Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had to put on significant weight to play Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine.
How Much Weight Did Dwayne Johnson Put On?
Johnson is no ordinary human. The larger-than-life persona electrified audiences in the WWE ring as The Rock.
Johnson is naturally a larger man, but with training and proper nutrition, he looks like a Greek god. Johnson is 6-foot-4 and weighs anywhere from 240 to 260 pounds.
Kerr is a man of equal stature. The former NCAA collegiate wrestling champion transformed into a successful MMA fighter in the late ’90s and early ’00s. Kerr is 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds.
In a recent profile with ESPN, Johnson described how Kerr’s unique body composition allowed him to thrive in the ring.
“Fast-twitch fibers, that different quality of muscle of a wrestler with a nonstop motor that’s always going in, shooting, lifting up,” Johnson said about Kerr. “Just that work, the deltoid and then the traps, the neck, his quads … to put on that kind of muscle is just different. So that’s why I went into an MMA camp, trained with real coaches, real MMA fighters, just to keep my movement.”
Johnson is famous for workout routines. Johnson constantly films videos from the “Iron Paradise,” his elaborate gym that travels with him around the world.
Johnson is jacked. To play Kerr, director Benny Safdie wanted Johnson to look like a heavyweight fighter, which means he needed to gain weight.
“‘I don’t know how to say this to you, and I don’t know if you’ve ever heard this before, but you’re going to have to get bigger,” Safdie told Johnson.
Johnson said the director used the word “puffier” to describe the aesthetic required for the role.
After some brainstorming, Johnson told Safie that he would have to put on 25 to 30 pounds. According to ESPN, Johnson gained around 30 pounds for the role.
In April 2024, Johnson attended MMA bootcamp, which involved cardio, weightlifting, sparring, grappling, and cage work.
Johnson was so immersed in the role that he convinced his scene partner to punch him during a pivotal scene.
What is The Smashing Machine?
The Smashing Machine is an A24 sports drama based on the 2002 HBO documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr.
Johnson stars as Kerr, a former MMA star who rose to prominence in the UFC and Japan’s Pride FC. While the movie covers Kerr’s battles in the cage, it predominantly focuses on his life outside fighting, including his addiction and substance abuse.
The ensemble includes Emily Blunt as Kerr’s Dawn Staples, Kerr’s romantic partner; Ryan Bader as Mark Coleman, Kerr’s fellow fighter and friend; Bas Rutten as himself, Kerr’s coach; and Oleksandr Usyk as Igor Vovchanchyn, Kerr’s rival.
Safdie writes and directs for A24. The film is expected to gross around $9 million to $12 million in its opening weekend at the box office.
The Smashing Machine is now in theaters.
