Fighting with My Family was a 2019 endeavor that starred talents like Florence Pugh, Dwayne Johnson, Jack Lowden, Vince Vaughn, Nick Frost, etc., in a biographical comedy that took inspiration from the 2012 Max Fisher-helmed documentary titled The Wrestlers: Fighting with My Family. Centered around English professional wrestler Saraya Bevis’s (also known by her ring name Paige) journey to WWE acclaim, the film managed to garner a warm critical reception from audiences. It additionally amassed a box office collection of $41.5 million worldwide.
Although a cameo role, The Rock starred in the film as himself. Besides acting in the project, Johnson also helped in producing the Stephen Merchant-directed sports comedy-drama. The former pro wrestler’s presence in the pursuit allowed leading actress Florence Pugh to depend on a mentor figure who could guide her along the filming process. After all, for a non-wrestler, starring in a film like Fighting with My Family could come off as an intimidating undertaking.
Therefore, with Dwayne Johnson’s off-set and on-set assistance, Pugh was triumphantly able to explore the world of wrestling within the movie’s narrative. In an interview, the Oscar nominee recounted an anecdote that occurred during the movie’s production where the Black Adam alum shocked everyone with his awe-inspiring monologuing skills. In her words, “It was just mental.”
How Florence Pugh Thrived Under Dwayne Johnson’s Guidance
Talking to Entertainment Weekly in 2019, Midsommar talent Florence Pugh admitted that she was not the biggest connoisseur of wrestling shows. However, after having starred in the Stephen Merchant-helmed film, her entire Twitter feed was flooded with WWE-related content. Pugh, who plays the role of Paige in the film, sheds light on how a star like Dwayne Johnson, who is well-acquainted with the world of WWE, helped her with the seemingly non-traversable endeavor.
Without Johnson’s unwavering encouragement and mentoring, the actress’s scant comprehension of the material might have obstructed her from playing Saraya “Paige” Bevis and resulted in her failing to do the role justice. Therefore, it came off as no surprise to see the MCU talent laud the Jumanji star for his constant and unbridled support.
Following is what she said about him:
“He’s so gorgeous, I was sure that I was going to find some little problem with him — I was adamant that I was going to be the person that discovered he smelled funny or that he actually didn’t know how to wrestle, but he really is that perfect!”
From the above statement, we can discern that the actress was taken aback by the WWE legend’s “perfect” demeanor. Having contrasted her initial expectations, The Rock turned out to be a flawless mentor. Florence Pugh was able to appreciate the talent in all of his glory because of his extraordinary acting prowess combined with profound expertise in wrestling.
Pugh then detailed the extent of her gratitude towards the Moana alum, whose mentorship allowed the actress to immerse herself deep within the intricate realm of wrestling:
“He was so helpful with sculpting the wrestling side of it. I take my hat off to him for trusting me as a non-wrestler entering this wrestling world, and I also thank him hugely for being patient and completely helping me along the way.”
While The Rock’s off-set expertise managed to bring to the project a flair of authenticity and genuineness, his on-screen competence left his co-stars completely stunned—so much so that the actors who witnessed Johnson’s talent did not need to feign their amazement. They were quite literally shocked.
Dwayne Johnson Mastered His Monologue In 20 Minutes
A scene in Fighting with My Family features Florence Pugh and Jack Lowden’s characters partaking in the tryouts for WWE’s NXT training program. Here, the two request the guidance of The Rock. What follows next is an electrifying, inspiriting yet serious monologue that demands not only the attention of the two characters present on-screen but also the audience viewing it. The execution of the picture-perfect sequence involved Dwayne Johnson mastering his lines in twenty minutes. This is a testament to the talent intrinsic to the former pro wrestler.
In an anecdote, Pugh detailed the astonishing incident:
“He learned it (the monologue) in about 20 minutes. He came on set and we went through our lines and he kind of disappeared, then he came back and he knew it all. He just shouted at us for a good couple of minutes. It was just mental. At the time, it was exactly as impressive as it was in the film, and honestly, the faces that you see me and Jack making during that scene were exactly the faces we were doing; we didn’t need to act.”
Johnson’s skills left both Pugh and Lowden flabbergasted, not only in character but also out of it. The inclusion of the legendary wrestler into the story had an impact on the characters that were true to the movie’s theme. Therefore, Dwayne Johnson’s unrivaled magnetic charisma, in addition to the rest of the cast’s dedicated embodiment of their respective roles, managed to bring forth a sincere, heartwarming depth to the 2019 film. Their commitment to the Stephen Merchant-penned cinematic pursuit ultimately expedited the movie’s critical success.
At the end of the day, there is a reason why the Florence Pugh starrer has an approval rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. The film packs not only a comedic punch but also an emotional, heartfelt one, and this wouldn’t have been possible without the team responsible for bringing the story of Saraya Bevis to life.
Fighting with My Family is available on Apple TV.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
