DWAYNE JOHNSON FIRST SAMOAN TO BE NOMINATED FOR A GOLDEN GLOBE

 “Over the last years, I’ve lost 15 friends who are all wrestlers and fighters to addiction... I’m so happy we made this film. It is a love letter to those that I just talked to you about.”

With that reflection, Samoan actor Dwayne Johnson steps into history as the first Samoan to ever be nominated for a Golden Globe. 

After more than 60 films, his transformative turn as MMA fighter Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine has earned him long overdue awards recognition and a place in the Golden Globes record books.

For Johnson, this moment is about far more than awards. “Mark Kerr had it all and lost everything, and has since become sober... Life is good because he’s sober and because he made it. And not everyone is that lucky. That’s the movie that we wanted to make: a nod to those who fight.”

Johnson is nominated for best performance by a male actor in a drama, with Emily Blunt also recognised for her supporting role. 

His journey with the film began seven years ago. He described the decision to pursue the role as listening to “the little voice that sits behind your rib cage” urging him toward risk, challenge, and growth. Bringing Kerr to life required both emotional immersion and one of the most demanding physical transformations of his career. 

Johnson gained 32 pounds and worked with Kazu Hiro’s extensive prosthetics to recreate Kerr’s distinctive athletic frame. “Mark Kerr had this very uniquely athletically gifted body... he could move like a cheetah,” he said.

The emotional weight of the role was even heavier. Johnson spoke about stepping into the life of someone whose story includes addiction, collapse and rebuilding.

 “You want to make sure you do right by them and the life they live.” The narrative hit close to home as he reflected on personal loss. “Over the last years, I’ve lost 15 friends who are all wrestlers and fighters to addiction... I’m so happy we made this film. It is a love letter to those that I just talked to you about.”

For Samoan communities everywhere, Johnson’s first Golden Globe nomination lands as a proud and long-awaited moment. It recognises a performance rooted in vulnerability, discipline and heart. And as he puts it, “That’s why this nomination means so much.”