The ROCK is absolutely Smashing it

HE'S got the live action remake of Moana in the works.

- FIAZ RAFIQ

But next year Dwayne Johnson's movie about a legendary mixed martial arts fighter will show his real acting chops, according to the athlete the tale is based on.

A teaser of The Smashing Machine was shown during the Cannes Film Festival in May and shocked fans seeing The Rock who made his name as a WWE wrestler with a full head of hair as Mark Kerr.

The now 55-year-old was an icon in the Ultimate Fighting Champion world but also had personal battles in love and with drugs, which he shared in a 2002 documentary, also called The Smashing Machine.

Mark says: "Dwayne is so bankable in certain roles he's a superhero, special agent, this, that and the other, but for him to take on my biopic it is such a far departure on how people watch him on screen.

"This is why I give him a lot of kudos because a lot of actors keep doing the same thing - he's got a lot of courage.

"One of the things I talked to him about is how through his whole entire career like with me too - people try to put you in a box: 'He can't be more than that because he's a big blockhead!

"They label you because it makes it easier to control you or try to corner you where you can't expand and grow.