India, Sept. 21 -- Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has built his career on box office hits like Fast & Furious, Jumanji, and Moana. But in Benny Safdie's The Smashing Machine, Johnson takes a daring leap into drama, portraying UFC champion Mark Kerr, a fighter who grappled with addiction and depression at the height of his success.

The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, where Johnson admitted this was the role he had long been chasing. "For years, I have been dreaming and hoping. I did not just want drama; I wanted something that allowed me to rip myself open," he was quoted as saying in a CBS report.

For the first time in his career, Johnson found himself overtly nervous. Johnson recalled that on day one, Benny and Emil...