In the months leading up to the release of The Smashing Machine on the 2025 movie schedule, there was a lot a talk about Dwayne Johnson’s transformation to play UFC and PRIDE legend Mark Kerr. Johnson not only lived up to the hype in the performance of a lifetime, but he exceeded it in every way imaginable. I don’t have a say in picking nominations for any of the upcoming awards shows, but I’ll be shocked if the wrestler-turned-actor does get a few nods when it’s all said and done.
However, after watching Benny Safdie’s hard-hitting and emotionally gruelling sports biopic, there’s another performance I hope people start celebrating. No, it’s not Emily Blunt’s Dawn Staples or Bas Rutten playing himself (though both are great). It’s Ryan Bader’s portrayal of Mark Coleman, Kerr’s longtime friend, coach, and competitor.
Ryan Bader’s Portrayal Of Mark Coleman Is Honestly One Of The Best Parts Of The Smashing Machine
There’s a lot to love in The Smashing Machine. From Dwayne Johnson’s transformative performance that was so good I sometimes forgot I wasn’t watching the real Mark Kerr to an unmatched attention to detail by Benny Safdie to the way the movie looks like the documentary on which it was based, I was hooked. But I was not expecting a supporting character like Ryan Bader’s Mark Coleman to blow me away like this. It was so unexpected, so understated, and so powerful.
Several times throughout the movie (especially the second half), I found myself caring more for Coleman’s journey than anything else that was happening. An aging fighter trying to win one last tournament to win a life-changing amount of money to provide for his family, Coleman was the heart and soul of this thrilling and dramatic biopic. I was rooting for him to prove the world wrong, overcome the odds, and buy his daughter a new bike. It was so damn touching.
I Couldn’t Believe This Was Bader’s First Acting Role
Going into The Smashing Machine, I was fully aware of Ryan Bader’s mixed martial arts career. From his time on The Ultimate Fighter to his stint in the UFC to his time in Bellator MMA, I’ve watched a number of his fights over the years. However, I had no idea that his portrayal of Mark Coleman was his first acting role. I was blown away by the nuanced and impressive performance he gave on screen, especially as a counterbalance to Dwayne Johnson’s take on Mark Kerr.
Just as he’s handled himself in the octagon all these years, Bader held his own when sharing scenes with Johnson, Emily Blunt, and everyone else who shows up in The Smashing Machine’s two-hour runtime. There are countless examples of this, but I keep going back to a heartbreaking scene in a hospital room where Bader and Johnson share an emotional conversation that’s Oscar-worthy in itself.
I don’t know what the future holds for Ryan Hader in terms of acting, and this could very well be a one-and-done for the mixed martial artist. If that’s the case (I hope it’s not), what a remarkable performance.