Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson made headlines after videos and photos of him at the Venice Film Festival show a major difference: a very noticeable drop in weight.
Johnson looks like he lost around 60lbs from his bulky frame, drawing comparisons to recent photos of Dave Bautista who also look way skinnier than his WWE days.
Speaking to Variety, Johnson said that he finally realized he was living other people’s dreams and not living his own dream when it comes to acting.
“A lot of times, it’s harder for us — or at least for me — to know what you’re capable of when you’ve been pigeonholed into something,” he said. “Sometimes it takes people that who you love and respect, like Emily and Benny, to say that you can.”
Johnson was referring to his Smashing Machine co-star Emily Blunt and director Benny Safdie. He is in Venice to promote the movie which comes out on October 3.
The Rock drops 28KG!
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shed nearly 28 kg to focus on health, agility, and longevity.
Doctors warned his physique could harm his long-term health.
Years of training left him feeling heavy and inflamed, with joint strain. pic.twitter.com/fwUSRklrqA
— Jack Billion (@jackkbillion) September 1, 2025
Colin Vassallo has been editor of Wrestling-Online since 1996