Best known as a wrestling icon turned Hollywood action hero, the 53-year-old admitted that years of box office-driven roles left him eager for something more.
“The box office is loud, and that can push you into a category and into a corner,” Johnson told reporters at his first European festival. “I understood that, and I made those movies. They were fun, some were really good, some not so. But I just had this burning desire, this voice saying: ‘What if there is more? What if I can?’”
Directed by Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems), the two-hour feature sees Johnson take on the role of Mark Kerr, a pioneering mixed martial arts fighter of the early 2000s. Unlike Johnson’s trademark heroic roles, Kerr is portrayed as a complex figure: a gentle but troubled man grappling with addiction and a turbulent marriage.
“The film isn’t about fighting. It’s a love story about Mark and Dawn, and their relationship,” Johnson said, noting that Safdie pushed him to bulk up physically while diving deeper into the emotional core of the character.
Emily Blunt, who co-stars as Kerr’s ex-wife Dawn, praised Johnson’s transformation.
“One of the most extraordinary things was seeing him completely disappear—like spooky,” Blunt recalled. “I remember when you walked in as Mark for the first time. It changed the air in the room.”
The pair previously shared the screen in Disney’s Jungle Cruise (2021), but both agreed that The Smashing Machine offered an entirely different challenge.
Kerr himself attended the Venice premiere, applauding Johnson’s portrayal.
“It’s almost impossible to describe the amount of detail that went into it,” said the 56-year-old fighter. “My 20-year-old son saw it and could not believe it.”
The film is one of 21 titles competing for the prestigious Golden Lion, which will be awarded on Saturday.
For Johnson, whether or not The Smashing Machine claims Venice’s top prize, the film marks a milestone: a reinvention that proves he can step out of the action-star mold to embody a deeply human story.