Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson

From In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast by Backstage

January 1, 2026 · 50 min

About this episode

Dwayne Johnson discusses his role in 'The Smashing Machine' and shares insights about his career in Hollywood.

Dwayne Johnson joins Backstage's In the Envelope: The Actor's Podcast to dig deep into his transformative role in Benny Safdie's "The Smashing Machine." Johnson also gets candid about what it's like to work as a top star in Hollywood, his earliest days in a wrestling ring, why he wanted to make a pivot to more personal work, and much more. ... Backstage has been the #1 resource for actors and talent-seekers for 60 years. In the Envelope, Backstage’s podcast, features intimate, in-depth conversations with today’s most noteworthy film, television, and theater actors and creators. Full of both know-how and inspiration, In the Envelope airs bi-weekly to cover everything from practical advice on navigating the industry, to how your favorite projects are made and personal stories of success and failure alike. Join host Vinnie Mancuso, senior editor at Backstage, for this guide on how to live the creative life from those who are doing it every day: https://bit.ly/2OMryWQ ... Follow Backstage and In the Envelope on social media: - https://www.facebook.com/backstage - https://www.twitter.com/backstage - https://www.twitter.com/intheenvelope - https://www.instagram.com/backstagecast…

People in this episode

Host: Vinnie Mancuso

Guest: Dwayne Johnson

Topics covered

  • Dwayne Johnson
  • Hollywood
  • wrestling
  • personal work
  • acting
  • film industry

Keywords

  • Dwayne Johnson
  • The Smashing Machine
  • Hollywood
  • acting
  • wrestling
  • Benny Safdie

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Backstage

Books & works: The Smashing Machine

More episodes of In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the In the Envelope: The Actor’s Podcast podcast page.