Dwayne Johnson is getting candid about his "transformation" into UFC heavyweight champion Mark Kerr for his new film.

On a panel at Venice Film Festival on Sept. 2, Johnson shared the emotional journey he embarked upon as an actor for his starring role in upcoming film “The Smashing Machine."

“This transformation was something I was really hungry to do,” Johnson said, per The Hollywood Reporter . “I had been very fortunate to have the career that I’ve had over the years and to make the films that I’ve made, but there was just a voice inside of me, a little voice that said, ‘Well, what if I could do more — I want to do more and what does that look like?'”

Dwayne Johnson on Sept. 01, 2025 in Venice, Italy. Aldara Zarraoa / Getty Images

Though Johnson hasn’t shared details on the phys

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