Dwayne Johnson Uses ChatGPT to Gauge 63% Support for a Presidential Run

Q: Beyond physical strength, how does his film portray the addiction struggles that defined fighter Mark Kerr's life?

It portrays Kerr’s addiction as an inward collapse, not just a side note to his fighting career. In *The Smashing Machine*, the central drama is that his greatest opponent is not another heavyweight but the dependency and emotional damage consuming him offstage. The film reportedly shows this through moments of acute vulnerability, especially after a near-fatal overdose. Rather than presenting Kerr as invincible, it depicts denial, shame and breakdown: he tries to minimize the seriousness of his drug use, then emotionally unravels in a hospital scene. That approach shifts the focus from brute force to the psychological cost of addiction. It also frames addiction as something that distorts identity and relationships. Kerr is shown struggling in his personal life, including conflict with partner Dawn Staples, making clear that substance abuse affects the people around him as much as his own body and career. Benny Safdie’s character-driven style reportedly keeps the emphasis on Kerr as an emotionally damaged man trying to control impulses and prove he is more than an aggressive fighter. Johnson’s performance has been praised for making that pain visible. Drawing on personal family experiences with denial, illness and repression, he plays Kerr as a man whose public toughness masks fear, grief and self-destruction. The result is a portrait of addiction as a private, humiliating and relentless battle that undercuts the myth of physical dominance.

1 articles · Updated · Esquire · Jun 11

Johnson said he recently asked ChatGPT why polls show Americans want him to run for president, using the AI tool to test the viability of a possible White House bid.
The chatbot told him the appeal was driven less by policy than by his public image—likability, trust, anti-politician sentiment and a “strong leader” archetype—and cited one poll saying 63% think celebrities could be good politicians.
Johnson, 53, did not signal a campaign launch; in the Esquire interview he said he has learned to keep his politics private and focus on “art” and storytelling.
The AI exchange came in a wide-ranging profile tied to his Moana promotion, where he also discussed masculinity, personal struggles and his growing push into prestige films after The Smashing Machine.