The Rock Breaks His Silence, Reveals Real Reason Behind Shock Weight Loss

Dwayne Johnson says he still has more weight to drop as he prepares for a new film role.
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson | IMAGO / Insidefoto

Dwayne Johnson has been doing the media rounds and walking red carpets over the past few weeks to promote his new movie "The Smashing Machine," which opens in theaters across the country on Friday, October 3.

The film tells the life story of former mixed-martial arts and UFC champion Mark Kerr, which saw The Rock undergo a massive body transformation to portray the lead role. Now, the Final Boss is in the midst of another dramatic transformation.

Wrestling fans have undoubtedly noticed through recent photos, that The Rock is sporting a much leaner frame than he did the last time he stood in a WWE ring back in February.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Speaking to Variety during the Toronto Film Festival, The Rock revealed that he's dropping weight for his next role in which he'll play a "whimsical, eccentric 70-something year-old” called Chicken Man.

The film, which is titled “Lizard Music” will reunite him with “The Smashing Machine” director Benny Safdi and he's already shed the roughly 30 pounds of muscle he put on to play Mark Kerr.

“Benny pitched me this after [Smashing Machine], and after about 45 minutes, this pitch ended and I said, ‘I am your Chicken Man,'” The Rock told Variety. “I still have a long ways to go. 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.”

Offering up a different Dwayne Johnson than we've seen before

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson | IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

Johnson has spoken out recently about a desire to really test himself as an actor, feeling that he had become pigeonholed as a blockbuster action star.

"The Smashing Machine" is a darker sports drama that dives into the more unsavory aspects of Kerr's story and The Rock's portrayal has already garnered some legitimate Oscar buzz ahead of the film's premiere.

With The Final Boss undergoing a new massive body transformation for a film that has not even begun principle photography, it's a safe bet that a return to the wrestling is a long time off.

The Rock last competed in the night one main event of WrestleMania XL, but was a central figure in John Cena's heel turn back in February at Elimination Chamber. He has not been seen back on WWE programming since then.

The Latest On AEW, WWE & More

AEW Star Wardlow Suffers Devastating Injury Setback

Bryan Danielson Reveals Vince McMahon Tried To Re-Sign Him To WWE Before AEW Debut

Update On AJ Styles And WWE As Son Echoes Creative Booking Complaints (Exclusive)

Dakota Kai Opens Up On Her Wrestling Future After WWE Release


Published | Modified
Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com