Mark Kerr: Mark Kerr amazed by Dwayne Johnson's portrayal of him in 'The Smashing Machine': "Real reverence and care"

Mark Kerr recently heaped praise on Dwayne Johnson for his performance in 'The Smashing Machine' and outlined how blown away he was by the WWE icon's transformation.

'The Smashing Machine' marks Johnson's A24 debut and explores the highs and lows of Kerr's MMA journey. The film also features high-profile combat sports entities like Oleksandr Usyk, Bas Rutten, and Ryan Bader playing supporting roles. Directed by Benny Safdie, the movie is slated for release in October.

In a recent interview with The Schmo, Kerr opened up about what surprised him the most about Johnson's portrayal of him. Lauding Johnson's efforts, Kerr said:

"He's just a very unique human being. He has a sense of compassion... When he was doing all this, just a real reverence and care to make sure he gets all the details right, about fighting techniques, about my patterns, how I speak, how I walk, how I talk... He morphed into something, I couldn't believe it. Literally shocking with all the prosthetics."

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Catch Mark Kerr's comments below (1:27):

Bas Rutten on Dwayne Johnson's portrayal of Mark Kerr in 'The Smashing Machine'

MMA legend Bas Rutten has nothing but kind words for Dwayne Johnson after co-starring in the WWE icon's upcoming 'The Smashing Machine' film. Rutten notably shares a close relationship with Mark Kerr and trained with him during his incredible run in PRIDE Fighting Championships, Vale Tudo World Championships, and the UFC.

In an interview with Submission Radio, Rutten lauded Johnson for studying Kerr closely and his mannerisms, saying:

"Dwayne is very impressive. Even when we made [the] photo op, which is when we're in the ring, in the corner with Ryan [Bader] there. [co-star] Emily Blunt sits on the side. It was - this one - that was the very first picture we made. It blew my mind."

He continued:

"The way he looked. The way he acted. The way he would stand. The way he had his hands on his hips. Like, Mark has a special way of standing and of speaking, and once Dwayne started doing that, I was really taken aback. Yeah, that was very impressive."

Catch Bas Rutten's comments below (44:27):

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Edited by Nishant Zende.