Dwayne Johnson Reveals What Christopher Nolan Told Him After Smashing Machine Praise

Christopher Nolan didn’t hide his love of 2025’s The Smashing Machine, and in a recent interview, star Dwayne Johnson opened up about what Nolan told him about the movie.

What did Christopher Nolan tell Dwayne Johnson?

Speaking to Variety in a recent interview, Johnson recalled the moment when Nolan praised the movie, and particularly his own performance. Johnson called the moment “inspiring,” and said that he was sitting next to his wife when the moment happened, and that she insisted he go talk to Nolan after the moment.

“Once it started to sink in, I was having an out-of-body experience,” Johnson said. “I was sitting next to my wife and I grabbed her hand so hard, and she squeezed my hand back.

“I just gave him the biggest hug and the biggest kiss on the cheek,” said Johnson. “All I could say was ‘Thank you.’ And he said, ‘I meant what I said. You were heartbreaking, and the best performance of the year.’ I gave him another hug. That was all I could muster.”

Nolan’s comments came in early October, when he said Johnson’s performance was “incredible” and “heartbreaking,” and said he didn’t think there’d be a better performance all year. Unfortunately for Johnson and Nolan, the film’s general reaction was not as positive. The Smashing Machine grossed $20 million, and received mostly mixed reviews, although a majority of them did praise Johnson’s performance, which is expected to garner award praise.

The Smashing Machine is available to watch now on digital storefronts.

(Source: Variety)

Source: Comingsoon.net