Speaking on Thursday, December 18, the 53-year-old actor opened up about the emotional inspiration behind the film, which tells the story of UFC legend Mark Kerr. Johnson plays Kerr, while Emily Blunt stars as Kerr’s then-wife, Dawn Staples. The movie follows Kerr’s rise as one of the most dominant figures in wrestling and mixed martial arts, while also showing his intense personal struggles.
“Over the past two decades, I lost exactly 15 friends to addiction and suicide who just couldn’t handle the pressure,” Johnson said. “In a way, The Smashing Machine is a love letter to the men and women who struggle, who made it to the other side, and who didn’t.”
Johnson explained that the project became more than just a biopic for him. “Smashing Machine became more of a film with meaning,” he said, adding that it reflects real pain, real battles, and real lives.
The Moana star has long been open about mental health and suicide, both personally and publicly. He has previously shared that his mother, Ata Johnson, attempted suicide when he was just 15 years old by walking into oncoming traffic on a highway in Nashville. He first spoke about the traumatic experience in 2015 on Oprah’s Master Class.
Johnson has also been candid about his own struggles with depression. At age 23, after failing to make it into the NFL and being cut from the Canadian Football League, he said he hit one of the lowest points of his life.
“I found that with depression, one of the most important things you could realize is that you’re not alone,” he once said. “You’re not the first to go through it. I wish I had someone at that time who could just pull me aside and say, ‘Hey, it’s going to be okay.’”
In 2018, Johnson urged people on social media to talk openly about mental health. “Help ’em thru it, get ’em talkin’ about the struggle and remind ’em that they’re not alone,” he wrote. “We got lucky that day when I was 15, and that ain’t always the case.”
More recently, in 2024, Johnson shared a heartfelt video on Instagram for World Mental Health Day. He encouraged people to check in on friends in a deeper, more meaningful way.
“When I check in with my friends, I don’t say, ‘What’s wrong?’ I say, ‘How’s your heart? How are you feeling?’” he explained. “You’d be surprised what that means to people.”
Johnson described mental health struggles as “mental hellness,” saying he knows firsthand how easy it is to spiral. “I’ve been there,” he said. “Everybody is fighting demons, and a lot of people keep it in.”
He ended with a powerful reminder: “Check in on your loved ones. I’ve lost friends over the years who just couldn’t handle the stress and pressure of life. The mental hellness became too much.”
With The Smashing Machine, Johnson hopes to shine a light on those struggles—and honor those who fought them, both seen and unseen.
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