Zac Efron has received praise from fans for his commitment to transforming into the role of a pro wrestler in his latest movie Iron Claw.
Efron has played a whole plethora of roles so far throughout his acting career, proving to many he’s not only capable of playing just a high school student – as seen in High School Musical and 17 Again.
From the actor’s chilling portrayal as Ted Bundy in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and now, to Efron taking on the role of a wrestler.
And it’s not just any old wrestler Efron is popping on the boots to be, but American pro Kevin Von Erich.
Von Erich was also part of a whole family of wrestlers, his father – Fritz Von Erich – and four of his six brothers also professionals in the industry.
Oh, and Kevin once held the title of world champion after winning the WCWA World Heavyweight Championship.
So, it’s fair to say, in taking on the role, Efron had to undergo some pretty intense physical training to portray Von Erich as best as he could.
Efron took on the role for upcoming biographical sport film The Iron Claw – written, produced and directed by Sean Durkin and distributed by A24.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the actor revealed he was ‘blown away on the first day’ when his co-stars Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson – who play two of the other Von Erich brothers – got to work on the movie.
“You were jumping off ropes and doing huge hits,” he recalls. Although, White quickly responds: “But I don’t know, Zac, I never saw you not good at anything.”
Efron adds the group have ‘some pretty funny iPhone footage’ of them all wrestling for the first time, although the actors also had to prepare for the role outside of the ring too.
Stanley Simons – who plays the role of another of the brothers, Mike Von Erich – explains the group had to eat ‘a lot’ in preparation for their roles.
“I was just eating frozen turkey patties and avocados and protein shakes and waffles and almond butter,” White exemplifies.
And the actors hard work to channel their roles as wrestlers has been recognised, a fan of Efron taking to X – formerly known as Twitter – to write: “Zac Efron’s transformation for ‘Iron Claw’ is mind-blowing! He’s a chameleon of talent in the world of entertainment.”
Another user said: “Hollywood’s master of disguise! Zac Efron’s dedication to his craft is unmatched. Can’t wait to see him in Iron Claw.”
The Iron Claw is currently set for release on 22 December, 2023.
