[ad_1]
For his extensive role in The Iron Clawstar Zac Efron brought legendary and groundbreaking pro wrestler Kevin Von Erich to life on the big screen – a challenge that truly took a lot of effort and help to complete.
Efron walked the red carpet at the Dallas premiere of the new wrestling biopic dramaWednesday at The Texas Theater, and he spoke with ET’s Cassie DiLaura about his experience becoming the famous figure.
“This movie is a true story, and that man, Kevin Von Erich, really motivated me to get in shape for this movie,” Efron said of the real-life figure he portrayed, who was also in attendance at Wednesday’s premiere.
“The physicality he brought to the ring every day was truly unique. It changed wrestling,” Efron continued. ‘I knew this was going to be the hardest [thing] for me to master and be right. So I put everything I had into it.”
And it seems to be paying off. As Efron explained, “He told me last night that he was happy with it, so I’m happy! I cried a little bit, if I’m completely honest.”
Besides getting in top shapeThe role also required Efron to rock the famous wrestler’s bowl cut-do and specifically wrestling attire.
“It was shocking at every point of the transformation,” Efron said. ‘I remember Harris [Dickinson] and I was out of hair and makeup and it was like we had to wear the full package for the first time, and we were both like, ‘What the hell are we doing here, man? How did we get into this?'”
“But I think it looked really good in the end and we had a great team that helped us with that,” Efron added. “The hair and makeup team was epic.”
The Iron Claw follows the Von Erich family, led by patriarch and coach Fritz Von Erich (played by Mindhunter star Holt McCallany) and his sons – Kevin Von Erich (Efron), David (Dickinson), Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) and Mike (Stanley Simons).
The Von Erich brothers spent most of their careers in World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW), where they won multiple individual and tag team titles. The family was a pro wrestling dynasty in the 1980s, experiencing both triumph and tragedy both inside and outside the ring.
The untimely fate of the brothers (five of Fritz’s six sons would precede him in death) led many wrestling fans to mythologize the idea of the “Von Erich Curse”.
The Iron Claw hits theaters on December 22.
RELATED CONTENT:
