Hollywood is no new to putting their actors in extremely rigorous routines to squeeze out the best performance, and things aren’t different in Zac Efron’s The Iron Claw. Based on the real-life athlete and performer Kevin Von Erich, whose wrestling family was torn apart by a string of tragedies, the rated-R sports drama is now on the verge of becoming one of Efron’s most acclaimed films.
But the success came at the cost of Efron’s mental and physical well-being, whose commitment to the role was deemed inhumane by his costar Jeremy Allen White, who played Kerry Von Erich.
Also read: The Iron Claw Review – Zac Efron Gives Best Performance of the Year
Zac Efron Was a Machine in The Iron Claw
Like the real-life Von Erich brothers, who were referred to as machines crafted by their father, Jeremy Allen White explained that Zac Efron completely dedicated himself to the film. White White and his costars allowed themselves to have a life outside of work, it wasn’t the case for The Disaster Star, who put himself through the wringer for The Iron Claw. Following his inhumane commitment to the craft, the actor isolated himself from the rest of the world, and unlike White, Efron never strayed too far from the character even after the day ended. White explained (via Variety),
“Harris [Dickinson] and I — we got dinner every once in a while, or we allowed ourselves a little bit of life outside of work during that time. And I’m not so sure about Zac. He was kind of a machine during that time… he put in so much commitment, and so much time, his mindset was all ‘Iron Claw’. His life was solely about that. It was contained. And it was shut off from everything else.” He continued, “I don’t know how far away Zac got from Kevin during the entirety of the filming process, but if I had to guess, I don’t think he ever drifted too far away from character,”
A part of the reason behind the Baywatch Star’s unhealthy determination to The Iron Claw is a result of the actor’s obsession with perfection. But The Iron Claw not only had a psychological toll on the actor, but his body also took an equal beating, as having all that weight on him didn’t “feel normal”.
Zac Efron Felt More Comfortable on The Iron Claw Compared to His Past Projects
While the film pushed him beyond his limits, both physically and psychologically, putting his acting chops to the test, surprisingly, Efron doesn’t regret putting him through the wringer for the sports drama. Considering Efron, whose career spans over 2-decades, has been waiting to wrestle with tough themes for years, he felt more secure on the set of The Iron Claw compared to his past projects. He said,
“On this set, more than anywhere in the past, I felt more comfortable,”
With the early reviews hitting in, it seems all the effort paid off for the actor, as critics are commending the dark wrestling drama, which currently sits at 91% on the Tomatometer.
The Iron Claw will hit theatres on December 22, 2023.
