Dwayne Johnson opens up about 'challenging' transformation after gaining weight then 'slimming down' drastically for latest roles

Dwayne Johnson has revealed the extremes he has had to go through with his body to prepare for back-to-back acting roles, and admits the process has been far from easy.

The 53-year-old actor is no stranger to undergoing physical changes for parts, but his latest shifts have required some serious graft. Johnson told LADbible Group that his time bulking up for the upcoming biographical sports drama The Smashing Machine, followed by cutting back down for musical fantasy Lizard Music, has been one of his most demanding experiences to date.

The Smashing Machine sees Johnson step into the shoes of legendary mixed martial artist Mark Kerr, a heavyweight fighter whose physique was dramatically different to Johnson’s own. In order to embody him properly, the actor says he had to push his body into new territory.

Dwayne Johnson as Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine (A24)

Johnson explained: "I gained 30 pounds to play Mark Kerr and then came back down after that to my normal weight of around 250 or so. Now I'm in the process of slimming down where I play a 70-something-year-old man. So the slimming down is happening. And we have time to do it, which is really nice. There's nothing extreme about it. I can't wait, because, again, it's the opportunity that I have where I can immerse myself into something and disappear."

Johnson, who has played action heroes, gods, and tough guys throughout his Hollywood career, admitted that this was the first time he’d ever had to put on such a significant amount of weight for a role.

When discussing his weight gain, the Rock elaborated: "It's hard [and] it's challenging to do. I put on five pounds here, 10 pounds there, for roles in the past, but 30 [pounds] because Mark was so much, in a way, bigger, and his body was built differently... you realise it's actually so hard. What you have to eat, it's not like, ‘great, let's go to McDonald's twice a day. It's gonna be so much fun, and let me have the milkshake’. That's different.

“It's so specific with the things you have to eat, when you have to eat it, and salt intake. Then you pull the salt and water, and it's just wild."

Dwayne Johnson attending The Smashing Machine premiere (Gerald Matzka/Getty Images)

The actor’s comments highlight just how calculated and restrictive the process can be. Far from being an excuse to binge, Johnson stressed that gaining weight for film work requires carefully structured diets, precise timing, and exhausting dedication.

And now, as he prepares for a complete shift in tone for Lizard Music, the challenge is going in the opposite direction: leaning down, stripping back muscle, and taking on the physicality of an elderly character.

Despite the hardships, Johnson seems energised by the transformation process, describing it as a rare opportunity to indeed 'disappear' into a role. With both projects highly anticipated, fans will be keen to see the results of all his hard work when the films arrive.

Interview conducted by Niamh Shackleton.

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