Dwayne The Rock Johnson addresses dramatic weight loss following fan concern

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson addressed his recent weight loss after appearing noticeably slimmer at the 2025 Venice Film Festival.

The Black Adam star, who had bulked up by 30 pounds of muscle for his role as MMA fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, revealed that his next project required a major physical shift in the opposite direction.

As per Variety, The Rock explained that he was preparing to portray a 70-something character named Chicken Man in Lizard Music.

The film reunites Johnson with The Smashing Machine director Benny Safdie.

“Benny pitched me this after,” Johnson said during a chat at the Toronto Film Festival.

He continued:

“And after about 45 minutes, this pitch ended and I said, ‘I am your Chicken Man,’” he shared

Though he had already lost much of the muscle gained for his last role, Johnson still appeared in impressive shape.

“I still have a long way to go,” he admitted, before adding, "I’m so excited to get a chance to hopefully transform again like I was able to do in ‘Smashing Machine.’ [It means] eating less chicken.”

The Rock opens up about breaking free from Hollywood pigeonholes and redefining his career

When The Smashing Machine premiered in Venice, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson did not just debut a film, he unveiled a new chapter in his career. The superstar, known for headlining some of the world’s biggest blockbusters, said he had felt a “burning desire” to step into unfamiliar territory.

As per BBC, the role of UFC fighter Mark Kerr, directed by Benny Safdie and co-starring Emily Blunt, might even lead him to his first Oscar nomination. But Johnson said the real reward was personal.

“Playing UFC fighter Mark Kerr in the movie had certainly changed my life,” he explained.

“The transformation was something I was really hungry to do.” he added.

As per reports shared by BBC, he admitted that the opportunity pushed him to places he had long avoided.

“I’ve been scared to go deep and intense and raw until now, until I had this opportunity to do this.”

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson reflected on the pressures of Hollywood, where films like Jumanji, San Andreas, Black Adam, Moana, Baywatch, and Fast & Furious made him a reliable box office draw.

“When you’re in Hollywood, as we all know, it had become about box office and you chase the box office, and the box office in our business is very loud, it can be very [overwhelming]. It can push you into a corner and category – ‘This is your lane, this is what you do, and this is what people want you to be and this is what Hollywood wants you to be,’” he explained.

He chuckled while recalling his past films.

“And I understood that, and I made those movies and I liked them and they were fun, and some were really good and did well, and some not so good!”

“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,’” he explained.

For Johnson, still remembered by many as The Rock from his wrestling days, the challenge was less about proving himself to Hollywood.

“I didn’t think playing the role was about anything to prove to Hollywood as much as it is for me, internally,” he said.

The Rock and Emily Blunt gush over friendship at Toronto Film Festival:

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt spoke openly about their friendship while appearing at the Toronto International Film Festival. The pair, who reunited onscreen in The Smashing Machine after starring together in 2021’s Jungle Cruise, reflected on how their bond had grown both on and off set. Blunt said their connection had been instant.

“We just became very fast friends, like an immediate secret language, which I think you feel with certain people that you work with,” she explained.

She recalled filming in Hawaii with Johnson, describing long conversations they shared away from the cameras.

“We just talked and shared our souls. And I was just really taken by, I guess, how different he was from what I had imagined, he was so gentle and quite interior and sort of contemplative and kind, just easy. Like, so lovely to be around, funny and quick, all these qualities,” she shared.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson returned the praise.

“I also want to give Emily her flowers too. She is one of the greatest actors of our time — of all time. And also one of my best friends, in order to go to the place we were going to go, you have to have love, and then you have to have trust. And the love and the trust then allow for vulnerability. We could not have done that without this love and trust and vulnerability that we have. I want to thank you, because you are the greatest,” Johnson shared.

What kind of roles do you think Johnson should take up in the future? Sound off in the comments section.