KNOWN for being a movie hardman, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was seen breaking down in tears at Venice Film Festival.
The WWE wrestler, 53, wept as his new film, The Smashing Machine, received a 15 minute standing ovation.
The Rock was overcome with emotion at the premiere of his new film[/caption]
Dwayne Johnson wept his latest movie The Smashing Machine received a 15 minute standing ovation at Venice Film Festival[/caption]
The movie hardman was visibly moved by the moment[/caption]
Dwayne plays Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine[/caption]
The action movie star could not stop the tears from flowing, after being overcome with emotion at the reaction his latest picture received.
It came after The Smashing Machine made its debut at the iconic festival.
As soon as the movie ended, the audience were on their feet and The Rock was seen wiping away tears.
He was stood next to co-star Emily Blunt – who plays his onscreen wife in the film – and she looked equally as moved.
Early reviews of the movie have already tipped Dwayne for awards season recognition, with Oscar buzz already starting.
In the biopic The Smashing Machine, Dwayne plays UFC champion Mark Kerr, who was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion.
For the new film, The Rock underwent a huge transformation to play Mark.
He wears facial prosthetics and reportedly lost around 60 pounds for the role.
Speaking at a press conference at Venice Film Festival shortly before the premiere, Dwayne revealed he had wanted to break free from his action hero persona.
“I have, for a long time, wanted this. The three of us have talked for a very long time about, when you’re in Hollywood – as we all know, it had become about box office,” The Rock said, referring to co-star Blunt and director Benny Safdie.
“And you chase the box office, and the box office can be very loud and it can become very resounding and it can push you into a category and into a corner.
“This is your lane and this is what you do and this is what Hollywood wants you to do.”
Continuing, Dwayne said:“I had this burning desire and voice that was saying, ‘What if there is more and what if I can?’
“A lot of times, it’s harder for us – or at least for me – to know what you are capable of when you’ve been pigeonholed into something.
“Sometimes it takes people who you love and respect, like Emily and Benny, to say that you can.”
The Rock then revealed: “I looked around a few years ago and I started to think, you know, am I living my dream or am I living other people’s dreams?
“You come to that recognition and I think you can either fall in line – ‘Well, it’s status quo, things are good, I don’t want to rock the boat’ – or go, I want to live my dreams now and do what I wanna do and tap into the stuff that I want to tap into and have a place finally to put all this stuff that I’ve experienced in the past that I’ve shied away from. I’ve been scared to go deep and intense and raw until now, until I’d this opportunity.”
The Rock underwent a huge transformation for the role[/caption]
