Zac Efron discusses physical transformation for ‘The Iron Claw’

Actor Zac Efron has described his role in the film ‘The Iron Claw’ as one of his most uncomfortable performances. To portray wrestler Kevin Von Erich, Efron underwent a significant physical transformation, gaining approximately 15 pounds of muscle through a regimen of bodybuilding, Olympic lifting, and wrestling training.

Beyond the physical demands, Efron noted that the most jarring aspect of the production was the vulnerability experienced between takes. He described the discomfort of standing in his underwear around the film crew during breaks, stating, “I’ve never experienced that one before.”

The film follows the Von Erich family, a professional wrestling dynasty inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, whose history was marked by a series of tragedies often referred to as the ‘Von Erich curse.’ Efron stars alongside Harris Dickinson, Jeremy Allen White, and Stanley Simons, who portray his on-screen brothers.