Dwayne Johnson said he has been losing weight intentionally for an upcoming film, explaining that his slimmer appearance is part of a transformation for a role in Lizard Music.
Johnson, 53, told reporters at a Toronto International Film Festival event on Sept. 8 that he is preparing to play “a very whimsical and eccentric 70-something-year-old man called the Chicken Man,” whose best friend is a 70-something chicken. "This is me slimmed down," he said. "In the process of slimming down. I still have a long ways to go." He joked that, in preparation, he has been eating "less chicken." Johnson added that he hopes to "transform again like I was able to do in ‘Smashing Machine.'"
The actor first drew attention for his leaner look at the Venice Film Festival on Aug. 25, where attendees and social media users noted a noticeably slimmer frame. Video from the festival prompted comments on the platform X observing that Johnson appeared “so lean” and that some viewers did a "double take." He later arrived at the Toronto event to promote The Smashing Machine, a separate project in which he portrays former mixed‑martial‑arts fighter Mark Kerr. Emily Blunt co‑stars in that film.
Johnson described his preparation for The Smashing Machine as unusually arduous and emotionally demanding. In a Vanity Fair interview, he said the role made him nervous in a way he had not felt for years, questioning whether he could pull it off. To inhabit the fighter, he said he wore 13 to 14 prosthetic pieces each day and spent hours in makeup, which he said allowed him to "disappear" into the character. "By the time I got to set, I was Mark Kerr and I felt it, from how he walked to how he talked and how he looked at life," Johnson said.
The actor has a history of physical transformations for roles, and the reveal of a trimmer physique has reignited discussion about the lengths he will go to for parts. Industry coverage and fan reaction underscored the contrast between Johnson's well‑known muscular build and his current, more svelte appearance as he moves between projects that require different physical profiles.
Producers and publicists typically do not disclose detailed diet or training regimens for actors, and Johnson did not outline specific measurements or timelines for his current weight change at the Toronto event. He framed the shift as part of an artistic process: an intentional, ongoing adaptation to meet the demands of a character that departs from his usual screen persona.
Johnson’s comments come as several of his recent projects have tested different aspects of his range, from physical roles to character‑driven performances that rely on makeup and prosthetics. The Smashing Machine debuted on the festival circuit in late summer, and Lizard Music remains in production with Johnson describing the Chicken Man as an opportunity to pursue another marked transformation.
Johnson’s comments and on‑camera appearances provide a public timeline of his physical adjustments while promoting and transitioning between projects. He has acknowledged feeling apprehension about some roles in the past and said those challenges have pushed him to take creative risks; his recent remarks signal that he is applying the same approach to the Lizard Music role as he did for The Smashing Machine.