Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson isn’t pretending his Oscar snub didn’t sting, but he made it clear it lit a fire under him as well.
While speaking to Esquire, Johnson opened up about The Smashing Machine missing out on bigger Academy Awards recognition. The film, which saw Johnson transform into MMA legend Mark Kerr, only landed one Oscar nomination for Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling and ultimately lost that award to Frankenstein.
Johnson’s performance had been part of the awards-season conversation, and there was speculation that he could land a Best Actor nomination. That didn’t happen, and now The Rock is admitting he absolutely wanted that Oscar recognition: “It would have been incredible to get nominated for an Oscar.”
Johnson then explained that once the conversation around The Smashing Machine reached that level, he understood how rare the opportunity really was. He said even being near that kind of awards-season talk felt exciting.
“… I realized very quickly that it’s a rare thing to reach this pinnacle where you’re even having these conversations. And it’s exciting! It would have been amazing.”
The TKO Board of Directors member made it clear he never dismissed the Oscars as something that did not matter. Johnson said he wished the nomination had happened, but instead of brushing it off, he is using the disappointment as motivation.
“I wish it happened. But it didn’t. But in no uncertain terms did I ever think, ‘Oh, that doesn’t matter.’ I always thought it mattered. And it has lit a fire in my spine… Let’s go back to work.”
The Smashing Machine still received Academy recognition for its makeup and hairstyling, with Kazu Hiro, Glen Griffin, and Bjoern Rehbein nominated for helping turn Johnson into Kerr. However, the Oscar went to Frankenstein instead.
For Johnson, the bigger story now is what comes next. The Rock got close enough to the Oscar conversation to know he wants another shot, and judging by his comments, that loss didn’t cool him off at all. It only pushed him harder.
Do you think The Rock deserved an Oscar nomination for The Smashing Machine? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
