Dwayne Johnson Breaks Hollywood Mold
Dwayne Johnson Opens Up About Breaking Hollywood Stereotypes in ‘The Smashing Machine’
VENICE — Dwayne Johnson, who stars as UFC champion Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s upcoming biopic The Smashing Machine, is embracing a new chapter in his career. Co-starring Emily Blunt as Kerr’s then-wife Dawn Staples, Johnson reflected on breaking free from the roles he’s long been associated with in Hollywood.
Speaking ahead of the film’s premiere at the Venice Film Festival on Monday, the Jumanji star said, “I just had this burning desire and this voice that was saying, ‘Well, again, what if? But what if there is more, and what if I can?’ A lot of times it’s harder for us—or at least for me—to know what you’re capable of when you’ve been pigeonholed into something.”
Johnson elaborated on Hollywood’s tendency to categorize actors based on box office success. “When you’re in Hollywood, it has become about box office, and you chase the box office,” he said. “And the box office in our business can be very loud, very resounding, and it could push you into a category and into a corner. ‘This is your lane. This is what you do. This is what people want you to be. This is what Hollywood wants you to be.’”
The actor admitted that breaking out of that mold wasn’t easy. “You could either fall in line and say, ‘Well, it’s status quo. Things are good. I don’t want to rock the boat,’ or go, ‘No, I want to live my dreams now and do what I want to do.’ I finally have a place to put all the experiences I’ve had in the past—the things I shied away from, was scared to go intense and raw—until now, until I had this opportunity.”
The Smashing Machine received a 15-minute standing ovation at its Venice premiere and is set for theatrical release on October 3.
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