On Thursday, The Rock’s attempt to earn an Academy Award nomination from his performance in The Smashing Machine officially failed.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has had a fantastic career in the movie industry. While he certainly had doubters about his ability to go from being a WWE star to a bankable actor in Hollywood, after some bumps in the road early on, the wrestling legend has become one of the biggest successes in film history.
Yet, for all his successes at the box office, there is one thing that has evaded him in Hollywood: Awards acceptance. In the past, he has dipped his toe into more dramatic content to elevate his standing in the business. Movies such as Southland Tales and Pain & Gain were attempts to show he could be worthy of acting honors.
While those never came close to getting him awards consideration, it looked like his best shot yet came in the fall with The Smashing Machine. The biopic on the life of mixed martial arts legend Mark Kerr earned The Rock real Academy Awards buzz when it was showcased at summer film festivals.
The Rock doesn’t get an Oscar nomination
His chance at finally getting an Oscar nomination seemed even more possible when he earned his first Golden Globe nod this year for the role. While he didn’t win, the path to an Oscar nom was there. However, that path was shut off on Thursday.
Today, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its nominations for the 98th edition of the Oscars. Unfortunately, in the category for actor in a leading role, The Rock was not among the nominees.
The nominees for lead actor were Timothée Chalamet (Marty Supreme), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle after Another), Ethan Hawke (Blue Moon), Michael B. Jordan (Sinners), and Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent).
The 98th Oscars take place on March 15.
