Dwayne Johnson Looks Unrecognizable as UFC Champ in New Movie

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Originally appeared on E! Online

The Rock is heading back into the ring.

On May 21, Dwayne Johnson began filming The Smashing Machine, which has released the first photo of the actor on the set of the new movie. The 52-year-old, who started his entertainment career as a WWE wrestling star, plays Mark Kerr, a real-life fellow wrestler and former two-time UFC heavyweight champion who rose to fame in the 90s.

In the movie—titled after Kerr's nickname in the octagon—Johnson looks almost unrecognizable, sporting short hair rather than his signature bald style, and also has his tattoos covered up. In the pic, the actor is shown sitting in a corner of a ring and talking to two men during what appears to be a fight, while the MMA fighter's then-girlfriend (played by his former Jungle Cruise costar Emily Blunt) is standing ringside.

Directed by Benny Safdie, the movie will center on both Kerr's career successes and personal life and struggles, including his past addiction to painkillers, per Variety. Kerr, now 55, retired from professional fighting in 2010. The Ohio-born athlete is listed as a cowriter of The Smashing Machine along with Safdie and reshared the first look photo of Johnson as him on his Instagram, along with the caption, "So wild."

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Johnson, who works on his fitness regularly, began what he called his "MMA workouts" in April to prepare to play Kerr, who he said was once the "greatest fighter on the planet."

Dwayne Johnson, The Smashing Machine
A24

"I'm coming into this in pretty good conditioning and cardio shape, but MMA is a different animal," the actor wrote on Instagram at the time. "And Mark Kerr was a 'one of one' monster. I run to this Smashing Machine journey with deep respect and love for all MMA fighters and the culture. Especially those who have struggled with addiction."

"I've lost so many friends (wrestlers) over the years from addiction and mental health [struggles]," he continued. "This is my love letter to them. Let's get to work."

Johnson joins a growing list of celebs have gone to great lengths to transform their bodies for roles. Read on to learn about stars who have lost or gained weight for parts...

Cillian Murphy

Cillian Murphy


Joaquin Phoenix

Joaquin Phoenix


J.K. Simmons

J.K. Simmons


Jake Gyllenhaal

Jake Gyllenhaal


Michael B. Jordan

Michael B. Jordan

The Black Panther star gained nearly 30 pounds of muscle to transform into a rookie-turned-professional boxer in Creed.


Jared Leto

Jared Leto

The actor and musician nabbed an Oscar for his riveting role in The Dallas Buyers Club. He lost 40 pounds for the role.


Chris Messina

Chris Messina

The Mindy Project alum had to gain 40 pounds for his role in Live by Night.


Renée Zellweger

Renée Zellweger

The Bridget Jones's Diary actress gained weight to portray the lovable character in the franchise's first and second films.


Matthew McConaughey

Matthew McConaughey


Rooney Mara

Rooney Mara

The actress looked lean and strong for her starring role in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.


Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway

The Les Misérables star took home an Oscar for her role in the musical.


Christian Bale

Christian Bale

He's no stranger to morphing for movie roles. In 2004, he lost more than 60 pounds for his role in The Machinist, and he did it again for the film The Fighter, opposite Mark Wahlberg. He also gained 40 pounds for American Hustle—and lost 70 pounds for Ford v Ferrari.


Jake Gyllenhaal (Again)

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Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks


50 Cent

50 Cent


Robert De Niro

Robert De Niro

Shaping up for movie roles is nothing new. The legendary actor earned an Oscar nom for his role as terrifying tattooed rapist Max Cady in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear.


Christian Bale (Again)

Christian Bale (Again)

In order to portray former Vice President Dick Cheney in the 2018 biopic Vice, the star sported a fuller figure.


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