Dwayne Johnson emerges from his 'comfort zone'

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson was in a career "comfort zone for quite some time".

The 53-year-old star enjoyed huge success after making the transition from wrestling to acting - but Dwayne admits to being in a comfort zone for a prolonged period of time, when he was starring in big-budget Hollywood films.

He told Variety: "I was in a comfort zone for quite some time.

"Making these big films — they’re hard to do, but they are comfortable. What I was scared of was exposing myself and exploring the deepest, darkest traumas."

For a long time, Dwayne believed that his fans wanted him to make a particular kind of film, and he therefore decided to pursue those projects for years.

However, Emily Blunt, his co-star in The Smashing Machine, the new biographical sports drama film, ultimately encouraged Dwayne to test himself as an actor.

He said: "I used to have this motto — ‘Audience first'.

"Emily said, ‘I love that. It’s worked for you for decades now. But if you want to take care of the audience, show them a mirror of yourself. Isn’t that taking care of the audience too?’"

The Smashing Machine received a 15-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year, and Dwayne - who plays UFC fighter Mark Kerr in the movie - found the acclaim to be an overwhelming experience.

Asked what he was thinking in the moment, Dwayne replied: "It’s hard to find the language for it, because it’s so emotional.

"It was just validation of this seemingly once-in-a-lifetime journey. Not only for us, but also for the man who actually lived it."

Meanwhile, Dwayne recently revealed that he relished working with Oleksandr Usyk on The Smashing Machine.

The wrestling icon stars alongside the 38-year-old boxer in the sports drama movie, and Dwayne revealed that he cherished shooting scenes with Usyk.

He told talkSPORT: "The first time I lock up with Usyk, we are full on locking up and we went through the whole fight scene.

"I knew then, when I locked up with him and I felt his embrace in this lock up. I knew this is a bad dude."

Dwayne confessed to feeling a little bit intimated by the heavyweight champion, who is widely considered to be one of the best boxers of modern times.

He said: "Usyk can be a little deceptive, just how he looks. But when he locks up, that deception becomes reality because I'm like 'oh this is a bad guy.'"

Dwayne also recalled being wowed by Usyk's speed and athleticism.

The Hollywood star shared: "You could feel it in his legs and in his base, and then we start sparring at the top of our fight. Couple of jabs out there and he is so fast, and you know if one of these punches slips. I'm going to hospital!"