NEWSDwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's Dramatic Weight Loss Shocks Fans Ahead of 'The Smashing Machine' Release: Photos
Dwayne Johnson's dramatic weight loss shocked fans in Venice — see photos.
Sept. 3 2025, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is making waves with his stunning weight loss for his upcoming film, The Smashing Machine.
For the film, the WWE superstar transformed into legendary two-time UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr, requiring him to shed significant pounds.
"This transformation was something I was really hungry to do," Johnson, 53, told The Hollywood Reporter during the 2025 Venice Film Festival on Monday, September 1.
The actor dropped some pounds to play UFC legend Mark Kerr in the sports 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?'" he added.
The intensity of Johnson's transformation was evident on Saturday, August 30, at the Miu Miu Women's Tales event at the Venice Film Festival, where he showcased his new physique ahead of the film's debut.
Fans online called the star 'unrecognizable' after seeing new photos.
Johnson walked the red carpet in a silk, short-sleeved blue button-down shirt adorned with colorful sketches, perfectly complementing his slimmed-down frame, paired with straight-leg black trousers.
Fans were quick to express their astonishment on social media. "Yep had to do a double take," one user wrote on X, while another proclaimed, "The Smashing Machine is really setting the bar high. An unrecognizable Dwayne Johnson looks to give the best performance of his career."
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While Johnson's transformation is indeed impressive, he's not the first actor to make drastic changes for a role. Joaquin Phoenix garnered attention in 2020 when he disclosed losing 52 pounds for his portrayal of Arthur Fleck in Joker.
In 2024, Phoenix, now 50, hesitated to share his routine for the sequel, Folie à Deux. "I'm not going to talk through specifics of the diet, because I just think nobody wants to hear that," he remarked. "But this time, it felt a bit more complicated just because there was so much dance rehearsal that we were doing, which I didn't have last time."
The film follows Mark Kerr's rise in MMA and his struggles with addiction.
Orlando Bloom also shared his experience of losing a reported 52 pounds for his role in The Cut and discussed the mental toll it took. "I was exhausted mentally, physically. I was hangry," Bloom admitted during a recent appearance on This Morning. "I was a horrible person to be around. The paranoia, the intrusive thoughts."
Johnson joins the ranks of actors like Christian Bale, Jared Leto and Matthew McConaughey, who have all famously altered their weight for cinematic roles.
Joaquin Phoenix and Orlando Bloom have also lost weight for roles.
As rumors circulate that Johnson's performance in The Smashing Machine could be Oscar-worthy, the film chronologically explores Kerr's rise in the MMA world during the 1990s, illustrating his subsequent struggles with painkiller addiction. Co-starring alongside Emily Blunt as Kerr's wife, Dawn Staples, Johnson emphasized the heart of the story.
"Mark was the greatest fighter in the world at one point, but this film is not even really about fighting — it's a love story," Johnson said, growing emotional. "It's a love story about Mark and Dawn in this relationship, and it's a love story about Mark and the love that he had for the thing that he did — his struggle with trying to deliver [in the ring], his challenges and his overcoming. As you know, Mark OD'd twice, and he's lucky to be alive — and that's part of why this story is so special."
