They say every role leaves a mark—but in the case of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, one role may have physically shaped another. Long before production on the live-action Moana reboot began, Johnson underwent a radical transformation for A24’s biopic The Smashing Machine. And, as it turns out, a lot of that work stuck, impacting his return as Maui in a way I hadn’t realized.
While he may be heading back to the beach for the upcoming Disney live-action movie, Johnson brought more than charm and demigod tattoos this time around. In a new interview with Variety, the Fast and Furious alum opened up about the toll Benny Safdie’s acclaimed 2025 movie release took on him—emotionally and physically. After bulking up to portray real-life fighter Mark Kerr, Johnson said he had just two weeks before rolling straight into Moana. He explained:
