Exhaustive and stuntmen: Dwayne Johnson’s radical transformation to ‘Heart of Fighter’

Dwayne Johnsonthe The rockis a star consecrated in action and comedy films, but in Fighter Heart: The Smashing Machinehe faced the biggest challenge of his career: turning into Mark Kerrone of MMA’s most feared and pioneering fighters in the 1990s. The role required not only intense fitness, but also a deep emotional dive.

Hiram Garcialongtime collaborator of Johnsoncommented: “Dwayne has done everything, but playing Mark Kerr – he had never done anything like that before.”To David Koplanproducer of the film, the actor’s experience with professional wrestling helped respect the MMA universe, but the role still required an unprecedented delivery.

Johnson He had to give up his invincible hero image and embody a vulnerable, complex and human character, balancing ferocity and sensitivity. Check out details of the training routine and the preparation of the actor to live the role that can give him his first Oscar nomination in 2026:

The rock lost weight to the movie?

After more thin appear in some photos of the red carpet of Fighter Heart: The Smashing Machine At the Venice Festival, many wondered what would be happening to the actor. Some mistakenly stated that exaggerated weight loss would have been a preparation for the feature, others imagined that this would be a rebound effect of the body of those who usually gain a lot of weight and then need to lose it.

However, as reported by the Rolling Stone Brazilthe new physicist of The rock It is due to the fact that the actor is in the process of weight loss to live an unusual character: a septuagenary nicknamed “Chicken Man”, protagonist of the adaptation of Lizard musicromance of Daniel Pinkwater.

Despite having already lost much of the 30 pounds he won to live Kerr, Johnson It admits that there is still a way ahead. “I still have a lot to do“, he said. “I am excited to have a chance to transform me again, as in the heart of fighter. But now it means eating less chicken.”

Exhaustive training and extreme discipline

To live Kerr, Johnson It dedicated up to four hours a day to training combining cardio, bodybuilding and MMA. The routine included morning aerobic exercise sessions, bodybuilding after lunch and 60 to 90 minutes of martial arts training at night. The goal was to approach the imposing strength and silhouette of Kerrwhich weighed over 110 kg.

Even coming from a wrestling career, Johnson acknowledged that MMA was “A totally new world”And he prepared with specialized technicians. He studied each fight Kerr To reproduce movements accurately, ensuring authenticity for fans of the sport. This extreme discipline also involved repetitive training with supporting, such as Ryan Baderwho played Mark Coleman and actively participated in the choreography of the fights.

On social networks, Johnson He even shared moments of this process, highlighting his gratitude for learning and challenging himself in a new territory. “I have even more respect for MMA and its warriors, especially now that we are immersed in this production”He wrote. He also played with intense training, saying he was grateful even by“face”.

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Daily training details

The training of Johnson They were divided into three distinct sessions to work all aspects of their physical form. The mornings were reserved for interval cardio, usually in a ladder simulator, alternating 50 seconds of intense level 15 effort with two minutes of recovery at level 8, stimulating the characteristic contraction muscles of an elite fighter.

After lunch, he was returning to the gym for a one -hour bodybuilding session, followed by 15 to 20 minutes of cardio at a constant pace, reinforcing the aerobic resistance needed to support the MMA rigors.

The nights were dedicated to the training of mixed martial arts at Black House MMA in Los Angeles, where Johnson He practiced scams, grappling and realistic struggle techniques, under the guidance of specialized coaches. Each movement was studied to reproduce the unique form of Kerrrespecting the authenticity of struggles and avoiding cinematic exaggerations.

Despite the intensity of the program, which required extreme discipline and focus, Johnson He highlighted the pleasure of the process: “I was having fun“He revealed, showing that, even in the face of a monumental physical challenge, there was enthusiasm and commitment to the character’s fidelity.

Physical and aesthetic metamorphosis

The transformation of Johnson It was not limited to the muscles. The winning makeup artist of two Oscars, Kazu Hiro (The scandal, The fate of a nation), worked with facial prostheses, injuries and wig, creating a loyal look to Kerr that resisted the fight scenes. Each application could take three to four hours, and multiple looks were alternated throughout the day, including tattoo coverage and other brands of the actor.

The costume of Heidi Bives It also helped compose the character’s duality: brutal inside the octagon, but elegant and sensitive outside it. This attention to detail contributed to humanizing Kerrhighlighting its high IQ and kind nature, unexpected characteristics in a fighter of its size.

Emily Blunt (OPPENHEIMER), friend of Johnsonwith whom he acted in Jungle Cruise (2021), and that interprets Dawn Staplescompanion of Kerr In the movie, it was thrilled to see him ready for the first time: “His energy has changed. When he entered the set, the air in the room turned.”

Authenticity in Fights

The director Benny Safdie and the stunt coordinator Greg Reference They prioritized the style of each fighter’s style and avoided cinematic clichés. Johnson He agreed to fight without stuntmen at critical times, even aware of the risks, ensuring that the suffering and impact of the fights seemed real.

The presence of itself Mark Kerr In the set was determinant, offering technical and emotional guidance. To Johnsonit was like receiving a private class from one of the greatest fighters in history, which further increased the responsibility of representing Kerr with faithfulness. Even when someone suggested making the choreography more spectacular, Safdie He kept the focus on reality: every blow, fall and movement reflected what really happened in the original struggles, preserving the integrity of the sport.

Emotional dive and new phase

Johnson needed to access the vulnerability of Kerra man divided between brutality and sensitivity. Blunt noted: “Dwayne was ready to donate in ways I had never done before – put my feet in the fire scary.The result is a performance that combines strength, technique and emotion, showing an unprecedented facet of the actor.

Fighter Heart: The Smashing Machine therefore, it represents a new phase in the career of Dwayne Johnson: An artist willing to break down barriers, reinvent himself and deliver a raw, intense and authentic interpretation.

Oscar quoted for best actor

The performance of Johnson as Mark Kerr has already been celebrated internationally. At the world debut in Venice, the film was cheered for 15 minutes of applause, and industry experts began to point the actor as an Oscar -nominated potential for best actor.

The magazine Variety listed it among the favorites, along with names like Wagner Mouraby The secret agentand Leonardo DiCaprioby One battle after anotherreinforcing the impact of your performance and the overall recognition of your physical and emotional transformation for paper.

On Fighter Heart: The Smashing Machine

The film explores the athlete’s duality Mark Kerr that publicly collects victories and awards, but in the heart deals with deep personal battles, such as opioid addiction. The fighter was twice champion of the heavy weights of the UFC and also had his life documented in The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerrlaunched by HBO in 2002.

The film is the first directed by Benny Safdie Without the brother, Josh Safdie. It is also the first project of the long career of Dwayne Johnson that raised discussions about a possible indication to the Oscar of Best actor.

In addition to The rockthe cast of the film has professional fighters, like the Brazilian Roberto Cyborg Abreu, Ryan Bader and Igor Vovchanchynand the actress Emily Blunt (OPPENHEIMER) as Dawn Staples, the girlfriend of Kerr. Fighter Heart: SMASHING MACHINE It arrives in Brazilian theaters on October 2.

Also read: Dwayne Johnson, The Rock, finally reveals the reason for its radical transformation

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• Benny Safdie

• Fighter Heart: Smashing Machine

• Dwayne Johnson

• Emily Blunt

• Mark Kerr

• The Smashing Machine