'We had really good stunt coordinators': Zac Efron talks about his transformation for Iron Claw
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Zac Efron faced significant challenges for his upcoming film, 'The Iron Claw!' The 'Baywatch' actor takes on the role of a professional wrestler in the movie and undergoes a rigorous preparation process.
Talking about the most difficult part, Zac said, "It was probably an ego one’ to play."
“It was the very first time that I had to enter the Sportatorium in Kevin's full costume, which was just, frankly, a Speedo, or trunks,” the actor shared.
“And everybody was out there, there was this huge crowd and the lights were on. I just remember in that moment thinking, how the hell did I end up here? What is going on?”
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The Pain that Zac went through
He continued, “At that moment I was frozen in time just going: This is it. This is the end. How did you get here? What choices have you made?”
Meanwhile, writer-director Sean Durkin talked about costuming, “We just wanted to celebrate you guys' beautiful thighs.”
Jeremy Allen White, who will be playing Kerry, shared “nothing catastrophic” from shooting The Iron Claw’s wrestling sequences, as per People.
“The worst of it was really waking up a little sore,” said the Emmy-nominated The Bear star. “You got some bruises, for sure.”
“We had really good stunt coordinators on the set [who] were just looking out for us the whole time and making it safe,” added Stanley Simons, who plays Mike.
“That is a testament to the environment that Sean created on the set. So I can say I got injured because I felt safe to do what I was doing because of the prep and because of the coordinators.”
Harris Dickinson, who plays David, quipped that his most dramatic injury occurred off-set: “I bit my tongue at a barbecue restaurant.”
Kevin Von Erich himself was there at the premiere, “I'm sure that you guys were on your way to getting a few [injuries] because all the stuff you guys learned, it takes weeks to get comfortable with that.”
Efron expressed that during the film, he developed "a profound appreciation for the athleticism required."
“There's a commitment and a level of agonizing torture, just pure athleticism for the sake of athleticism.”
Talking about Mathew Perry, Zac said, "He was a mentor to me, and we made a really cool film together.
"I looked up to him, I learned comedic timing from that guy… It was so surreal for me to look across and have him be there because I've learned so much from him, from his whole life."
