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Dwayne Johnson is no stranger to physical transformation, but his next role marks one of the most unexpected shifts in his career. Fresh off critical acclaim for bulking up to play MMA legend Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, Johnson revealed he is now shedding weight for an entirely different kind of part: a whimsical, eccentric 70-something man whose best friend is a chicken.
The film, Lizard Music, reunites Johnson with The Smashing Machine director Benny Safdie. Based on the novel by Daniel Pinkwater, the story follows an aging character known as Chicken Man who forges a peculiar bond with his feathered companion. For Johnson, who has built a global career on larger-than-life action roles, it’s an opportunity to push himself in a radically new direction.
Speaking at a career retrospective during the Toronto Film Festival, where The Smashing Machine is screening, Johnson explained how the unusual project came about. “Benny pitched me this after,” he said of Safdie. “And after about 45 minutes, this pitch ended and I said, ‘I am your Chicken Man.’”
The announcement drew surprise given Johnson’s reputation as Hollywood’s perennial action star. Even after losing much of the 30 pounds of muscle he added to portray Kerr, he still appeared imposing. But the actor admitted he has a way to go before embodying Chicken Man. “I still have a long way to go,” he acknowledged, joking that the role means “eating less chicken.”
For Johnson, the choice is about artistic growth. The Smashing Machine not only required him to embody Kerr’s physicality but also to dive deep into the fighter’s turbulent life, including substance struggles and a toxic relationship. The role has already sparked Oscar buzz and given Johnson a new level of credibility as a dramatic actor. With Lizard Music, he hopes to continue subverting the tough-guy image that defined much of his blockbuster career.
“I felt for a few years, I was pigeonholed because I allowed it to happen,” Johnson said. “Smashing Machine is for me.”
Still, Johnson reassured fans that he hasn’t abandoned mainstream entertainment entirely. He revealed plans to reunite with Kevin Hart for Jumanji 3, which begins shooting in November. “The films that I made in the past, I love them,” Johnson said. “I’ll go back to making them again.”
For now, though, Johnson seems energized by the challenge of becoming Chicken Man—a transformation that could prove as surprising as it is ambitious. As he put it: “I’m so excited to get a chance to hopefully transform again like I was able to do in Smashing Machine.”
