You’re about to see The Rock go back in the ring, but on a big screen this time. Though he was admittedly ‘scared’ to take on the difficult role, Johnson’s performance has already stirred up Oscar buzz.<\/p>\n
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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson<\/strong><\/a> is going back to his fighting roots<\/a> but taking them to the big screen. In A24’s The Smashing Machine<\/em>, the actor and WWE pro wrestler plays real-life retired fighter Mark Kerr<\/strong>, delivering an emotionally complex performance for the first time in his film career.<\/p>\n Johnson was admittedly “scared” to tackle the role, he revealed on CBS Sunday Morning partly because, up until now, he’s had a reputation of being a box office champ rather than an experienced actor.<\/p>\n “For years, I’ve been dreaming and hoping,” he explained. “My desire was to play not only a dramatic role, but something that I felt like I could really sink my teeth into, and rip myself open. You hear that term. I just didn’t want to do drama. I wanted to do something that really allowed me to do that. … I was chasing something for a lot of years, and what I was chasing was box office. And there’s a part of me, the brain [that goes], ‘Don’t rock the boat. Stay in this zone. Everyone’s happy. You’re paying the bills.’ But the heart is like, ‘Yeah. But you’re not being fulfilled.'”<\/p>\n Here, Hollywood Life<\/strong> has all the details you need to know on Johnson’s highly anticipated performance in The Smashing Machine.<\/em><\/p>\n