Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have had a contentious relationship in the past while filming the Fast & Furious, but patched things up enough for The Rock to appear in “Fast X.”
The Rock’s latest film, “The Smashing Machine” has drawn critical praise as Rock portrays MMA fighter Mark Kerr.
On social media, Diesel shared a message of support for The Rock, Kerr, and the film.
One of the greatest gifts in life isn’t something you can buy, it’s the relationships forged along the way.
I wanted to take a moment to talk about The Smashing Machine. What most people don’t realize is that Mark Kerr was one of the first friends I made when I moved from New York to California. We hit it off immediately, and the reason is simple: he is genuinely one of the kindest, most warm-hearted people you will ever meet. He actually trained me for the first XXX, so in a beautiful way, he was there at the beginning of my action career. That’s the kind of friend he’s been from day one.
And let me celebrate Dwayne. People don’t understand what it takes to uphold a global perception every single day. I remember asking our global family who they’d love to see me work with, and a woman named Jan left a comment saying her dream was for me to collaborate with Dwayne. What followed became one of the most dynamic pairings in cinema, two strong personalities who pushed each other and created something unforgettable. When he stepped into Hobbs, he did it with full commitment and left an indelible mark on Universal’s character hall of fame.
Speaking of hall of fame… watching Mark Kerr get inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame because his story was finally told was such a proud moment. This is a man who would often tell me about the kids he was teaching to wrestle, to fight, to take ownership of their lives usually for no money at all.
The fact that Mark Coleman was included in the film was such a treat, and Bas Rutten’s performance was stellar.
Mark Kerr is so deserving of this moment… and Dwayne really did it… He brought us back in time and shined doing it.
Proud of you both.
Fans can find Rock’s comments on the film here.
