Set for an acting level up ahead of The Smashing Machine’s release this year, former WWE star Dwayne Johnson’s similarities to a young Mark Kerr in the biopic have sent fans reeling online.
Johnson has paved his way through Hollywood since the noughties, featuring in a slew of blockbuster films, like Fast & Furious, Jumanji, and Moana, having made his acting debut in The Mummy Returns at the turn of the century.
However, having come under fire constantly for constantly playing himself in each and every one of his features, Johnson will have to pull out all the stops in this year’s biopic on Kerr’s life.
Portraying the former two-time UFC heavyweight tournament winner in the biopic, Johnson’s physique, incredibly similar to Kerr’s, has been noted on social media. And as far as his acting chops are concerned, the trailer of the film has already created Oscar buzz for Johnson, with fans hoping he can truly pull this off.
“Smashing an Oscar,” proclaimed a Rock fan.
— THE UFCGUY (@the_ufcguy) May 4, 2025
“I really don’t get people who are critical of this,” A user commented on Instagram, noting, “Dwayne is the perfect choice to play Kerr – they even have very similar skin tone and are proportionally very similar in size.”
However, amid concerns about Johnson’s much scrutinized acting ability, a user praised the departments for making the former at least appear like Kerr. “The makeup and costume department went insane here,” another commented.
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Furthermore, the film, being directed by Benny Safdie of the Uncut Gems fame and produced by A24, has given fans hope that Johnson could very well pull this off.
But it’s not just fans who have been praising Johnson for embodying the body and spirit of Kerr; former fighters have also been staggered by just how much he has managed to become the character he’s portraying.
UFC veterans praise the Rock
Set to feature in The Smashing Machine this year himself, Dutch striking ace, Bas Rutten, a former UFC heavyweight champion, gushed over Johnson during a recent interview.
Speaking with fellow ex-titleholder, Matt Serra, innovative striking ace, Rutten claimed the similarities between Johnson and Kerr — particularly in physique– were uncanny.
“You got to watch his (Dwayne Johnson’s) shoulders. He’s got the (Mark) Kerr shoulders, dude,” Rutten told Serra “Oh, yeah. They really worked on that. Like freaking bang. He looks like Kerr,” the Dutch striking innovator added.
“Yeah. And I go like, ‘Dude, it got me goosebumps.’ I go, ‘He really looks like Mark Kerr’. It’s crazy,” he added.
In addition to Rutten, UFC Hall of Famer, Mark Coleman, a fellow collegiate wrestler who came up the ranks with Kerr, also praised Johnson for brining the story to life.
Johnson responded to Coleman by claiming that making the biopic was the privilege of a lifetime.
“Worth every muscle tear. Truth is if I had to do it all over again, I’d do it twice,” the former WWE champion added.
