Vin Diesel celebrates Dwayne Johnson for his performance in The Smashing Machine.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson continues to receive praise for his portrayal of Mark Kerr in the Benny Safdie-directed project. The biographical sports drama chronicles Kerr’s personal and professional struggles at the height of his popularity in the 1990s.
Vin Diesel, who shared the screen with Johnson in multiple Fast & Furious films, recently took to Instagram to praise The Smashing Machine and its lead actor. The actor posted a lengthy message along with a behind-the-scenes photo of himself and Johnson.
“One of the greatest gifts in life isn’t something you can buy, it’s the relationships forged along the way. I wanted to take a moment to talk about The Smashing Machine. What most people don’t realize is that Mark Kerr was one of the first friends I made when I moved from New York to California. We hit it off immediately, and the reason is simple: he is genuinely one of the kindest, most warm-hearted people you will ever meet. He actually trained me for the first XXX, so in a beautiful way, he was there at the beginning of my action career. That’s the kind of friend he’s been from day one.
Vin Diesel fondly remembers his on-screen pairing with Dwayne Johnson
“And let me celebrate Dwayne. People don’t understand what it takes to uphold a global perception every single day. I remember asking our global family who they’d love to see me work with, and a woman named Jan left a comment saying her dream was for me to collaborate with Dwayne. What followed became one of the most dynamic pairings in cinema, two strong personalities who pushed each other and created something unforgettable. When he stepped into Hobbs, he did it with full commitment and left an indelible mark on Universal’s character hall of fame.
“Speaking of hall of fame… watching Mark Kerr get inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame because his story was finally told was such a proud moment. This is a man who would often tell me about the kids he was teaching to wrestle, to fight, to take ownership of their lives usually for no money at all.
“The fact that Mark Coleman was included in the film was such a treat, and Bas Rutten’s performance was stellar.
“Mark Kerr is so deserving of this moment… and Dwayne really did it… He brought us back in time and shined doing it.
“Proud of you both.”
The feud between Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson
Vin Diesel versus Dwayne Johnson was a major Hollywood feud that shook Tinseltown nearly a decade ago. Both actors initially collaborated on 2011’s Fast Five, where Johnson was cast as Luke Hobbs — a highly skilled DSS agent-turned-bounty hunter in the Fast & Furious franchise.
Things seemed cordial at first, as Johnson reprised his role in the sixth and seventh installments of the highly successful franchise. However, the two reportedly clashed behind the scenes, prompting Johnson to call out Diesel on social media in a now-deleted post. The two have since reconciled, with Johnson returning to reprise his Hobbs character in a mid-credits scene in 2023’s Fast X.
ALSO READ: John Cena Explains The Hollywood Rivalry Between The Rock And Vin Diesel
