Actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has fans talking about his slimmed-down physique following his appearance at the Venice Film Festival.
Johnson, 53, traveled to the Italian city for the world premiere of the upcoming biopic, “The Smashing Machine” movie, in which he plays former UFC fighter Mark Kerr.
However, when footage of Johnson’s slimmed down physique hit the internet, some social media users were focused more on his body than his film.
A smiling Johnson posed for photographers while out with his “The Smashing Machine” co-star Emily Blunt. The WWE wrestling legend showed off a slimmer frame in the pictures and videos.
“Trying to keep ‘The Rock’ physique was unhealthy. This is much better for him,” one supporter commented on Gala’s TikTok page.
Another person focused on Johnson being in his 50s, writing, “Bro [is] finally aging.” A third commenter added, “Remember Chadwick, let’s all be respectful !”
In June 2025, Johnson revealed he had been dealing with undiagnosed digestive problems during an interview on “The Mark Hyman Show.” Dr. Hyman claimed that Johnson’s use of antibiotics damaged the lining of his intestines by wiping out a bacteria called Akkermansia in his digestive system.
Despite the state of The Rock’s current health being unclear, the father of three children still faced questions and ridicule online about his apparent weight-loss transformation.
“So, he’s ‘The Pebble’ now,” one Instagram user joked. Another person expressed, “This can’t be real. He was massive in ‘Raw on Netflix’ just this year.”
On Jan. 6, 2025, Johnson electrified the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California when the eight-time WWE champion showed up for the “Monday Night Raw” premiere on Netflix.
The Rock was also featured in one of the biggest WWE moments of 2025 when he joined hip-hop star Travis Scott to help John Cena turn heel at the Elimination Chamber event in March.
In addition to maintaining a presence in the world of professional wrestling, Johnson remained a top-grossing star in Hollywood. His contribution as a voice actor for 2024’s “Moana 2” played a part in the animated sequel making $1 billion at the global box office.
Johnson is now preparing for “The Smashing Machine” to hit American theaters on Oct. 3, 2025. Director Benny Safdie’s drama that explores the life of a mixed martial artist has already begun generating Oscar buzz.
Images of The Rock as Kerr from “The Smashing Machine” went viral in September 2024. A usually bald Johnson was seen with dark hair and a very buff build.
“I have for a long time wanted this,” Johnson, who is best known for starring in action flicks, told the Associated Press on Monday about taking a more dramatic turn by portraying the two-time UFC heavyweight tournament winner.
He added, “The transformation part was something I was really hungry to do. I’ve been very fortunate to have the career that I’ve had and make the films that I have, but there was just this voice inside of me, this little voice, like what if I can do more.”
In June 2025, a muscular Johnson revealed his elbow got “banged up” during the filming of “The Smashing Machine” before listing off numerous past injuries from his days as a professional wrestler.
