Christopher Nolan pays tribute to Dwayne Johnson in Smashing Machine
Dwayne Johnson’s bid for the Best Actor Oscar for The Smashing Machine got a surprise boost from Christopher Nolan, who recently made an appearance. On “The Director’s Cut” podcast. For an interview with Smashing Machine director Benny Safdie. The Oscar-winner for “Oppenheimer” Johnson lavished praise on his performance as mixed martial arts fighter Mark Kerr, which Nolan described as “heartbreaking.”
“I think it’s an amazing performance,” Nolan added. “I don’t think you’ll see better performance this year or most other years.”
Nolan and Safdie have a history together, with Nolan directing the actor and filmmaker in “Oppenheimer,” which also featured “The Smashing Machine” star Emily Blunt in an Oscar-nominated supporting role. Safdie met Blunt on the set of the film “Oppenheimer.”
“I heard a rumor that when you were supposed to learn your lines on set, you were actually urging people to be in your movie,” Nolan joked to Safdie. “I wasn’t aware of it at the time, but it seems like it worked out great for you.”
Nolan added in a more serious tone: “Congratulations on the film. It’s a truly remarkable and radical work that will be understood more and more as time goes on. I’m very proud to meet you.”
Johnson plays two-time UFC heavyweight champion Kerr in “The Smashing Machine” opposite Blunt as Kerr’s wife, Dawn Staples. The film follows their volatile relationship amid the highs and lows of Kerr’s mixed martial arts career, including his struggles with substance abuse. Safdie won the Best Director award at the Venice Film Festival for the film, but has since struggled at the box office. Its $5.9 million opening was the lowest of Johnson’s career, lower than his 2010 thriller “Hurry” ($8.5 million, not adjusted for inflation). The Smashing Machine has so far grossed $10 million domestically on a production budget of $50 million.
“In our world of storytelling, you can’t control box office results — but what I’ve realized you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappearing and going somewhere else. I will always run to that opportunity,” Johnson said in a statement after the film’s soft opening. “It was an honor to be cast in this role by director Benny Safdie. Thank you, brother, for believing in me. The truth is, this film has changed my life. With deep gratitude, respect, and radical compassion, D.J.”
Listen to the full conversation between Nolan and Safdie On “The Director’s Cut” podcast here.