Arguably regarded as one of the highest-rated films of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s career, The Smashing Machine, directed by Benny Safdie, released in 2025, received thunderous reviews but tanked at the box office. Despite the poor box office performance, both Johnson and his co-star Emily Blunt received several nominations for their work, with the most memorable one being for the Golden Globes. However, despite the praise and positive run, Johnson failed to earn a nomination for the 2026 Academy Awards, aka Oscars.
While he penned a heartfelt note following his Golden Globes loss, Johnson recently opened his mind while speaking to Esquire regarding The Smashing Machine’s Oscar opportunity. “The Brahma Bull” noted that he really wanted to earn a nomination for his work as Mark Kerr in the biographical film.
“It would have been incredible to get nominated for an Oscar. I realized very quickly that it’s a rare thing to reach this pinnacle where you’re even having these conversations. And it’s exciting! It would have been amazing. I wish it happened. But it didn’t,” Johnson said. “But in no uncertain terms did I ever think, ‘Oh, that doesn’t matter.’ I always thought it mattered. And it has lit a fire in my spine, which is: Let’s go back to work.”
While Johnson did not earn a nomination for the 2026 Academy Awards, Kazu Hiro and Johnson’s makeup were nominated for the Academy Award for their work in The Smashing Machine and how they transformed Johnson into the legendary combat sports athlete, Mark Kerr.
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