The Rock on The Smashing Machine, "This film has changed my life"

Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has landed a massive success with his most recent film, The Smashing Machine. The Rock's transformation into UFC and MMA Legend Mark Kerr allowed him to step away from his usual action or comedy flicks and jump into a genuinely dramatic role. And Dwayne Johnson recognizes how important this one could be to his Hollywood legacy.

The Smashing Machine is based on the 2002 documentary, The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr, and has received rave reviews since the early screenings back in September. It currently sits at 73% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes

The Rock isn't taking this one for granted. In an Instagram post, he thanked everyone who watched The Smashing Machine, as well as his director, before recognizing that this movie may have completely changed his life.

Is Triple H getting overconfident? Here are the signs!

"From deep in my grateful bones, thank you to everyone who has watched "The Smashing Machine". In our storytelling world, you can't control box office results - but what I realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere. And I will run to that opportunity. It was my honor to transform in this role to my director Benny Safdie @bowedtie. Thank you brother for believing in me. Truth is this film has changed my life. With deep gratitude, respect and radicalempathy, dj." -The Rock on Instagram

The Smashing Machine was released on October 3rd in the United States. Unfortunately, box office numbers were lower than expected, partly due to the release of Taylor Swift's Showgirl.

What's next for The Rock?

Dwayne Johnson has already built up an incredible name outside the ring. It's been 24 years since his debut film, The Mummy Returns, and The Great One is now well over fifty films into his career. With the Mark Kerr biopic receiving high praise, Johnson will have time to soak up and appreciate the response for a while before promoting his next film.

Johnson landed an incredible role in Disney's 2016 animated hit Moana as the Demigod of Wind and Sea, Maui. While he reprised his role in the sequel, which came out last year, Johnson will also play Maui in the live-action version of Moana.

This new take on the beloved story is already in post-production and will be released this coming July.

About the author

Greg is a pro wrestling writer at Sportskeeda. He has been an avid wrestling fan since he was able to do elbow drops off bunkbeds at the age of three. He's gone through the highs and lows of the Attitude Era, Ruthless Aggression, and PG eras and lived to tell the tale, with his favorite wrestler of all time being Diamond Dallas Page. His other favorite star is the late great Bray Wyatt.

Greg has contributed to sites like Bleacher Report before joining Sportskeeda in 2017 as a content writer and editor. If you've ever checked out the various wrestling shows through our live coverage, chances are you've read Greg's work. Apart from the world within the squared circle, he also keeps track of other sports such as American football, baseball, golf, boxing, and MMA.

His goal with his writing is to be able to mentally take readers right into the action through his words. Greg strives to ensure his readers get nothing but the best and most accurate information by always checking and using only the best and most reliable sources.

Know More

These WWE stars may not return on-screen! Who are they?

Edited by Greg Bush