Original title: Dwayne Johnson Gets Choked Up Discussing ‘The Smashing Machine’ in Venice: “This Transformation Was Something I Was Really Hungry to Do”
The moment is here: The Rock has arrived on the Lido. At a 2025 Venice Film Festival packed with cross-generational star power — from George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Jude Law to Jacob Elordi, Emma Stone and Ayo Edebiri — Dwayne Johnson‘s arrival Monday for the world premiere of The Smashing Machine nonetheless made for a showstopping moment. “This transformation was something I was really hungry to do,” Johnson said of his uncharacteristic starring turn in Bennie Safdie’s visceral drama. “I had been very fortunate to have the career that I’ve had over the years and to make the films that I’ve made, but there was just a voice inside of me, a little voice that said, ‘Well, what if I could do more — I want to do more and what does that look like?’” The Smashing Machine represents a daring leap from the top ropes for the actor, one of the biggest movie stars in the world, known for blockbusters and spectacle rather than stripped-down, emotionally driven prestige cinema. Anticipation for