{"id":275140,"date":"2025-10-03T17:44:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-03T17:44:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/275140\/"},"modified":"2025-10-03T17:44:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T17:44:20","slug":"with-the-smashing-machine-dwayne-johnson-makes-a-prestige-pivot-can-the-rock-be-taken-seriously","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/275140\/","title":{"rendered":"With ‘The Smashing Machine,’ Dwayne Johnson makes a prestige pivot. Can ‘The Rock’ be taken seriously?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In The Smashing Machine, Dwayne \u201cthe Rock\u201d Johnson is battered and defeated \u2014 in bloody fights by his opponents in the ring, and in quiet moments by the world. In the movie he plays real-life UFC fighter and mixed martial artist Mark Kerr, whose dominance at the sport in the late 1990s begins to fall apart as his dependence on painkillers increases, heightening the tension in his romantic relationship and turning the glory he savored from winning fights in front of crowds of adoring fans into another form of addiction.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a whole new side to the actor, who audiences are used to seeing lead over-the-top action franchises like Jumanji and Fast and Furious, where our heroes always win.<\/p>\n

Johnson\u2019s massive success is a blessing and a curse. He said at a press conference at the Venice Film Festival<\/a>, where The Smashing Machine received a whopping 15-minute standing ovation,<\/a> he has felt \u201cpigeonholed\u201d in the entertainment industry and \u201cscared to go deep and intense and raw until now.\u201d His official statements have been humble, as is standard for awards campaigns, but his quest for acclaim is obvious. The highest-earning actor of 2024<\/a>, who has toyed with the idea of a presidential run, <\/a>is shaping an underdog narrative.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever happens from here, I don\u2019t know. But already this film has changed my life, and I\u2019m forever grateful,\u201d Johnson captioned a post<\/a> promoting his new movie on TikTok, where he has more than 80 million followers. <\/a><\/p>\n

\"Dwayne<\/p>\n

Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine. (Eric Zachanowich\/A24\/Courtesy of Everett Collection)<\/p>\n

He\u2019d like to be taken seriously as an actor, and portraying a troubled fighter is the ideal vehicle for the star who dominates every screen he\u2019s ever been on with his hulking, muscular form, throwing punches left and right. That\u2019s true in The Smashing Machine, but the similarities with his past roles end there.<\/p>\n

With this performance, Johnson is doing everything actors tend to do when they want to win awards: He physically took on a dramatically different appearance,<\/a> wearing facial prosthetics and gaining 30 pounds<\/a>; he does a precise impression of a well-known figure and displays a broad spectrum of emotion from ecstasy to anger while dealing with heavy topics like substance abuse and suicide. He has to deliver both violence and quiet devastation, sometimes in the same scene.<\/p>\n

Like Kerr, Johnson knows a lot about what it\u2019s like to dominate in the ring. Before he was one of the highest-grossing movie stars<\/a> in the world, he was considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time in the World Wrestling Federation. Like Kerr, Johnson craves more.<\/p>\n

\u2018A dubious rebrand\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not everyone is on board with his prestige pivot, though.<\/p>\n

Though many critics have lauded Johnson\u2019s performance as the film\u2019s \u201cgreatest weapon<\/a>\u201d and one that could \u201crewrite the history of [his] acting career<\/a>,\u201d movie enthusiasts on X and Reddit find his pursuit of awards amid so much commercial success<\/a> to feel contrived <\/a>and annoying<\/a> \u2014 especially given that he\u2019ll pivot right back<\/a> to the blockbuster machine soon. Puck\u2019s Matt Belloni called Johnson\u2019s press tour looks, with a slimmed-down physique<\/a> and tiny glasses, \u201ca dubious rebrand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dwayne<\/p>\n

Dwayne Johnson sports a new look at the Venice Film Festival. (Laurent Koffel\/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s so obvious that he wants to be taken seriously, it feels sinister. Doesn\u2019t he already have everything?<\/p>\n

One thing is for sure \u2014 this critically acclaimed turn is no cash grab. Johnson made Moana, San Andreas and Red One and so many other blockbusters. There was a whole TV show about his upbringing called Young Rock. Taking on a biopic when you basically already have one about yourself is incredibly unusual. If anything, it\u2019s part of his own quest for glory. There weren\u2019t many people who believed that Johnson could.<\/p>\n

But all he really needed at first was for one person to buy in. At the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of The Smashing Machine, writer-director Benny Safdie told Canada\u2019s The Morning Show<\/a> that he \u201cjust knew\u201d that Johnson could take on the heavy role.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe had something really deep behind his eyes \u2026 I wanted to explore that with him,\u201d he says. \u201cYou just know sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Artistic growth or ego?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a while since an action star successfully took the leap from commercial fare to award-worthy drama, though Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie and Will Smith have done it.<\/p>\n

We\u2019re now more accepting of those who flow from prestige to action, like Jennifer Lawrence and Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet, but some audiences still find the unabashed pursuit of greatness<\/a> to be off-putting. Omari Newton,<\/a> Vancouver Film School’s head of acting, tells Yahoo it\u2019s \u201can indication of artistic growth when an artist wants to reach beyond their comfort zone of spectacle-driven crowd pleasers and delve into more artistic work.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dwayne<\/p>\n

Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine. (A24\/Courtesy of Everett Collection)<\/p>\n

But it can also come across as an \u201cegotistical desire to remain relevant,\u201d he says. In the age of social media, celebrities feel overexposed, which can make audiences feel tired and resentful.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mystique that used to surround stars of old has been replaced by 24-hour access to their every thought, feeling and move,\u201d Newton says.<\/p>\n

The Rock is a true movie star, but like many before him, movie stars evolve. It’s the public that isn’t exactly willing to accept the behavior it takes to become one and stay one. Stacy Jones<\/a>, CEO of influencer marketing company Hollywood Branded, tells Yahoo that we\u2019d much rather put actors in neat boxes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen someone breaks out of the lane we assigned them, it creates friction,\u201d she says. \u201c[Johnson is] not just a movie star; he\u2019s a pop culture ecosystem all on his own. A mix of wrestling, tequila, Disney, blockbusters and [widely] followed social media that \u2026. makes some audiences bristle when he signals he wants the same critical respect as \u2018serious\u2019 actors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey and Lady Gaga all faced the same pushback at points in their careers. They all had to navigate what PR strategist Amore Philip <\/a>calls the \u201csuccess paradox.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGiven his immense success in the film industry, some might feel he should be content with the empire he has built,\u201d she tells Yahoo. \u201c[Johnson\u2019s] pursuit of Oscar-worthy roles doesn\u2019t signify ingratitude; it highlights his ambition and passion for his craft.\u201d<\/p>\n

The pressure is on<\/p>\n

It\u2019s up to the public to decide whether they think Johnson truly wants to improve his art or is simply on a quest for more acclaim \u2014 but are the two things really so different?<\/p>\n

\"Emily<\/p>\n

Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson in The Smashing Machine. (Ken Hirama\/A24\/Courtesy of Everett Collection)<\/p>\n

Johnson told Variety<\/a> that transforming into Kerr was the \u201chardest thing I\u2019ve ever done.\u201d He went all-in, unleashing emotions he\u2019d pent up inside throughout his life. It\u2019s difficult not to draw comparisons about what The Smashing Machine says about the trappings of world renown and why Johnson would pursue a critically acclaimed role himself. He consulted with the real-life Kerr about his portrayal of the years when his life and career began to unravel.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019d say, \u2018I never lost.\u2019 But the truth is, the win became the enemy,\u201d Johnson says. \u201cThe pressure became toxic. The movie isn\u2019t about winning or losing. It\u2019s about pressure \u2014 and how we survive it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In playing Kerr, Johnson is taking on an enormous risk \u2014 swimming in the uncharted waters of serious dramatic acting, despite having conquered the far more lucrative big-budget action circuit. He might not win any major awards, but he\u2019s standing up to the expectations of his massive audience and asking them to think of him differently. Confronting the pressure of fame alongside his character feels like victory.<\/p>\n