In this episode, GG Hawkins sits down with filmmaker and actor Benny Safdie to dig into his solo directorial feature The Smashing Machine — a biopic‑adjacent portrait of UFC legend Mark Kerr starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. The conversation ranges from genesis stories and casting experiments to the heavy emotional labor behind staging domestic fights, and how Benny’s dual identity as actor-director shapes his approach to truth in film.
In this episode, No Film School’s GG Hawkins and guest Benny Safdie discuss…
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How the film began as a handwritten letter and a vintage sweater, and the surprising miscommunication that delayed the project
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Benny’s desire to make emotional scenes feel like “virtual reality,” pushing the boundary between fiction and lived experience
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His method of breaking big scenes (fights, domestic conflict) into overlapping sections for pacing, focus, and emotional veracity
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Working with first-time actors and real athletes: adapting dialogue, rehearsal during casting, and honoring spontaneity
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The role of the score (with Nala Sinefroo) as an “actor” in the film, and how Benny collaborates with musicians
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Editing while shooting, watching dailies, and carrying the film in his mind from set to cut
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Struggles in balancing creative work with personal life, and how photography serves as a solitary creative practice
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Advice for emerging directors: start with something you intimately understand before trying to overreach
Memorable Quotes:
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“What you write is meaningless if it doesn't sound good coming out of the person's mouth.”
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“I want it to feel like you were really there… the sound has to be 360.”
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“You have to love what’s there. You have to fall in love with it.”
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“I call it liposuction for the end — shrink wrapping the film.”
Guests:
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