Dwayne Johnson Gets Choked Up Discussing 'The Smashing Machine': "This Transformation Was Something I Was Really Hungry to Do"

The moment is here: The Rock has arrived on the Lido.

At a 2025 Venice Film Festival packed with cross-generational star power — from George Clooney , Julia Roberts and Jude Law to Jacob Elordi , Emma Stone and Ayo Edebiri — Dwayne Johnson ‘s arrival Monday for the world premiere of The Smashing Machine nonetheless made for a showstopping moment.

“This transformation was something I was really hungry to do,” Johnson said of his unexpected starring turn in Bennie Safdie’s UFC fight drama. “I had been very fortunate to have the career that I’ve had over the years and 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?'”

The moment is here: The Rock