Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Harris Dickinson Open Up About the ‘Tiny Spandex’ Struggles in the Hollywood Movie ‘The Iron Claw’

The Von Elrich brothers took the wrestling world by storm during the 1980s. These Texas natives were one of the most charismatic wrestlers of their time. Thus, when Zac Efron, Harris Dickinson, and Allen White were vested with the responsibility of portraying the iconic wrestlers, no wonder they struggled. Surprisingly, the struggles mentioned by the cast were not so much with acting, but something related to their wardrobe. 

While preparing for their roles, the actors had to pick up the mannerisms of the legendary wrestlers by sweating it out in the ring. Interestingly, they also had to wear the in-ring attire donned by the Von Elrich brothers. This is where problems began for the three actors! 

Wrestling gear dilemma in ‘The Iron Claw’

Portraying a famed individual is not an easy task. The actors in charge must perfect the style and charisma of the individuals they are playing. A vital part of this is to get comfortable in the personalities’ attires. Likewise, when Efron, White, and Dickinson started filming for ‘The Iron Claw’ in Baton Rouge, they sported the spandex shorts made famous by the Von Elrich brothers. 

Unfortunately, all three actors reportedly felt “vulnerable” to wear the in-ring gear. Zac Efron stated that embracing the outfits for the role was necessary, as it was part of their job. Dickinson further hilariously referred to the outfit as, “these tiny spandex sort of things.” He further credited their team of makeup artists for doing a fabulous job by shaving their entire bodies to prepare for their roles. 

White too, was not very much comfortable wearing the gear initially. He stated, “I felt very vulnerable all the time. The wardrobe was so important to the men at the time. You had to commit… or else.” 

Although the cast expressed their hesitations about their outfits, they did put all of their hard work into the roles. And according to one of the Von Elrich brothers, the hard work paid off! 

Kevin Von Elrich praises Zac Efron and the cast

To portray the legendary wrestlers, the actors followed a strict diet and workout regime. While Efron played Kevin Von Elrich, Dickinson and White portrayed David and Kerry Von Elrich, respectively. They gobbled up thousands of calories while training in the gym and inside the squared circle to perfect their execution. 

The movie deals with the wrestlers’ struggles with their family and their eagerness to fulfill the expectations of Fritz Von Elrich, their father. Holt McCallany plays the role of Fritz in the movie. While the world premiere took place in Dallas in November 2023, Kevin, the sole surviving brother attended the screening. 

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Kevin Von Elrich seemed elated with the entire cast, especially his portrayal by Zac Efron. He said, “It’s not easy to be me. I wrestled seven years World Class, but then I wrestled 22 years…That’s a whole lot to cram into a movie, but he was able to do it … he’s a real star. They all are.” 

With such words of appreciation coming from the legend himself, the hype is all the more now. The movie will hit theatres on December 22, 2023. Are you excited for the movie? Do let us know in the comments below. 

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