US actor and wrestler Dwayne Johnson attends the red carpet of the movie "The Smashing Machine" presented in competition at the 82nd International Venice Film Festival, at Venice Lido on Sep. 1, 2025. (Stefano Rellandini/AFP via Getty Images)
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shocked fans at the Venice International Film Festival with his dramatic weight loss as he showcased one of the most challenging movie roles of his career.
The 53-year-old showed off his slimmed-down appearance during the premiere of his new film "The Smashing Machine" in Italy on Sept. 1.
Johnson portrays MMA fighter Mark Kerr in the Benny Safdie-directed film, which delves into Kerr's journey in the combat sports world and his painkiller addiction.
The former WWE wrestler-turned-actor has more than 100 credits in his career, but it wasn't until this particular role that Johnson was able to reinvent himself in his craft.
"It was very real," he told Vanity Fair, reflecting on his nerves in the days leading up to production.
"I had not experienced that in a very, very, very long time, where I was really scared and thinking, I don’t know if I can do this. Can I do this?
"I realized that maybe these opportunities weren’t coming my way because I was too scared to explore this stuff."
In comparison to previous work where he had to maintain a much larger physique, "The Smashing Machine" called for some drastic changes that included a "whole new world" of training for Johnson.
"This is very new to me, even though I grew up in the world of professional wrestling, it's crazy and ... hard to do. Combat sports and MMA is very new to me," Johnson told Instagram followers during training camp back in May.
"This is a whole new world, and I approach this with a boundless amount of respect for the fighters, the men and the women, and especially the OGs [Original Gangsters] like Mark Kerr."
Cast member and producer Dwayne Johnson attends the premiere for the film "Red Notice" in Los Angeles, Cailf., on Nov. 3, 2021. Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
Johnson's stringent diet over the years consisted of consuming between 6,000 and 8,000 calories per day across seven daily meals, along with rigorous and specific workout routines.
At a press conference prior to the film's premiere, Johnson said how important it was for him to undergo this physical transformation, in an effort to show range in his acting capabilities that go beyond the typical action-packed blockbusters
“This transformation was something I was really hungry to do,” he said.
"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" hits theaters nationwide on Oct. 3.
