&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Dwayne Johnson cries as The Smashing Machine earns 15-minute ovation at Venice Film Festival")
Dwayne Johnson couldn’t hold back his tears after his performance in The Smashing Machine earned a roaring response from the audience. The wrestler-turned-actor plays the role of 1990s fighter Mark Kerr.
Directed by Benny Safdie, the movie also stars Emily Blunt as Kerr's girlfriend, Dawn Staples.
Dwayne Johnson tears up as The Smashing Machine gets 15 minutes in Venice.
Johnson teared up as The Smashing Machine received a 15-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. The 53-year-old actor and the entire team were present on the screen as the movie garnered a huge round of applause from the crowd gathered at Sala Grande on the Lido.
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The audience’s cheering, clapping, and whistling honoured the film with a 15-minute standing ovation, one of the longest at this year’s festival so far.
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Looking dapper in a grey suit, the actor couldn’t hold back his emotions as the crowd celebrated the entire team.
In a viral video, Johnson is seen wiping away tears while Blunt consoles him.
This round of applause has hinted that the movie might be one of the strong contenders in the upcoming awards season, especially the Oscars. It also suggests that Johnson could be on his way to winning the coveted golden trophy at the Academy Awards.
Apart from Johnson, the real Mark Kerr, who was present at the screening, also shed a few tears.
What is The Smashing Machine about?
The movie tells the story of two-time UFC Heavyweight Champion Mark Kerr from his early days in wrestling. For the role, Johnson underwent a dramatic transformation into an unrecognisable person. Known for his roles in Black Adam and Baywatch, among others, this role marks a bold new direction for the actor. The movie, which also marks the solo feature directorial debut of Benny Safdie, also stars Dawn Staples, Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten and Oleksandr Usyk in supporting roles.
“I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past,” Johnson told Variety about his role.
He added, “I want to make films that matter, that explore a humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.”
The movie is set to hit theatres in November.
