WWE legend Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson spoke with Vanity Fair about various topics, including his fear of taking on the role of Mark Kerr in A24’s film, The Smashing Machine.
Rock said, “It was very real. 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.”
On looking for an opportunity to prove himself:
“I was so hungry for an opportunity to do something raw and gritty and rip myself open. And all of a sudden, Smashing Machine comes along.”
On finding it a new experience for him:
“You have to be willing to tap into all the stuff that you’ve gone through, and this was stuff that I had not explored on camera or otherwise. I’m not a big therapy person, even though I’m an advocate for whatever it is you need. I found it so scary, but also, so nourishing and freeing. I ripped it open.”
On opening himself up to explore something that scared him:
“After all these years I’ve been making movies, it became so glaring to me. It’s almost like a… [trails off] There’s a song from George Strait called ‘Where Have I Been All My Life?’ This reminded me of that. Where have I been? The thing I was fearing is the thing that actually gives me the greatest peace—a safe place to explore all this stuff that I’ve experienced over the years. I have a place to put it.”
