This awards season has a familiar theme: redemption.
Once dismissed as mere entertainers or mocked as tabloid fodder, popcorn draws or “just celebrities,” several of this season’s acting contenders are authoring dramatic second acts that could redefine their legacies.
Dwayne Johnson broke down in tears after the world premiere of “The Smashing Machine” in Venice. For two decades, Johnson has been “The Rock,” a muscle-bound box office juggernaut known for his catchphrases, not his craft. Now, with his starring turn in Benny Safdie’s dramatic biopic, he stands at the threshold of something he’s never achieved: his first Academy Award nomination.
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