As the Golden Globes, hosted by Nikki Glaser, unfolded on January 11, Johnson took a moment to reflect on the significance of portraying former MMA fighter Mark Kerr in the biographical film. For Johnson, this project was far more than a professional endeavor; it resonated with him on a deeply personal level.

“Over the last 15 years, I’ve lost 15 friends to addiction and suicide,” Johnson candidly told Zuri Hall during a LIVE interview on E!: Golden Globes 2026. “In many ways, The Smashing Machine served as a love letter to those friends and to others who are still fighting. If you’re struggling with addiction or mental health, or if someone you love is facing these battles like I did, keep fighting. Beyond the struggle lies a certain grace.”

This experience not only allowed Johnson to pay tribute to those affected by addiction but also transformed his perspective on his own father’s life and struggles.

In fact, working on the movie changed the way Dwayne viewed his own father.

“What the film pushed me to do was to be radically empathetic to those who are struggling, because I had a complicated relationship with the human being who struggled with addiction, and that’s my dad,” he explained. “He’s no longer here, and he struggled with his addictions.”