Bas Rutten recently opened up about playing himself in The Smashing Machine. For many, it might seem like a surreal experience. However, Rutten said stepping into the role wasn’t too difficult.
The film stars Dwayne Johnson as UFC legend Mark Kerr. It focuses on his life between 1997 and 2000, which was a pivotal time in his career. Rutten, now 60, played himself as he appeared in his mid-30s.
‘El Guapo’ helped train Kerr during that era and witnessed his highs and lows firsthand. The film is based on the 2002 HBO documentary of the same name, which also featured Rutten.
In a recent interview with Heavy Sports, Rutten explained how he first learned about the film.
“I heard [about the film] a long time ago from [Kerr] actually. He said, ‘Hey, they might make a movie about [me]’, then I heard [Johnson] announcing it at the UFC,” Rutten said. “It was silent for a while and I thought maybe it’s not gonna happen. And then, suddenly Mark called me.”
Rutten revealed that director, Benny Safdie contacted him, asking to play his younger self in the film. He immediately understood the difficulty of casting someone else in the role.
“I knew exactly who [Safdie] was and that was it. He called me and we had a great conversation,” Rutten said. “All my friends also said, ‘Who’s going to play you?’ It’s going to be hard to find a guy who is that weird kind of. But, then it was me. 25 years after the events actually happened.”
Bas Rutten Praises The Smashing Machine Director Benny Safdie
Bas Rutten also praised The Smashing Machine director, Benny Safdie for his creative process. He described the experience on set as smooth and very positive.
Speaking to Heavy Sports, Rutten emphasized the importance of Safdie being authentic and that it was a top priority. According to the UFC Hall of Famer, the scenes felt genuine and allowed him to act as himself.
“It wasn’t difficult [to reenact past events], but it was because of [Safdie]. He’s a guy that gets everyone so relaxed on the set,” Rutten said. “With me, it was just like, ‘Okay, read the script but you do whatever you want to do because it’s you. I’m not going to tell you what to say and what to do. Just be you.’”
Rutten Credits Lifestyle Changes for Being Able to Play Himself
Rutten retired from fighting in 2006. Since then, he has made several major lifestyle changes.
He credits those changes for helping him play himself so many years later. Speaking with Heavy Sports, Rutten explained the nutritional changes he made and how its improved his quality of life.
“Since my last fight in 2006, I stared having a nutritionist for the very first time, and that’s when I realized what food does for you,” Rutten said. “I was hurting a lot, but I’m feeling mentally and for the rest physically, without the injuries, I’m feeling great. So, I just started living healthy and thankfully I didn’t age too bad, so I was able to play myself.”
Rutten remains active on social media. He often posts health and fitness related content on his Instagram, including his training product, the O2Trainer. Staying informed and disciplined has helped him maintain his health and appearance.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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