Dwayne Johnson and Sydney Sweeney have surprisingly similar films coming soon that could transform their careers. Johnson has transitioned a few times in his career. He dominated the WWE as The Rock, and turned to acting in the early 2000s. He’s become an action star thanks to his roles in the Fast & Furious franchise and Jumanji, while still starring in family-friendly entertainment like Moana.

Meanwhile, Sweeney is a younger star whose career flourished after playing Cᴀssie in Euphoria. While she’s also been in films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Anyone But You, and Madame Web, she may be best known for her Sєx symbol status. She’s starred in several provocative ads, including the recent American Eagle jeans campaign that stirred up conversation online.

Still, both actors are at points in their careers where they are looking to take on more challenging projects. Johnson’s role in The Smashing Machine and Sweeney’s role in Christy look like both of their more daring performances to date. The films themselves are strikingly similar, and the transformations they underwent for the roles could lead to the outcomes they’re both striving for.

Both Actors Transformed Themselves To Play Real-life Professional Fighters

Johnson and Sweeney are both playing real-life fighters in upcoming biopics. Johnson is entering the octagon as MMA fighter Mark Kerr while Sweeney is exploring the world of women’s boxing as Christy Martin. For both roles, the two actors underwent training regiments and transformed their appearances, a typical mark of an awards-friendly performance.

While Johnson already has a large stature, the Black Adam star revealed he “had to gain 30 pounds” for the role. Speaking with E! at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, Johnson shared his intense training process that required cardio and plenty of MMA training:

Cardio in the morning, then I would go eat breakfast, and then I would go train, and then I would go eat again and then I would go back for all the MMA training.

Sweeney also embarked on a similar path for her role as Christy Martin. While speaking at a panel for ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, the Americana actor revealed she gained 30 pounds for her role, but enjoyed “being able to train and work with incredible boxing coaches and weight trainers and nutritionists” to get the role right.

In addition to their training, the actors also utilized makeup to change how they appear on-screen. Johnson looks almost unrecognizable as Kerr, and Sweeney also has the rugged and tough appearance of Christy Martin. Professional fighting is a brutal world, and both actors committed to making their characters authentic. That level of dedication won’t escape many people’s notice, and could mark a turning point for both.

Dwayne Johnson And Sydney Sweeney Are Redefining Their Careers In These Roles

For a long time, Johnson dominated the box office and still does in certain cases. However, after flops like Black Adam and Red One, he doesn’t have the same box office star power that he used to have. This could explain why he’s seeking to prove himself as a more dramatic actor, hence joining an A24 biopic helmed by Benny Safdie.

It marks a huge change for the actor, and it was an intentional decision. Speaking at a press conference at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, Johnson admitted to losing interest in doing films just for the box office. He wanted to take on more challenging roles, and asked himself if he was capable of more, explaining:

I just had this burning desire and voice that was saying, ‘What if there is more and what if I can?’ Sometimes it’s hard for us to know what we’re capable of when we’ve been pigeonholed into something.

Sweeney has also been exploring more challenging roles before Christy. She showed excellent range in Immaculate, and previously portrayed a complex real-life person in HBO’s Reality. However, Christy is an important role for her, especially amid her controversial American Eagle ads.

Christy won’t prove that she is a talented actor as she has already proven that before. However, there are many who still see her as a Sєx symbol, and who tend to get caught up her controversies rather than the work. This is arguably the highest-profile role she has to change that perception, especially after her previous films this year flopped at the box office. Christy has more buzz than those тιтles.

Will Johnson And Sweeney Get Awards Attention?

Reviews are already online for both films after their premieres at various film festivals. The Smashing Machine currently holds a 79% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, but the common consensus is that Johnson’s performance is impressive. Award shows love to honor actors who transform themselves for a role, so it wouldn’t be entirely surprising to see him get a nomination.

Unfortunately, Christy has a more mixed reaction from critics. It currently holds a 65% critic score, which means it isn’t necessarily getting the awards buzz Sweeney may be looking for. However, critics are still praising her performance, so there is an outsider’s chance that she could be a compeтιтor. Both actors took mᴀssive swings with these roles, but it may depend on overall film quality.

Johnson‘s The Smashing Machine also has the benefit of Safdie’s direction, who has received award love before. This project is arguably best positioned to make a mark during the upcoming season. Christy‘s David Michôd is a lesser-known director, but still seems to have captured Sweeney‘s performance admirably. There’s still a long way to go before awards season, but these two actors could find themselves in the mix.