The Rock Declines To Talk About Oscar Buzz For Role In The Smashing Machine

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has received some Oscar buzz for the upcoming film The Smashing Machine, but that’s not something he wants to talk about. The actor and WWE star has received plenty of praise for his performance as the former UFC fighter in A24’s biopic, and he was asked about the buzz for a possible Oscar nomination in a new interview with CBS.

The film is directed by Benny Safdie and opens on October 3rd. You can see the highlights form the interview below:

On the role being a dream one for him: “For years, I’ve been dreaming and hoping. My desire was to play not only a dramatic role, but something that I felt like I could really sink my teeth into, and rip myself open. You hear that term. I just didn’t want to do drama. I wanted to do something that really allowed me to do that.”

On the notion of Oscar buzz around his performance: “No, no, I can’t, I can’t [talk about it]. The thought that that is even a question?… You know, trailer park kid.”

On channeling his own childhood into the performance: “I went back to what it’s like being a 15-year-old kid and coming home and being evicted. The thing that I was running from, which was ripping myself open, is actually the thing that I needed the most because it made me realize that the thing I love, which is acting and telling these stories, now I see it in a different world.”