Dwayne Johnson has opened up about the Oscars snub he experienced earlier this year. The actor was disappointed after failing to secure an Oscar nomination at the 98th Academy Awards.
What did Dwayne Johnson say about his Oscar snub?
Dwayne Johnson had hoped that The Smashing Machine would succeed both commercially and at the Oscars 2026. However, neither outcome materialized. Produced on a budget of $50 million, the sports drama earned only about $20 million worldwide.
Despite Johnson transforming himself physically for the role of Mark Kerr, a former amateur wrestler and MMA fighter, and giving his best, he didn’t get nominated for Best Actor at the 2026 Oscars. In a recent interview with Esquire, the actor let his emotions out. “It would have been incredible to get nominated for an Oscar. … I realized very quickly that it’s a rare thing to reach this pinnacle where you’re even having these conversations.”
“And it’s exciting! It would have been amazing. I wish it happened. But it didn’t. But in no uncertain terms did I ever think, Oh, that doesn’t matter. I always thought it mattered. And it has lit a fire in my spine,” he added.
Speaking of The Smashing Machine, it fared well with critics and moviegoers. Currently, the film holds a solid Tomatometer score of 71% and a Popcornmeter score of 72% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Smashing Machine also featured Emily Blunt as Dawn Staples, Lyndsey Gavin as Elizabeth Coleman, Oleksandr Usyk as Igor Vovchanchyn, Ryan Bader as Mark Coleman, and Satoshi Ishii as Enson Inoue. Additionally, James Moontasri and Yoko Hamamura also played key roles.
Johnson was the producer on the film alongside Eli Bush, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, David Koplan, Tracey Landon, and Benny Safdie, who directed The Smashing Machine.
