Von Erich Brothers; Iron Claw Cast.Photo:Dennis Brent; Eric Chakeen/A24
Dennis Brent; Eric Chakeen/A24
For the Von Erich brothers, wrestling was a family business.
InThe Iron Claw,hitting theaters on Dec. 22,Zac Efron,Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson andStanley Simonstake on the roles of the real-life brothers who, following in the footsteps of their father, Fritz Von Erich, stepped into the ring as part of a wrestling dynasty dating back to the 1960s.
“It just doesn’t seem like this could all happen to one family,” EfrontoldEW.“There’s a huge element of the movie that’s, of course, about wrestling and the showmanship aspect. But really, at its core, this movie’s an incredible story about family, love, loss, and ultimately the triumph of a man who tries to break the cycle of this crazy curse.”
Read on to learn more about the real-life brothers depicted in the upcoming film, and how the actors compare to the athletes they portray.
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Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich
Zac Efron as Kevin Von Erich.Courtesy Pro Wrestling Illustrated; A24
Courtesy Pro Wrestling Illustrated; A24
Efron completely transformed his physique for the film, though it was not the first time the actor had done so for a part. This time around, however, he was sure to go about it differently after the training for 2017’sBaywatchled to him falling “into a pretty bad depression, for a long time,” as he later toldMen’s Health.
“ThatBaywatchlook, I don’t know if that’s really attainable,“he said.“There’s just too little water in the skin. Like, it’s fake; it looks CGI’d. And that required powerful diuretics to achieve. So I don’t need to do that. I much prefer to have an extra, you know, 2 to 3 percent body fat.”
Efron’s costar,Jeremy Allen White, applaudedhis commitment, tellingEsquire:“He’s so focused and knowledgeable on training, diet, all that. In terms of a physical transformation, I think he kind of blew us all out of the water. He looks really amazing in this thing.”
During a Q&A following the movie’s New York City premiere in November,Efron opened up about what it felt likedepicting Kevin, knowing he’d see the film.
“Playing somebody who’s real and still alive adds an extra layer of complexity, I think,” Efron shared. “As an actor, it’s a fine line. You want to do everything you can to make sure it’s an honest portrayal of the character, without going so hard that it’s an impersonation. And for this movie, just knowing that he was going to be out there and would ultimately see it, I didn’t know if I was going to do a good job or not.”
“It was very motivating. It was incredibly motivating,” he continued. “That would keep me going in the gym and in the ring, just wanting to make him proud.”
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Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich
Jeremy Allen White as Kerry Von Erich.Courtesy Pro Wrestling Illustrated; A24
The Bearstar Jeremy Allen White portrays Kerry Von Erich in the film, a role that also warranted a physique change for the Golden Globe winner.
“You’retrying to consume as much as you possibly can, and, to be honest, you don’t feel great,” he toldEsquire.“I was training as well, but, I don’t know, trying to get that big, it’s no way to live.”
He recounted a diet of waffles, almond butter, turkey patties and avocado (“all the time”).
White admitted: “I knew I couldn’t get as big as Kerry. I just don’t think it was physically possible for me. I’m a pretty little guy, but I tried. I don’t think it’s possible for any human on the planet.”
03of 04Harris Dickinson as David Von ErichHarris Dickinson as David Von Erich.Courtesy Pro Wrestling Illustrated; A24Along with his brothers Kevin and Kerry, David Von Erich was a standout in World Class Championship Wrestling,per WWE.Harris Dickinson, who plays David in the film, toldEWthat learning the family’s signature maneuver — the “Iron Claw” for which the movie is named — was no easy feat.“I felt like I was complaining a lot throughout the process, but it did hurt!“he told the outlet.“It’s harder when you can’t squeeze someone’s head for real, so you have to create the idea that you are inflicting pain with just the squeeze of your hand and the shake. After a while, your forearms are cramping up, and you feel silly, like ‘My arm! I can’t do this anymore!’ “David died in 1984 from enteritis, theFort Worth Star-Telegramreported.
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Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich
Harris Dickinson as David Von Erich.Courtesy Pro Wrestling Illustrated; A24
Along with his brothers Kevin and Kerry, David Von Erich was a standout in World Class Championship Wrestling,per WWE.
Harris Dickinson, who plays David in the film, toldEWthat learning the family’s signature maneuver — the “Iron Claw” for which the movie is named — was no easy feat.
“I felt like I was complaining a lot throughout the process, but it did hurt!“he told the outlet.“It’s harder when you can’t squeeze someone’s head for real, so you have to create the idea that you are inflicting pain with just the squeeze of your hand and the shake. After a while, your forearms are cramping up, and you feel silly, like ‘My arm! I can’t do this anymore!’ "
David died in 1984 from enteritis, theFort Worth Star-Telegramreported.
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Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich
Stanley Simons as Mike Von Erich.Courtesy Pro Wrestling Illustrated; A24
While there were six Von Erich brothers in real life, the youngest brother, Chris, is not depicted in the film. Instead, writer and director Sean Durkin incorporated some of his story into Mike’s part in the movie.
“We made a choice to narrow [the focus] while trying to keep the essence of him,” Durkin toldEW.
Simons said the bond between him and his fellow actorsfelt much like that of a real family.
“Every time I was in a scene with them, it felt right,” the actor toldEW. “It felt like we were brothers. Sean was really open about improvising and letting us just do our own things in some takes. Obviously, we were following the script, but other times, we got to just mess around as brothers.”
Per theFort Worth Star-Telegram,Mike died in 1987 from an overdose.
source: people.com
