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Dwayne Johnson's dramatic acting turn in The Smashing Machine was down to a "burning desire" to be more than a blockbuster star.
"I have wanted this for a long time," Johnson said during a press conference for the Mark Kerr biopic at the Venice Film Festival (H/T BBC).
"When you're in Hollywood, as we all know, it [becomes] about box office and you chase the box office. And the box office in our business is very loud… It can push you into a corner and category: 'This is your lane, this is what you do, and this is what people want you to be and this is what Hollywood wants you to be.'"
Johnson, in surprisingly frank fashion, continued, "And I understood that, and I made those movies and I liked them and they were fun, and some were really good and did well, and some not so good! But I think what I did realise is I just had this burning desire and this voice that was just saying, 'What if there's more, what if I can?' Sometimes it's hard to know what you're capable of when you've been pigeon-holed into something."
Johnson leads The Smashing Machine as MMA fighter Mark Kerr, a role that has already garnered early awards buzz and has led to an 84% Rotten Tomatoes score for the movie at the time of writing.
The immediate post-Venice screening response was just as intense – with Johnson breaking down into tears during a 15-minute standing ovation for the Benny Safdie-directed sports epic.
First emerging into Hollywood with a string of action-comedies after a successful career in the WWE, Johnson then made his name as a bona fide box office star in the likes of Jumanji, Black Adam, and the Fast and Furious franchise. Now, though, Johnson seemingly wants his career to head in a very different direction.
The Smashing Machine, also starring Emily Blunt, hits cinemas on October 3.
For more, check out our guide to upcoming movies and 2025's remaining major movie release dates.
