Dwayne Johnson has explained why he couldn't hold back tears at the Venice Film Festival premiere of his new film The Smashing Machine, also starring Emily Blunt. The former wrestler has been praised for his performance as real-life MMA fighter Mark Kerr in the biopic, written and directed by Benny Safdie.
The movie, which earned Safdie the Silver Lion at Venice, received a 15-minute standing ovation at the festival, during which Johnson burst into tears.
"That was amazing and so surreal," the actor said during a chat with Heart Radio.
"We had made this film not thinking and really being unattached if it goes to a film festival, or gets invited, or in any kind of competition.
"We just made the film from our hearts, and we wanted to make something that people could explore and have great takeaways once they watched the movie."
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Worried The Smashing Machine wouldn't get a standing ovation, Johnson recalled thinking, "Do we need to clap for ourselves? What if nobody claps?"
After the premiere, the film was met with an outpouring of support from the audience. "They didn't even wait for the credits to roll, they just erupted for fifteen and a half minutes," Johnson said.
As for his emotional reaction, the protagonist said that his co-star Blunt jokingly told him to "pull [himself] together".
"She was like, pull yourself together, and I was like, 'B***, I'm crying,'" he said.
"But we were all so emotional because of what it represented," he continued, "and I think ultimately what it represented was we made a good movie and something special".
Johnson said that Kerr was also at the premiere, and was "really emotional and crying".
"And I think it said to him, 'Hey, you lived a life worth living,' even though he struggled with his own addictions, and he overdosed twice, and he's lucky to be here," Johnson said.
"I think, for him, in that moment, it was his validation and I'm so happy for him."
The Smashing Machine is released in UK cinemas on 3 October.
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Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
