling with personal demons.

It means showing vulnerability and weakness, something Johnson has rarely done on screen. Beyond the shift in persona, portraying Mark Kerr presents immense physical and emotional challenges. Johnson, known for his physique, has already documented the grueling transformation he underwent to match Kerr’s build, even sustaining an elbow injury in the process. 

“Look at that sucker right there. It looks like I have a cantaloupe in the bottom of my elbow. I got banged up pretty good today in our scenes, and there might be some soft tissue damage in there. That’s a lot of fluid, we’ll see. I’ve got to get it out of there first before I can get any kind of MRI. He always used to say, ‘A day without pain is like a day without sunshine, boy. I’ve been banged up in the past before, I’ve had injuries before … but if you guys have any advanced advice on some great anti-inflammatories, please let me know,” Johnson stated