Vin Diesel Explains Tension With Dwayne Johnson: “It Was Tough Love”

As the latest Fast & Furious film remains the talk of Hollywood, Vin Diesel is taking a walk down memory lane. It was back in 2016 during the filming of the eighth movie when rumors spread that there was animosity on set between Vin and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The wrestling icon-turned-acclaimed actor was taking on the role of Luke Hobbs, and after an encounter on set, he took to Instagram to call someone out.

“When you watch this movie next April and it seems like I’m not acting in some of these scenes and my blood is legit boiling — you’re right,” Johnson wrote at the time. He later told Rolling Stone that he realized he and Vin were just different people with different “philosophies,” and in a recent interview with Men’s Health, Vin Diesel is sharing his side of the story.

Dwayne Johnson, The Rock, Fast & Furious, Vin Diesel
Frazer Harrison / Staff / Getty Images

“It was a tough character to embody, the Hobbs character. My approach at the time was a lot of tough love to assist in getting that performance where it needed to be,” said Vin. “As a producer to say, ‘OK, we’re going to take Dwayne Johnson, who’s associated with wrestling, and we’re going to force this cinematic world, audience members, to regard his character as someone that they don’t know’ — Hobbs hits you like a ton of bricks.”

That took a lot of work. We had to get there and sometimes, at that time, I could give a lot of tough love,” he said. “Not Felliniesque, but I would do anything I’d have to do in order to get performances in anything I’m producing.” Fans weren’t completely thrilled with Vin Diesel’s assessment and made their opinions known. Check it out below.

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