Dwayne Johnson details extreme challenges of portraying Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine - “I wanted a challenge”

Former two-time heavyweight championMark Kerr is getting a well-deserved biopic made on the fighter’s life. The fighter left an incredible legacy behind with this career, starting with the UFC and continuing across other promotions like PRIDE, M-1 Global and others. Written and directed by Benny Safdie, the biopic, titled The Smashing Machine, will star Dwayne ‘Rock’ Johnson in the lead role, while Emily Blunt joins the cast as the female lead. Ahead of its release on October 3, 2025 and with the production process still going on, Johnson, in his recent interview, talked about the challenge and motivation behind the WWE star and actor picking up the role of this iconic fighter.
Born into a wrestling family, Dwayne Johnson, by default, stepped into the world of wrestling and later into acting, both professions bringing him equal success in his life. Making his debut as the ‘Rock Maivia’, a stage name dedicated to both his father and grandfather, the wrestler went on to capture the WWF Intercontinental title and many more accolades, also ending up as the fan favorite. Even in movies, The Rock starred in some of the big-budget films like the Fast and Furious franchise, Black Adam, G.I. Joe and others, successfully grabbing the audience's attention there as well.
His latest venture is the highly anticipated and awaited movie on the life of the UFC fighter Mark Kerr. A supposed-to-be visual treat for the UFC fans, the film portrays the struggle of the former UFC heavyweight champion, who himself is backing the film. Titled as ‘The Smashing Machine’, the film will showcase fighters from the world of combat sports like the boxer Oleksandr Usyk and former heavyweight champion Bas Rutten.
The filming of the project required Johnson to go through intense physical training, and he has spent most of his time on the mat to perfect the role. A fan of combat sports himself, the film provided a great challenge to the wrestler-cum-actor to justify the life story of Kerr on the screen. While speaking at the Pat McAfee Show, the wrestler spoke about the inspiration that pushed him to pick up this role.
“I had been wanting for years now to chase the challenge and be inspired by the challenge. I love making the bigger blockbuster movies.” The Rock is primarily known for making audience-pleasing movies with the thrill and entertainment that would turn a crowd in a theatre into a cheerful one. He continued, “They’re a lot of fun. They’re hard to make, and a lot of people enjoy them, hopefully, knock on wood, around the world. But I wanted more. I wanted a challenge, and I just wanted the opportunity to disappear into something and disappear into a part and a role that would challenge me in ways that I’ve never been challenged before.”

The wrestler-cum-actor continued to add, “And on top of that, I know it sounds crazy, but to be nervous in a way, you’re buzzy. ‘How am I going to do this? I don’t know how to do this?’ That happened on ‘The Smashing Machine’ with Benny Safdie and A24 and, of course, Emily Blunt.”
Also read: "None of it is true" – Dricus du Plessis clears the air on injury rumors
This is the first time that The Rock has taken up a project that would land him a role away from the conventional ones that he has previously played. Co-actor Ryan Bader even went on to appreciate Johnson for the immense hard work being put in to bring in the physical resemblance with the former UFC two-time heavyweight champion Mark Kerr.