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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was left in tears after he received a standing ovation for his performance in “The Smashing Machine” at the Venice Film Festival.
Variety reports the actor was sobbing uncontrollably as the ovation went on for a whopping 15 minutes!
Johnson and his co-star Emily Blunt then received hugs from teary-eyed director Benny Safdie.
The audience’s joyous reaction can only mean serious Oscar buzz for Johnson, who plays UFC fighter Mark Kerr in the film. The movie follows Kerr’s rise to fame in the 1990s, his marriage to Dawn Staples (Blunt), and his struggles with pain killer addiction.
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Kerr, who joined the team for the screening, also reportedly shed a tear at the close of the film.
Johnson was also turning heads at the fest due to his considerable weight loss.
He told the Hollywood Reporter, “This transformation was something I was really hungry to do. 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?’”
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Johnson added, “Mark was the greatest fighter in the world at one point, but this film is not even really about fighting — it’s a love story. It’s a love story about Mark and Dawn in this relationship, and it’s a love story about Mark and the love that he had for the thing that he did — his struggle with trying to deliver [in the ring], his challenges and his overcoming. As you know, Mark OD’d twice, and he’s lucky to be alive — and that’s part of why this story is so special.”
“The Smashing Machine” opens in theaters on Oct. 3.
The Rock’s big night followed starry premieres featuring A-list celebs including George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Emma Stone, Ayo Edebiri and Jacob Elordi.
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