Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is one of those rare celebrities whose presence is as commanding as a double Scorpio moon in a power suit—strong, magnetic, and a little bit mysterious. We’ve all come to love his iconic bald head, especially since it’s been a staple of his look since around 2010. But hold onto your astrological charts, folks, because he’s rocking curls again and is apparently “unrecognizable” to his fans. This transformation comes as he prepares to embody wrestler Mark Kerr in the upcoming film The Smashing Machine. The big question on everyone’s mind: Does a head full of hair change your entire face? Well, with Johnson, it seems to. With a release date set for October 3rd, this movie promises to pull back the curtain on not just Kerr’s wrestling career but also the incredible dedication of The Rock, who trained alongside him for the role. Curious to see how this hair-raising change unfolds? Get ready for some jaw-dropping reactions! LEARN MORE.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has a very distinctive look – he’s got biceps that are the envy of gym bros, strong facial features…and a bald head.
He’s been hairless above the ears since around 2010, so it’s no surprise that people have been left so stunned by seeing him sport curls.
Fans reckon he looks ‘unrecognisable’ with a wig on after transforming into wrestler Mark Kerr for the upcoming A24 film The Smashing Machine, saying it has ‘changed his whole face’.
Johnson, 52, will star alongside the likes of Emily Blunt, Lyndsey Gavin and Olesksandr Usyk in the biographical drama based on Kerr’s glittering career in the ring and cage.
The Rock revealed he worked closely alongside the former sports star to prepare for the flick directed by Benny Safdie, which is set to be released on 3 October this year.
Everyone knows what Dwayne Johnson looks like at this point (Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Johnson, who said it was ‘an honour to play’ Kerr, trained with the former fighter, 56, ahead of filming to ensure he mastered his replication of the Wrestling World Cup winner’s prowess in the ring.
In a video uploaded to Instagram in April last year, he described Kerr as an ‘absolute animal’, saying: “He struggled with addiction, he struggled with success, he struggled with loss, he struggled with love.
“A lot of struggles in his life. But he lived, and is still living, the most extraordinary dream-come-true kind of life and it is an honour for me to play him.
“I want to make sure that I wake up every morning and that I run to this opportunity to become Mark Kerr.”
Although he’s already got the muscular physique down, The Rock needed a bit of help in the hair department when it came to transforming into the wrestler.
It is thought that the WWE legend is sporting a wig and prosthetics in The Smashing Machine, but fans can’t believe just how real his hair looks in behind-the-scenes images.
The snaps were shared to social media by Kerr’s wife Franci Alberding a few months ago – and funnily enough, Kerr himself is now bald too.
Fans couldn’t believe how different Johnson, pictured alongside Kerr, looks with hair (Instagram/@franci_alberding)
Still, it’s Johnson’s drastic change in appearance which said they simply can’t get their heads around – while some suggested he looks more like some of his fellow WWE stars, such as John Cena and Dave Bautista, rather than Kerr.
One person wrote: “The Rock with hair. How strange to see him like this.”
Another said: “He looks completely different!”
A third added: “If John Cena and Bautista had a baby…”
A fourth added: “I honestly did not recognise him, so good job on the costume and makeup department,” while a fifth chimed in: “The hair isn’t even the craziest part, his face looks totally different.”
Others were quick to remind social media users that Johnson previously had a good head of hair up until about 15 years ago.
Johnson will be portraying Kerr in the upcoming film, The Smashing Machine (A24)
“Y’all never seen The Rock with hair? Now I know I’ve hit old age,” one person commented. “I’m cooked.”
“They gave bro his WWE rookie year hair back,” another joked.
While a third stated: “He’s had hair, what do you mean?”
In 2017, The Rock shared a post on X explaining why he made the decision to get rid of his hair.
“I’m not bald because I went bald,” the Fast and Furious actor wrote. “I’m bald because my hair is a cross between an afro and hair from a Lama’s ball sac.”