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In Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s best movies, the former wrestler tends to have a signature look. He’s always muscular, has a cleanly-shaved bald head and boasts huge tattoos on his upper body. However, Johnson’s latest flick The Smashing Machine will make him look so unrecognizable that the intense makeup he wears for his upcoming movie makes the 6 ‘4 actor blend in well among a crowd.
Dwayne Johnson will be putting his acting skills to the test playing MMA champ Mark Kerr. Written and directed by Uncut Gems’ Benny Safdie, A24’s The Smashing Machine will revisit the same subject matter covered in the HBO documentary of Kerr’s success in the ring and his complex life outside of it. Johnson’s physical appearance looks so different portraying the gold and silver medal winner that Safdie told GQ he didn’t even recognize him:
It was just funny because I remember him walking around and you’d hear people saying, ‘When’s The Rock going to get here?’ I wonder when he’s going to get here. You’d hear all these people talking, and meanwhile he’s walking amongst them.
It’s amazing how a recognizable actor like Dwayne Johnson can easily blend in among extras due to the film’s incredible makeup crew. They truly did a great job, as The Smashing Machine’s first look revealed what the Moana actor was going to look like taking on the new role. If I didn’t know any better, I never would have guessed this was the California native in the movie’s promotional still.
Sure, Dwayne Johnson is still all muscle as the San Andreas actor headed back to the gym to train for the new role, but I’m seeing this guy with a full head of hair and no tattoos! Plus, his face doesn’t even look like Johnson’s. You’d think this was a newbie actor taking on the sports biopic. Take a look at The Smashing Machine’s promotional still and see if you think that looks like the Jumanji actor:
I still find it hard to believe that’s Dwayne Johnson right there in the upcoming A24 movie. The University of Miami alum tells GQ that he fully plans to disappear into portraying Mark Kerr, with a deep emphasis on how “freeing” the transformative makeup process was for him:
I look what I look like. I am what I am. There is no: ‘Oh, Rock is just gonna disappear.’ You know what I mean? However, to be able to do that in ‘Smashing Machine,‘ with the greatest of makeup artists — in a way, it was really freeing for me.
When you no longer look like yourself for a role, I can imagine why Dwayne Johnson would find it “freeing.” The more you look like the character you play and less like yourself, the better the audience will notice the famed fighter instead of believing they’re watching “The Rock” in the ring.
Playing Mark Kerr could end up being the role that truly transforms Dwayne Johnson’s career. After all, when The Scorpion King actor switched from wrestling to acting in Hollywood, he said he wanted to make a meaningful career compared to just taking on a few movies, only to disappear. If Johnson successfully embodies Kerr’s athleticism and human complexities, this could be a brand new chapter in the leading man’s career.
If Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is so unrecognizable wearing makeup to look like Mark Kerr, it proves the transformative power makeup can have on its actor, making the 6 ‘4 wrestler’s portrayal seamless for him. Considering how “freeing” it was for Johnson to wear that makeup and lose himself in the MMA role, I have a feeling we’re gonna see a new side to the Fast Five actor we’ve never seen before. Keep an eye out for The Smashing Machine that’ll be part of the 2025 movie release schedule.