Dwayne Johnson is one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, though much of his success is due to franchise films. He’s not really been one to work with auteur filmmakers like fellow WWE export Dave Bautista has, and he’s seemingly played it as safely as possible.
That’s all about to change in the near future with his upcoming feature, The Smashing Machine.
Johnson is venturing way out of his comfort zone for this one, pushing his acting like never before. The recent photo released from filming has fans buzzing!
Dwayne Johnson Looks Unrecognizable As Mark Kerr In The First Photo From The Smashing Machine
If you didn’t know that it was Dwayne Johnson ahead of time, there is almost no way that you’d have guessed that he’s the actor in this incredible photo!
Johnson, who has taken some flack for appearing and acting similarly in multiple films, looks completely unrecognizable as MMA fighter, Mark Kerr, in this first photo from Johnson’s A24 film, The Smashing Machine.
Like his other projects, Johnson stepped on the gas when it came to getting in shape for the role. However, unlike most of his other films, Johnson is utilizing some seriously impressive hair and prosthetics to help himself look like Kerr. Further, Johnson also had to ditch his tattoos for the role.
In preparation for The Smashing Machine, Johnson had the opportunity to get a workout with Kerr, who was a behemoth of a fighter in his prime.
In a caption to his photo with Kerr, Johnson wrote, “My training camp became complete when the man himself, Mark Kerr @markkerrtsm trained with us.”
“He’s still a f****** machine, that can close the distance with scary speed and power,” he added.
It’s not uncommon for actors to get to know the people they are playing in biopics, but for this occasion, it was important for Johnson to break a sweat with Kerr, as the former MMA fighter is no stranger to getting into immense shape for competition. The same can be said for Johnson, who, between the WWE and his Hollywood blockbusters, has long been a muscle machine in his own right.
As Essentially Sports reported, for Johnson, this is uncharted territory, to a degree. The man himself even acknowledged this in a live chat.
“Anyway, it’s my second training camp, as you guys know I have a training camp for 12 weeks for WrestleMania and then I took 10 days off and then I started training camp again, and anyway I just really appreciate all the support because this is very new for me. I have a base in wrestling from pro wrestling and a little bit of amateur wrestling that I did, but this is a whole new world,” Johnson said.
Clearly, Johnson’s gym work, as well as the hair and makeup team have done an amazing job so far.
As for the film itself, well, it’s A24, so it’s going to be held to a certain standard. Fortunately, the source material is incredible.
The Film Is Based On The Documentary Of The Same Name
For the unfamiliar, Mark Kerr was an outstanding and menacing fighter in his prime. The former NCAA Division I champ was a 2-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament winner, and was a multi-time ADCC champion, as well.
Sadly, Kerr’s life spiraled out of control.
Without giving away spoilers, his journey was chronicled in The Smashing Machine, which is one of the best documentaries that you can enjoy.
Johnson partnering with A24 for a biopic on this astounding story screams a potential Oscar run, and we’re here for it.
As for A24, well, they are no strangers to the biopic game.