The Smashing Machine Dwayne Johnson Performance Driven by Personal Family Trauma

The world's biggest action star just got vulnerable. Dwayne Johnson is digging into his family's darkest chapters for his latest role. According to Entertainment Weekly, Johnson revealed on 'The Awardist' podcast how his parents' personal struggles heavily influenced a pivotal, heartbreaking scene in the upcoming A24 biopic, 'The Smashing Machine'.

The Smashing Machine Dwayne Johnson Performance and His Father's Legacy

In the film, Johnson portrays Mark Kerr, a UFC pioneer grappling with addiction. To capture the raw emotion of a hospital scene following an overdose, Johnson drew from his own experiences with his father's substance abuse. He described his father as a 'fast talker' who would 'quit' his addiction in the morning only to 'quit quitting' by evening. This cycle of manipulation and struggle provided the psychological framework for Johnson’s portrayal of Kerr’s low point.

Channeling a Mother’s Vulnerability in the Face of Cancer

The second half of Johnson's emotional reservoir came from his mother’s battle with stage 3B lung cancer. He recalled a vivid moment when she started crying uncontrollably in her hospital bed, covering her face with sheets. 'I had never seen my mom cry like that,' Johnson said, noting that he saw a 'little girl' in that moment of absolute vulnerability. He channeled that same sense of shame and exposure into the hospital scene, portraying Kerr as someone who just wanted to hide from the world.