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Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who is Mark Kerr? What to know about the wrestler Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is playing in 'The Smashing Machine'
Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson is taking a break from singing and driving fast cars to portray Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Mark Kerr in the upcoming A24 movie The Smashing Machine. The actor, 52, well known for his performances in franchises like Fast & Furious and Disney's Moana, transformed into the legendary wrestler for the upcoming biopic, which will be released in theaters on Oct. 3. Critics and fans are already fawning over Johnson's surprising appearance, anticipating a groundbreaking performance from the fellow former wrestler. Here's what we know about the role's inspiration and the movie overall. Kerr, 56, is a two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Tournament Champion and a World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner. His specific fighting style — head-butts and kneeing grounded opponents — and the speed at which he ended his matches are what earned him the nickname 'the Smashing Machine.' Throughout his 12-year fighting career, Kerr dealt with substance abuse and relationship issues with his then-wife, Dawn Staples. His UFC career is detailed in the 2002 HBO documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr. Kerr retired from fighting in 2010. On a June 2019 GoFundMe page, Kerr shared he had been dealing with peripheral neuropathy since 2016. Peripheral neuropathy is a condition in which nerve damage affects the outside of the brain and the spinal cord, which can cause numbness and pain throughout the body. While there isn't specific data on the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy among athletes, it is considered a common injury among those who participate in martial arts or wrestling. Johnson's performance in the movie has been described as a departure from his past work in superhero-based, action-oriented and musical-focused movies, where his characters more closely resemble Johnson himself. "I'm at this point in my career where I want more," Johnson told Variety last year. "And I don't mean I want more box office. I mean I want more humanity. And that is why Benny Safdie is the perfect, collaborative, hungry partner for me." Before his successful acting career, Johnson followed in his father's and grandfather's footsteps and signed as a professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), from 1996 to 2004. He won four WWE championships and has appeared in the ring on a part-time basis since then. Johnson's initial wrestling name was 'Rocky Maivia,' a blend of his father's and grandfather's wrestler names — 'Rocky Johnson' and 'Prince Peter Maivia' respectively — but Johnson later shortened it to 'the Rock.' Filmmaker Safdie wrote and directed the movie, which has been in production since 2019. Safdie is arguably best known for writing Uncut Gems (2019), starring Adam Sandler, and co-creating the Showtime series The Curse (2023), starring Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone. In addition to Johnson's role as Kerr, Emily Blunt will play Staples, Kerr's now ex-wife. The first trailer for The Smashing Machine dropped on April 29, and commenters seemed amazed at Johnson's acting performance and physical look. 'I almost didn't recognize his face,' one person wrote. 'The transformation is amazing.' 'I really love how soft-spoken he sounds,' another added. 'And the makeup artists did such an incredible job!'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who is Mark Kerr? What to know about the wrestler Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is playing in 'The Smashing Machine'
Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson is taking a break from singing and driving fast cars to portray Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Mark Kerr in the upcoming A24 movie The Smashing Machine. The actor, 52, well known for his performances in franchises like Fast & Furious and Disney's Moana, transformed into the legendary wrestler for the upcoming biopic, which will be released in theaters on Oct. 3. Critics and fans are already fawning over Johnson's surprising appearance, anticipating a groundbreaking performance from the fellow former wrestler. Here's what we know about the role's inspiration and the movie overall. Kerr, 56, is a two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Tournament Champion and a World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner. His specific fighting style — head-butts and kneeing grounded opponents — and the speed at which he ended his matches are what earned him the nickname 'the Smashing Machine.' Throughout his 12-year fighting career, Kerr dealt with substance abuse and relationship issues with his then-wife, Dawn Staples. His UFC career is detailed in the 2002 HBO documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr. Kerr retired from fighting in 2010. On a June 2019 GoFundMe page, Kerr shared he had been dealing with peripheral neuropathy since 2016. Peripheral neuropathy is a condition in which nerve damage affects the outside of the brain and the spinal cord, which can cause numbness and pain throughout the body. While there isn't specific data on the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy among athletes, it is considered a common injury among those who participate in martial arts or wrestling. Johnson's performance in the movie has been described as a departure from his past work in superhero-based, action-oriented and musical-focused movies, where his characters more closely resemble Johnson himself. "I'm at this point in my career where I want more," Johnson told Variety last year. "And I don't mean I want more box office. I mean I want more humanity. And that is why Benny Safdie is the perfect, collaborative, hungry partner for me." Before his successful acting career, Johnson followed in his father's and grandfather's footsteps and signed as a professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), from 1996 to 2004. He won four WWE championships and has appeared in the ring on a part-time basis since then. Johnson's initial wrestling name was 'Rocky Maivia,' a blend of his father's and grandfather's wrestler names — 'Rocky Johnson' and 'Prince Peter Maivia' respectively — but Johnson later shortened it to 'the Rock.' Filmmaker Safdie wrote and directed the movie, which has been in production since 2019. Safdie is arguably best known for writing Uncut Gems (2019), starring Adam Sandler, and co-creating the Showtime series The Curse (2023), starring Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone. In addition to Johnson's role as Kerr, Emily Blunt will play Staples, Kerr's now ex-wife. The first trailer for The Smashing Machine dropped on April 29, and commenters seemed amazed at Johnson's acting performance and physical look. 'I almost didn't recognize his face,' one person wrote. 'The transformation is amazing.' 'I really love how soft-spoken he sounds,' another added. 'And the makeup artists did such an incredible job!'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who is Mark Kerr? What to know about the wrestler Dwayne Johnson is playing in the upcoming movie 'The Smashing Machine'
Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson is taking a break from singing and driving fast cars to portray Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Mark Kerr in the upcoming A24 movie The Smashing Machine. The actor, 52, well known for his performances in franchises like Fast & Furious and Disney's Moana, transformed into the legendary wrestler for the upcoming biopic, which will be released in theaters on Oct. 3. Critics and fans are already fawning over Johnson's surprising appearance, anticipating a groundbreaking performance from the fellow former wrestler. Here's what we know about the role's inspiration and the movie overall. Kerr, 56, is a two-time Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Tournament Champion and a World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner. His specific fighting style — head-butts and kneeing grounded opponents — and the speed at which he ended his matches are what earned him the nickname 'the Smashing Machine.' Throughout his 12-year fighting career, Kerr dealt with substance abuse and relationship issues with his then-wife, Dawn Staples. His UFC career is detailed in the 2002 HBO documentary The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr. Kerr retired from fighting in 2010. On a June 2019 GoFundMe page, Kerr shared he had been dealing with peripheral neuropathy since 2016. Peripheral neuropathy is a condition in which nerve damage affects the outside of the brain and the spinal cord, which can cause numbness and pain throughout the body. While there isn't specific data on the prevalence of peripheral neuropathy among athletes, it is considered a common injury among those who participate in martial arts or wrestling. Johnson's performance in the movie has been described as a departure from his past work in superhero-based, action-oriented and musical-focused movies, where his characters more closely resemble Johnson himself. "I'm at this point in my career where I want more," Johnson told Variety last year. "And I don't mean I want more box office. I mean I want more humanity. And that is why Benny Safdie is the perfect, collaborative, hungry partner for me." Before his successful acting career, Johnson followed in his father's and grandfather's footsteps and signed as a professional wrestler with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), from 1996 to 2004. He won four WWE championships and has appeared in the ring on a part-time basis since then. Johnson's initial wrestling name was 'Rocky Maivia,' a blend of his father's and grandfather's wrestler names — 'Rocky Johnson' and 'Prince Peter Maivia' respectively — but Johnson later shortened it to 'the Rock.' Filmmaker Safdie wrote and directed the movie, which has been in production since 2019. Safdie is arguably best known for writing Uncut Gems (2019), starring Adam Sandler, and co-creating the Showtime series The Curse (2023), starring Nathan Fielder and Emma Stone. In addition to Johnson's role as Kerr, Emily Blunt will play Staples, Kerr's now ex-wife. The first trailer for The Smashing Machine dropped on April 29, and commenters seemed amazed at Johnson's acting performance and physical look. 'I almost didn't recognize his face,' one person wrote. 'The transformation is amazing.' 'I really love how soft-spoken he sounds,' another added. 'And the makeup artists did such an incredible job!'
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dwayne Johnson is unrecognizable as a buff and bloodied MMA legend in 'The Smashing Machine' trailer
The Rock, is that you? The new trailer for A24 drama The Smashing Machine is out now, and it reveals star Dwayne Johnson's total transformation into legendary mixed martial arts and UFC fighter Mark Kerr. If not for the hulking physique, which the wrestler-turned-actor is, of course, known for, it'd be hard to tell it's Johnson under that wig and prosthetics. The trailer, below, first introduces us to Johnson's bloodied Mark in a doctor's office waiting room, where an elderly woman asks him, "Do you hate each other when you fight?" "Absolutely not," he tells her, as we see brutal shots of him in the ring, both past and present. The glitz and glamour of the UFC is shown, as is the obvious physical, mental, and emotional toll fighting takes on Kerr. At one point, he's shown punching a wooden door, and his relationship with girlfriend Dawn Staples, played by Emily Blunt, seems tense. The film promises to tell the no-holds-barred story of the two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion at the peak of his career and explore his struggles with addiction. (Kerr was previously the subject of the 2002 HBO documentary of the same name, which refers to the nickname he earned due to his fighting style in the ring.) It wasn't just Kerr getting banged up on camera; Johnson revealed some real-life battle wounds from filming the biographical drama on his social media accounts last summer. 'Look at that sucker right there,' he said in the video, poking an injured area on his arm. 'It looks like I have a cantaloupe in the bottom of my elbow. I got banged up pretty good today in our scenes. And there might be some soft tissue damage in there. That's a lot of fluid. We'll see. I gotta get it out of there first before I get any kind of MRI.' The elbow injury was a bit of art imitating life, of course. Kerr once famously won the World Vale Tudo Championship with a fractured hand and was later forbidden from competing in American Championship Fighting due to a different hand injury. The Smashing Machine sees Johnson reunite with his Jungle Cruise costar Blunt. Ryan Bader, Bas Rutten, and Oleksandr Usyk also star in the film, which is written, directed, and edited by Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems, Good Time). Johnson also produces alongside David Koplan, Hiram Garcia, Dany Garcia, Safdie, and Eli to becoming a major movie star, Johnson, who went by The Rock in the ring, made his WWE debut in 1996 and became an eight-time WWE Championship and two-time WCW Championship winner. The Smashing Machine hits theaters nationwide on October 3, 2025. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
News18
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
Who Is Mark Kerr? The MMA Legend Behind Dwayne Johnson's The Smashing Machine
Last Updated: The movie looks at Mark Kerr's personal and professional hardships. The Smashing Machine was his nickname as a UFC champion. Dwayne Johnson's upcoming biopic of UFC fighter Mark Kerr, The Smashing Machine, is expected to propel him to new heights. Johnson's remarkable makeover astounded fans and reviewers alike, prompting early Oscar buzz upon the trailer's release. The film focuses on Kerr's life and career. But who is the man behind this biography, Mark Kerr? Mark Kerr: Who Is This Man? Born on December 21, 1968, Mark Kerr has won the World Vale Tudo Championship tournament and the UFC Heavyweight Tournament twice. Because of his domination in the ring, Kerr, a towering figure in MMA, was known as 'The Smashing Machine." While attending Syracuse University, he won a wrestling title in 1992, weighing 190 pounds. In the 100 kg category, Kerr won a gold medal at the 1994 World Cup and a silver medal at the 1995 Pan American Games during his international competitions after graduating from college. Kerr effectively retired from professional boxing after suffering a final defeat in 2009 and raising public concerns about his safety in the ring. He studied pharmaceutical sales after retirement and worked at a Toyota dealership until 2015. In 2019, he disclosed that he had been suffering from peripheral neuropathy since 2016, a nerve disorder that causes persistent discomfort and weakness. Following the release of the 2002 HBO documentary 'The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr," his story became the talk of the town. His career was not without its challenges and suffering, as all things have two sides. His addiction to painkillers to cope with the physical demands of MMA nearly wrecked him and his career, and substance misuse followed his ascent in the sport. Additionally, he and Dawn Staples, his ex-wife, had an unhappy relationship. His professional career as a fighter was ultimately impacted by the decline in his physical and mental well-being that resulted from these factors. The secret hardships and difficulties faced by an athlete behind the camera are brought to light by his story. The Smashing Machine: A Little About The Film For this upcoming project, Dwayne Johnson has changed his appearance to become a UFC and MMA fighter. The movie, written and directed by Benny Safdie, is scheduled for release on October 3. In addition, Emily Blunt plays Dawn Staples in the movie. Johnson's portrayal of a warrior battling addiction and personal issues signals a significant emotional leap for him and indicates a departure from his typical performances in Jumanji, Moana and the Fast and Furious film series. First Published:
