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Between his endless action films and wrestling career, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s muscular build has long been a part of his brand.
But now, still standing 6’5”, he’s not quite as bulky as usual since he was recently spotted with a noticeably slimmer physique at the Venice Film Festival on Monday.
Reports suggest he lost a ton of weight to play MMA fighter Mark Kerr in Ben Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, which premiered at the festival Monday night.
Deadline describes Johnson’s role as playing “Kerr in the A24 wrestling drama that centers on an icon from the no-holds-barred era of the UFC as he struggles with addiction, winning, love, and friendship at the peak of his career.”
The Independent estimates The Rock dropped around 60 pounds, leading his fans on social media to call him “The Pebble” or “The Polished Stone.”
One user compared his weight loss to Dave Bautista’s, suggesting it’s smart for their age, writing, “The Rock is close to 60. Maintenance on that size wasn’t [physically] possible. Dave Battista did the same. Shout out them. For living healthier life styles.”
“For a movie role, I believe. But also necessary for his health in the long run,” another fan wrote on X.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he spoke about pivoting into a role he wouldn’t usually take.
“This transformation was something I was really hungry to do,” Johnson said of the role. “I had been very fortunate to have the career that I’ve had over the years and to make the films that I’ve made, but there was just a voice inside of me, a little voice that said, ‘Well, what if I could do more — I want to do more and what does that look like?’”
That transformation clearly worked as the film received a 15-minute ovation after the credits rolled, leaving The Rock emotional.
The Rock’s workouts are the stuff of lore and well-documented, including his exhausting 2023 G.I. Joe and WWE comeback training plan.
Check out social media’s reaction to his new physique below.