Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson shocked fans when he stepped out in Venice, Italy over the weekend.
On Saturday, the 53-year-old actor debuted a noticeably slimmer physique as he attended the Miu Miu Women’s Tales event at the Venice Film Festival ahead of the premiere of his new movie “The Smashing Machine.”
In a video that was taken during the event and later shared on social media, Johnson was seen clad in a light blue short-sleeved button-down silk shirt with a colorful print, which he paired with black pants. “The Fast and Furious” star beamed as he posed for the cameras with his hands in his pockets.
After the post went viral, fans expressed their surprise over the WWE star’s appearance.
“Yep had to do a double take..” one X user commented.
“He’s so lean,” a fan commented.
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“The Rock slimming down and still owning every room…legendary glow-up unlocked,” another chimed in.
“New look, same legend,” one social media user wrote, while another added, “He looks great”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Johnson’s representatives for comment.
Johnson, who has not commented on his appearance, will play real-life former wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr in “The Smashing Machine.” The movie was directed and written by Benny Safdie, and has already generated awards buzz for Johnson.
The “Red Notice” star previously shared that he spent up to four hours in the makeup chair and wore 13 to 14 prosthetics to portray Kerr.
The biographical sports drama also stars Johnson’s “Jungle Cruise” co-star Emily Blunt as Kerr’s then-wife Dawn Staples. “The Smashing Machine” follows Kerr’s rise to UFC glory and his subsequent struggles with opioid addiction and personal demons. The film also chronicles the ups and downs of Kerr’s volatile relationship with Dawn.
On Monday, Johnson along with Blunt, Safdie and Kerr himself, walked the red carpet at the premiere of “The Smashing Machine,” which was held in Sala Grande on the Venice Lido. In a video shared on X, Johnson was seen wiping away tears and clapping as the film received a 15-minute standing ovation. Safdie was also seen crying during the ovation, which was one of the longest since the festival kicked off on Aug. 27.
“The Smashing Machine” also received a nomination for the Golden Lion, the highest prize at the festival.
Ahead of the film’s premiere, Johnson appeared at a press conference for the movie in which he reflected on taking on a very different role after making his name as an action star.
“This transformation was something I was really hungry to do,” Johnson said, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “I had been very fortunate to have the career that I’ve had over the years and to make the films that I’ve made, but there was just a voice inside of me, a little voice that said, ‘Well, what if I could do more — I want to do more and what does that look like?'”
Johnson also shared his thoughts on the challenges that actors can face when breaking the cycle of typecasting.
“You chase the box office, and the box office, in our business that we know, is very loud, and it can be very resounding, and it can push you into a category and into a corner,” Johnson noted, via USA Today. “‘This is your lane, and this is what you do, and this is what people want you to be, and this what Hollywood wants you to be.’ I understood that, and I made those movies, and I liked them and they were fun.”
“I just had this burning desire and this voice that was saying, ‘What if? What if there is more? What if I can?'” he continued. “A lot of times it’s harder for us, or at least for me, to know what you’re capable of when you’ve been pigeonholed into something.”
Johnson credited Blunt and Safdie for supporting him, saying their encouragement gave him confidence to take on the part.
“Sometimes it takes people who you love and you respect, like Emily and Benny, to say you can,'” he said.
“The Smashing Machine” will be released in theaters Oct. 3.
