Dwayne Johnson Was Super Stressed The Morning Golden Globes Noms Came Out. How Ryan Coogler Made His Day

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Dwayne Johnson is enjoying a remarkable year. Following his performance in the critically praised film The Smashing Machine, he received his first-ever Golden Globe nomination for 2026. This is a significant achievement, especially considering the film is a small, dramatic piece – a departure from his usual big-budget action movies. Johnson has said this new direction in his career means a lot to him, and he was understandably anxious when the nominations were announced, but director Ryan Coogler helped him calm down.

During a recent red carpet interview with the Are You Okay Show, the Jumanji star revealed he had actually turned his phone off the day that the Golden Globe nominations came out, because he was so nervous. Eventually he decided to turn his phone on and he only heard one ding, which he thought indicated that he may not’ve gotten the nomination. In the Instagram video, he said:

I heard one bing and I thought, that can’t be good.

But things weren’t as he’d imagined. When he checked his phone, he found a text from Ryan Coogler, the director of Black Panther, congratulating him. That’s when Johnson realized he’d gotten the nomination.

That one bing actually represented a thousand texts, and it was amazing

I absolutely loved this story! It was so heartwarming to see Ryan Coogler share such amazing news. Seeing Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson enjoy all the love for his new film at the Venice Film Festival has been wonderful. His statement after the warm reception was so genuine, and he was clearly thrilled to learn Christopher Nolan appreciated his performance as Mark Kerr. While Dwayne always delivers at the box office, this feels different – it’s so great to see him getting this kind of recognition for his acting and enjoying every moment of it!

Dwayne Johnson is looking to challenge himself with diverse acting roles. He’s reuniting with Benny Safdie for a new film called Lizard Music, where he’ll portray a 75-year-old man, requiring another significant physical change as he loses weight for the part. Johnson is also working on a thriller with A24, playing the role of a mysterious self-help leader.

Overall, things are looking very promising for Johnson. The supportive message from Ryan Coogler, a highly talented filmmaker, wasn’t just about the impressive achievement of a Golden Globe nomination—it also showed that Johnson is well-respected within the industry. His powerful performance in The Smashing Machine makes all of this recognition deserved. Hopefully, he’ll cherish this moment, and perhaps even work with Coogler on a future project.

Dwayne Johnson’s Golden Globe-nominated film, The Smashing Machine, is available to rent or buy on Prime Video. And for those who enjoy director Ryan Coogler’s work, his new movie Sinners is now streaming on HBO Max.

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2025-12-22 04:08