The Rock’s Hidden Battle: Not a Big Therapy Guy, Yet a Quiet Depression Behind the Blockbusters
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson has admitted he's 'not a big therapy guy' even as he wrestles with deep bouts of depression. The pressure of Hollywood blockbusters has been a heavy burden, and his upcoming biopic about Mark Kerr—The Smashing Machine—pulls back the curtain on a life defined by addiction, overdoses, and a struggle to stay human under the glare of fame. Kerr, 56, is now in recovery and on a mission to inspire others to fight their demons. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2025 by Johnson himself. Playing Kerr during The Smashing Machine opened Johnson's own wounds and laid bare a parallel between the wrestler-turned-actor and the man Kerr became.
In This Article:
Bottled Up, Seeking Meaning: The Therapy Question and a Deeper Story
“I’m not a big therapy guy. I’ve had some great conversations with therapists but it’s not the thing I run to. I bottle s*** up inside me, like a lot of guys, which I recognise is not the healthiest thing to do.” Johnson told The Guardian. Then he added, “Wait, I can still do the thing I love, which is acting. But what if there’s something deeper and more meaningful in it for me?” He has long wanted to tackle harder stories, and Kerr’s life offered a doorway. He says The Smashing Machine was freeing—a chance to focus less on money and more on the craft and the process.
The Smashing Machine: A Role That Frees The Rock and Mirrors Kerr’s Demons
On set and in interviews, Johnson found echoes of Kerr’s life in his own: the pressure to live up to a public image and the loneliness that can come with fame. Kerr’s life—derailed by opioid addiction and multiple overdoses—became a mirror for Johnson’s own desire to be seen as more than the poster and the punchlines. He describes the role as a liberation, a shift from chasing blockbuster numbers to embracing the truth that art can reveal vulnerabilities.
Three Bouts of Depression: From School to Divorce and Back Again
Johnson has spoken openly about mental health for years. He recalled his first brush with depression after leaving school, saying, 'At that time ... I didn’t know what mental health was, I didn’t know what depression was, I just knew I didn’t want to be there.' On The Pivot Podcast he discussed three bouts of depression in his life: the 2008 divorce from his first wife, Dany Garcia, and another in 2017. He credits friends for support, noting, 'Luckily at that time, I had some friends I could lean on and say, ‘Hey you know I’m feeling a little wobbly now, got a little struggle happening, I’m seeing a little gray and not the blue.’'
A Mother’s Courage and a Call to Notice Pain in Others
His mother has battled depression too. In a 2019 Express interview, Johnson revealed that he once saved his mum from a suicide attempt on a Nashville freeway when he was 15: 'I grabbed her and pulled her back on the gravel shoulder of the road.' The act made them both heal, but they’ve learned that you must pay attention when others are in pain. 'We have to help them through it and remind them they are not alone.' The Rock’s story is a reminder that behind the fame there can be hidden pain—and that compassion and connection matter more than the next big hit.
