The Rock Drops a Bombshell About His Family—And Now His Movie Transformation Has a Whole New Meaning!
Added on September 2, 2025 inCelebrity News Cards
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Ever wonder what it takes for a superstar like Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson to shed 60 pounds, don a wig and prosthetics, and dive headfirst into the gritty world of MMA fighter Mark Kerr? Well, as Mercury dances through transformative Scorpio, perhaps it’s no surprise The Rock is unveiling a leaner, meaner version of himself that’s got fans buzzing—and chuckling about renaming him ‘The Pebble.’ But beneath the Hollywood glam and movie magic lies a more profound story—one of a complicated father-son bond that’s as tough and layered as an onion, or maybe a good old wrestling belt. This October, when The Smashing Machine hits theaters, we’ll not only get a front-row seat to his transformative role but also a glimpse into the emotional ringside of his life. Ready to rumble with some real talk and a fresh look? LEARN MORE.
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has spoken candidly about his family life during a press conference for his upcoming movie The Smashing Machine.
In the film, the famous wrestler plays MMA fighter Mark Kerr, and the early critical buzz around it is positive, so it may be worth pencilling in a trip to the cinema when it releases next month.
While The Rock has faced claims that he basically plays himself in his movies, he actually looks very different for The Smashing Machine thanks to the wig and prosthetics he’s had to don for the role.
Considering he’s got one of the most recognisable looks in showbiz, his transformation is impressive and away from the silver screen, he’s also sporting another aspect of his new look as people spotted a much leaner and trimmer Rock than they’re used to seeing.
The Independent reckons he’s shed about 60lbs for the part, and fans voiced their approval of the new, streamlined Dwayne Johnson, though some joked he should change his name to ‘The Pebble’ which is a bit silly because he’s still pretty darn huge.
People are digging the new leaner look from Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson (Victor Boyko/Getty Images for Miu Miu)
Speaking about The Smashing Machine at a press conference, The Rock spoke about his family and said he didn’t take any inspiration from his father, Rocky Johnson.
Johnson senior was a professional wrestler himself, but The Rock said that while trying to tap into the ‘kind, gentle, tender, empathetic’ side of Mark Kerr in the movie, he didn’t see his father as ‘an inspiration in terms of his tenderness’.
He said: “It wasn’t really my dad. He was homeless by the time he was 13, so his capacity for love was very limited, and that’s the man that raised me.”
The Rock has been honest about the difficult relationship he had with his father, who died in 2020, and the fact that he didn’t have a chance to reconcile as they’d had a falling out shortly before Rocky’s death.
In a tribute to his father last year, in which Dwayne shared footage of his dad winning a wrestling belt, he wrote of his ‘regret in this life’ of not reconciling or being able to say goodbye.
The Rock said his dad wasn’t ‘an inspiration in terms of his tenderness’, and he was raised with ‘a tough and complex love’ (Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Warner Bros.)
“My regret in this life is that I never had a chance to say goodbye to him, because he died suddenly,” the wrestler wrote. “I regret not reconciling our complicated father/son s**t before I lost him. Raised me with tough fatherly love and an even tougher hand.
“The more I live life, the more grateful I am for it. See you down the road, Soulman.”
The Rock has said he was raised ‘with a tough and complex love’, but stressed there was love.
He said: “I know a lot of men in my life who never had their father’s love at all. Hard to reconcile stuff with your dad when he’s no longer here – but nonetheless, regardless of challenges or any struggle, my dad was a ‘life adapter’, and he taught me to be the same. Work hard and adapt.”
The Smashing Machine releases in cinemas on 3 October.
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