What happened to Mark Kerr?

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson might have his eyes on Oscar glory, as the former WWE wrestler is poised to take a more dramatic turn as Mark Kerr in the upcoming film, The Smashing Machine.

The A24-produced movie is directed by Benny Safdie, one half of the filmmaking duo known as the Safdie brothers, and is set to reunite Johnson with his Jungle Cruise co-star Emily Blunt. It will mark a departure from Johnson’s usual fare of comedies and action movies like Black Adam and Baywatch, and is set to begin production in May, 2024.

So, as Johnson looks to expand his acting chops with this biopic, who is the real-life subject that might see him collect an Academy Award?

What happened to Mark Kerr?

Mark Kerr is a former wrestler and mixed martial artist who will be the subject of The Rock’s movie, The Smashing Machine. The film derives its title from the nickname given to Kerr throughout his illustrious wrestling career, which he entered into at a young age. Kerr would go on to become a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, and featured in three tournaments throughout his MMA career. 

While The Smashing Machine will chronicle Kerr’s MMA pursuits, the highs and lows of the wrestler’s personal life might also form part of the story. Kerr struggled with substance abuse issues throughout much of adult life, and was specifically addicted to painkillers. The addiction wreaked havoc on both his personal and professional life, leading him to consistently underperform in the later stages of his career. 

The substance abuse bled into Kerr’s relationship with his now-wife, Dawn Staples, leading to an intense fallout and his hospitalization. Kerr went on to enter a rehabilitation facility, and patched things up with Staples before their marriage in 2000. Kerr retired from the sport in 2010, and has remained vocal about his struggles with addiction. In 2019, Kerr revealed he had been battling peripheral neuropathy since 2016. 

Kerr was the subject of the HBO documentary, The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr, which aired in 2002. As for his upcoming portrayal by Johnson, Kerr has been spotted training with the actor in the lead-up to the film’s production, with The Rock describing their relationship as a “brotherhood.”

Reflecting on the role and what it means for his career, Johnson said he is at a point where he “want[s] to make films that matter, that explore humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.” Boxing, wrestling and MMA has seen success at the Oscars before with films like Raging Bull and Million Dollar Baby, so don’t count Johnson out just yet.