Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has adopted a new appearance for his upcoming film, sparking mixed reactions from his fans.
This past weekend, the former WWE icon attended the Venice Film Festival’s red carpet with a notably leaner physique, having lost weight for his role as UFC fighter Mark Kerr in the biographical film The Smashing Machine.
At 53, Johnson is being considered a strong contender for an Oscar for his role in the film, set to premiere on October 3. However, some fans have expressed concern about his health.
One Instagram user remarked, “His eyes… something is not right if the picture is true,” while another encouraged followers to ‘pray for his health and well-being’.
Others, however, were less worried about the actor’s transformation.
Someone commented, “Oh 4 God sake the dudes getting a bit older & probably just doin’ less lifting. He still looks great!”
Another user said, “He just lost the weight to play a part in a movie I’ll be glad when it’s over and he put it back on.”
A third person wrote, “He looks great for an old man who put his body through so much wear and tear. You try being a WWE superstar for years then let’s see what you look like after 50.
“I just want to see him be a good role model. Who cares about his face.”
Another added, “He doesn’t look sick, when you lose weight, the skin sags, common sense, as long as he’s healthy that’s all that matters.”
The decision for The Rock to slim down for the movie might just pay off with his first-ever Oscar nomination.
While speaking to reporters in Italy on September 1, Johnson stated, “I’ve been scared to go deep and intense and raw until now, until I had this opportunity to do this.”
He elaborated on his long-standing desire for such a role, describing how he felt confined to action-packed films and found it challenging to break away from that image.
He continued, “But I think what I did realise is I just had this burning desire and this voice that was just saying, ‘what if there’s more, what if I can?’.
“Sometimes it’s hard to know what you’re capable of when you’ve been pigeon-holed into something. It’s harder to know ‘wait, can I do that? I feel like I can’.
“And sometimes it takes people who you love and respect to say ‘you can’.”