Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson โReflects onโ ‘The Smashing Machine,’โข Mental Health, and Future โPolitical Aspirations
In a candid interview, Dwayne Johnson discussed his roleโข in theโฃ film The Smashingโฃ Machine, the โpressures of success, โคand addressed ongoing speculation about a potentialโข presidential run. The actor revealed a โคdeep connection to the โfilm’sโ themes of pressure and survival, โdrawing parallels to the experiences of his friend and โfellow โfighter, Mark Kerr.
Johnson’s โคinsights come as conversations โฃaround mental health in high-performance environments gain prominence,โ and as his name continuesโ toโ surface in discussions aboutโ potential candidates for future presidential elections. โขThe interview, featured on Variety’s โข “Awards โCircuit” โpodcast, offersโข a โคrare glimpse into the actor’s personal reflections on โคnavigating โฃintense pressureโค and theโ importance of โempathy.
“This movie gave me a place to put allโ thatโ stuff. I don’t know if its method – whatever it โis -โ I went for โคit,” Johnsonโข said, describing his immersive approach to portrayingโค the complexities of the fighting world. He spoke poignantly about Kerr’s struggles, noting, “He OD’d twice. He’sโ still hear. I coudl talk toโ him: ‘Heyโค man,โ what were you thinking?’โ And he’d say, ‘I never lost.’ But the truth is, the win became the enemy. The โฃpressure โbecame toxic. The movie isn’t about winning or losing.โข it’s about pressure – and howโฃ we survive it.”
Johnson shared a recent lesson fromโ his uncle, offering a message of hope amid โขglobal uncertainty:โ “It’s going to be okay.We’re going to be okay.” โขhe also highlighted a term coined by โฃa colleague during filming, “radical empathy,” explaining, “If you can feel empathy for someoneโค who โขlooks invincible – like Mark Kerr – then you can feel it โคfor anyone. and once you haveโข that,โฃ the judging startsโ to go away.the noise dies down.” He’s been sharing โthis โคsentiment with his โdaughter, Simone, as they โฃnavigate personal challenges, tellingโ her, “It’s going toโค be okay.Let’s talk. We’ve got this.”
When asked directly โabout a potentialโฃ presidential bid, Johnson responded, “It’s wild, man.โ I’m always honored โwhen people โask that. I love what I do. I love โstorytelling. But โyeahโฆ we’ll see.” โ
The podcast also featured Chaseโฃ Infiniti, โขa breakout star from Paul โThomas Anderson’s “One battle After another.” โ Variety’s โข”Awards Circuit” podcast isโ hosted by Clayton โขDavis,jazz Tangcay,Emily Longeretta,Jenelleโข Riley,and Michaelโ Schneider. It is available on Appleโ podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, and otherโฃ podcast platforms.