Dwayne Johnson on ‘The Smashing Machine’ Oscar Snub: “It Has Lit a Fire in My Spine”

Despite Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese being blown away by Dwayne Johnson’s rare serious turn in “The Smashing Machine,” not to mention a teary-eyed standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival, the film’s reception floundered in ensuing months, and Johnson’s performance was ultimately snubbed by the Oscars.

Now, in an interview published Thursday in Esquire, Johnson tackles the snub.

“It would have been incredible to get nominated for an Oscar,” Johnson admitted in an interview published Thursday with Esquire. “I realized very quickly that it’s a rare thing to reach this pinnacle where you’re even having these conversations. And it’s exciting! It would have been amazing.”

“I wish it happened. But it didn’t,” Johnson continued. “But in no uncertain terms did I ever think, ‘Oh, that doesn’t matter.’ I always thought it mattered. And it has lit a fire in my spine, which is: ‘Let’s go back to work.’”

In “The Smashing Machine,” Johnson inhabits Mark Kerr, an MMA fighter addicted to winning and opioids, in a curious turn. He’s awkward, crass, stubborn. You can almost see Johnson discovering the nuances of acting as he goes along, flailing before the handheld camera — and, truth be told, it’s fascinating to watch: a high-wire, risky performance.

Did it deserve Oscar recognition? That’s up for debate. What’s certain is that the film barely registered at the box office, and critics were just not as ecstatic about the work to further push him into awards consideration.

Johnson wasn’t bluffing when he said he was ready to leave the CGI noise behind and pivot toward meatier roles. At the time, plenty scoffed — The Rock doing drama? Sure, okay. But a year later, the evidence is stacking up. He’s already lined up new projects with Benny Safdie, Martin Scorsese, Darren Aronofsky, and J.J. Abrams.

In the meantime, Johnson is being Johnson as he continues to cash the paychecks, with upcoming blockbusters “Moana” and “Jumanji 5” scheduled for release this year. Maybe after that he’ll kickstart the auteur phase of his career.