Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is currently starring in the biographical sports drama, The Smashing Machine.

In the film, the former WWE superstar, 53, plays MMA fighter Mark Kerr, who Johnson describes as ‘a walking contradiction.’

‘Once regarded as the top fighter in the world, yet also characterized by kindness, gentleness, tenderness, and empathy,’ he mentioned during the Venice Film Festival, as reported by the AP.

Unfortunately, the Jumanji actor revealed he couldn’t draw inspiration from his father, wrestling icon Rocky ‘Soulman’ Johnson, for this particular role.

‘I don’t think my dad was an inspiration in terms of his tenderness,’ he confessed.

Dwayne Johnson made a heartbreaking confession about his childhood while promoting The Smashing Machine at the Venice Film Festival

‘It wasn’t really my dad. He was homeless by the time he was 13, so his capacity for love was very limited and that’s the man that raised me.’

Dwayne and his father weren’t on speaking terms when he passed away in 2020.  

They stopped speaking on Christmas Eve 2019 after they got into a ‘massive fight’ on the phone. 

In an Instagram reflection on his dad’s passing earlier this year, Johnson expressed, ‘I wish I could embrace him just one more time, kiss his cheek, and look into his eyes to say, “We’re good.”

‘All those disagreements? They seem insignificant once they’re gone, especially when they’re truly gone. Those quarrels, whatever they were about, they just don’t matter.’

Johnson was set to begin shooting the Netflix action movie Red Notice when he received a call from a family friend informing him that Rocky passed away at 75 in 2020. The cause was a pulmonary embolism due to deep vein thrombosis at the Florida home he had purchased for him.

Six days later, the Moana 2 actor found himself at a podium delivering his father’s eulogy. 

‘I don’t want that for you guys,’ Johnson continued.

The Rock, 53, said that his father’s ‘capacity for love was very limited’

The WWE superstar is pictured with his dad Rocky and mother Ata in 1987

Dwayne’s father, Rocky, along with his partner Tony Atlas, secured the World Tag Team Championship in 1983, making them the first black champions in WWE history.

‘So if you’ve got your old man around, get uncomfortable, and pull him aside and say, “Let’s do our best to kind of squash this.” In the effort of trying, you should reach a new place of love. 

‘You start to realize, man, my dad loved me – a limited love with a limited capacity that he could love,’ he added.

‘But even with that limited capacity, he loved me with all he had. I didn’t realize that until much later in life. And once he was gone, I really realized that.’

The Rock didn’t get into specifics on their fight, but he hinted at his father’s past brushes with the law.

‘He taught me hard work and he taught me discipline – those two things, I realize, holy s***, those two anchors in my life have taken me so far,’ Johnson said.

‘Now some of the other s***, [laughing] that’s the stuff I don’t want to do and I learned the hard way. But I thank him for those lessons too. Soulman, happy anniversary! I know you’re up there and thank you the lessons.’