Dwayne Johnson revealed the “crazy” method he used to become Maui for the Moana live-action film. The actor recalled going from filming The Smashing Machine directly to the Disney project. As a result, they adopted a long-used industry method.
Dwayne Johnson shares what he did to transform into Maui in Moana
In an interview with E! News, Dwayne Johnson and Catherine Laga’aia promoted their upcoming movie, Disney’s live-action Moana. During their conversation, Johnson said that to play demigod Maui, he had to wear a special suit weighing about 40 pounds because his real body shape was very different at the time.
“It was a suit, and it was crazy because I went from Smashing Machine and I was 50 pounds heavier than I am now,” the Baywatch actor explained. “From Smashing Machine, I went directly on set with Catie, so I had no time to change my body.”
Johnson then said that the filmmakers briefly considered using his actual appearance from The Smashing Machine. However, they quickly realized that his body was “intensely different” from what Maui had in the animated show. The actor even joked that fans would have had an “organ rejection” because Maui’s body is so different from his own.
As a result, the Jumanji star explained that the team worked with Academy Award-winning makeup artist Joel Harlow to create the “beautiful” suit. “40 pounds of suit that was hot as s**t,” Johnson recalled jokingly.
The Hobbs & Shaw star further added that it all worked out in the end because the suit eventually helped the film’s visuals. Maui’s tattoos famously come to life. So, Johnson said that they look better in a suit rather than on his own body. He added that it is a “better treat” for the audience to look at.
The live-action Moana is set to premiere in theaters on July 10.
Originally reported by Harsha Pandarunga on Mandatory.
