The consensus among the film world seems to be that The Iron Claw, and Zac Efron’s lead performance in particular, was one of the biggest snubs of the 2024 awards season.
In what many consider to be a career-best performance, Efron portrayed Kevin Von Erich in the Sean Durkin-directed film.
Given that Efron was tasked with leading a family full of ripped alpha male wrestlers, the training he put in to get in shape for the part was undeniably intense, as he and the rest of the cast detailed in the below exclusive video.
“Preparing to play Kevin [von Erich] was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done phyiscally,” Efron says.
“And I started one of the most rigorous training and diet programs that I’ve ever been on in my entire life. It was very tough,” he continues.
“Ultimately, it was a really big insight for me into who Kevin was — just the dedication that he was willing to put into his physicality and into wrestling.”
In addition to Efron, The Bear star Jeremy Allen White, who plays Kerry von Erich, also detailed how he “ate a lot more and lifted a lot.”
In addition to Efron and White, The Iron Claw also stars Harris Dickinson, Maura Tierney, Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany, and Lily James.
The Iron Claw is now available on Blu-ray from A24 and Lionsgate!