Exclusive: Bas Rutten's Real Training on The Smashing Machine
Director Benny Safdie aimed for authenticity in the film The Smashing Machine by avoiding rehearsed or choreographed training scenes. Instead, he captured real coaching live on set.
Bas Rutten, UFC Hall of Famer who trained Mark Kerr in the late 1990s, appears as himself. The on-screen moments are genuine, not traditional acting; Rutten actually instructs Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson during filming.
Authentic Coaching Approach
The idea came from conversations between Rutten and Safdie. In an interview with LowKick MMA’s Tim Wheaton, Rutten explained Safdie's direction:
“Of course, there was a script, but Benny said, ‘Dude, it’s you.’ So, just follow the guidelines, but make it your own. Do what you would do.”
Rutten chose to forgo rehearsals, believing that real teaching would appear more credible than staged instruction. When filming sequences of Kerr learning techniques, Rutten proposed skipping any rehearsal:
“So if we want to go over some techniques that I was going to teach him, I said, ‘Let’s not.’”
Impact on Film Realism
- The genuine coach-student interaction enhances the film’s authenticity.
- Rutten’s natural teaching style was preserved on camera.
- The scenes differ from typical choreographed fight training in films.
This process solidified The Smashing Machine as a realistic portrayal of martial arts training.
Author's Summary
Bas Rutten's real-time coaching of Dwayne Johnson, without rehearsals, brought unmatched authenticity to The Smashing Machine, setting it apart from typical staged fight films.