Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is known for being one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood – an end of year record he has held twice – but he recently made a commendable decision for his latest film, The Smashing Machine.
According to a report by Anthony D’Alessandro of Deadline, Johnson took home a significantly lower paycheck of $4 million for his lead role, which is substantially below his usual $20 million plus points.
I know what you’re thinking – poor guy! ONLY $4 million. But still, the reason he took the paycut is pretty cool.
Johnson gave a portion of his paycheck to his co-star Emily Blunt and UFC Hall of Famer Mark Kerr, who is the subject of the biopic.
This move showcases Johnson’s dedication to the project and his willingness to make sacrifices for the sake of the film, a real story he and his company 7 Bucks wanted to tell.
The film’s performance at the box office, however, has been less than impressive, with a $5.9 million opening weekend in the United States, marking Johnson’s lowest opening of his career, a trend that has seemingly followed the WWE legend since Black Adam.
According to D’Alessandro, Johnson’s reduced payday was due to concerns from foreign buyers regarding the film’s commercial viability, given its unfamiliar subject matter and the UFC’s relatively low profile outside of the United States, concerns that appear well founded.
The Smashing Machine was initially forecasted to be one of A24’s highest openings, with predictions in the high teens to $20 million range, but it ultimately fell short. The project is now expected to incur a loss in the $10-15 million range.
Although it hasn’t been a huge hit at the box office, it has garnered critical acclaim.
The Smashing Machine is being hailed as one of Johnson’s most in-depth roles to date. Fans who missed the movie may be missing out on a remarkable performance from the actor who certainly made a massive departure from his usual action hero roles.
Writing on Instagram, the Great One explained why this particular project wasn’t all about the money.
“In our storytelling world, you can’t control box office results,” he wrote. “But what I realised you can control is your performance, and your commitment to completely disappear and go elsewhere.
“I will always run to that opportunity,” he continued. “It was my honour to transform in this role for my director Benny Safdie.
“Thank you brother for believing in me. Truth is this film has changed my life.”
He finished the post saying: “With deep gratitude, respect and radical empathy, DJ.”
