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Zac Efron’s first day in the professional wrestling ring was like that of many rookies: his mettle was tested by “running the ropes,” moving from side to side and jumping off the ropes in punishing fashion.
The star of the new real-life wrestling drama “The Iron Claw” (in theaters Friday) describes the experience as “pretty uncomfortable” as he learned the basics of being a real wrestler.
“I don’t know how these people do it, man,” says Efron, 36. “You think you’ve got it right, you go a few times and your confidence is boosted. Then you hit one of these things that’s only an inch high and your rib is gone. You can’t breathe for a few days.
“It’s shocking to do this for the first time. You say it’s not as easy as it looks on TV.
Written and directed by Sean Durkin, “Iron Claw” delves into the history of the Von Erich wrestling family, chronicling the rise of Texas siblings Kevin (Efron), David (Harris Dickinson) and Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) in the 1980s, but also the tragedies. The result of trying to live up to the overwhelming expectations of patriarch Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany).
“They’ve reached this level of rock star or superhero, and not for very long,” says White, 32. “It was interesting to explore the relationships (between) those brothers and how much rivalry and rivalry is inherent in that sport.”
In the film, Durkin recreates many of the wrestling matches from the Von Erichs’ heyday, against villains like Ric Flair, Harley Race, and the Fabulous Freebirds. “It was very easy for me to see that some of my original writing was when I was a 10-year-old boy playing with wrestling toys, building stories and conflicts in my head,” the director says.
To achieve this, his actors had to be in good physical and mental condition. Building muscle wasn’t anyone’s favorite part of the process: “The physical transformation was difficult. ‘I’m not a natural athlete,’ says Dickinson, while White hated ‘eating something every two hours.'” For Efron, dieting And daily exercise. “Just motivating yourself to get up and train and lift heavy weights can get very boring.”
“Iron Claw”:Zac Efron is ripped and brilliant in this true wrestling story
But Efron likens actual wrestling training to “fun camp with your best bros. There’s a team element, and you’re learning something new. It fires up different parts of your brain.” For the record, Efron was the group’s “biggest fan,” says Dickinson, 27. “He’s very supportive and just wants us to win all the time, which is what helped us get through it.”
Dickinson’s character inherits Von Erichs’ signature move, the iron claw, although the actor was more impressed by doing drop kicks. “It scared me because you have to jump in the air, kick (the opponent), and then land on your stomach from a great height,” he says. “I remember I did that and I was like ‘Oh.’ I want to do this again.”
Even Durkin got in on the action: “I had this fantasy that I was going to get in the ring and learn how to wrestle. And then it bounced off the ropes once and I was like, “Oh, that hurts.” “
In addition to improving their moves, “The Iron Claw” actors immersed themselves in the world of wrestling and found the community “full of support and love,” White says. “I didn’t quite realize how important wrestling was to making one.” “Last looks good. You really have to leave your ego at the door.” Wrestlers appeared in the Iron Claw premiere as well, including the real Kevin Von Erich, John Cena and All Elite Wrestling champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman, who is an executive producer on the film and Efron’s tag team partner in one scene.
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“Talking with Maxwell, it was very easy to get tips and tricks from him and then return the favor,” Efron says. “We had a similar kind of language. There’s a lot of similarities. I mean, look how many professional wrestlers have become actors – I know a little bit about things going the other way. Once you have the work ethic that makes you a professional wrestler, I’m sure that Adjusting and changing your strategy a little can be an easy transition, if you think about it.
Dickinson says he would “love” to team up with his Iron Claw bros again and engage in a wrestling match. White would also be willing, “if given a little time to cleanse and correct my body.”
While Efron feels they’ll need “a couple of weeks and a couple of sessions just to make sure we get the flexibility, man, we can be there,” he says. “It’s going to be fun. I don’t know if it’s going to be the most exciting show.”
“I don’t know if we’ll be able to compete, but yeah, I can be there physically,” White joked.
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