As the release date for the The Iron Claw wrestling biopic nears, stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Harris Dickinson are teasing us with some of what we can expect.
Among the thirst traps are the hairless and chiseled bodies the actors worked so hard on to bring the story to life. For those unaware, The Iron Claw follows the Von Erich brothers, Kevin (Efron), Kerry (White), David (Dickinson) and Mike (Stanley Simmons). They’re one of the most famous wrestling families in history and underwent an enormous amount of personal tragedy during their time in the spotlight.
One thing the actors had to do to get in character?
Shave. Everything.
“Our bodies had to be completely shaved,” White told Variety at a reception for the film in Los Angeles. “We were strangers at the time. Now I know them and love them, but at the time, it was like, ‘Hi, nice to meet you and yes, they’re shaving off all of our body hair.”
This is among the many pre-show tidbits that have us excited about the homoeroticism in this film. While we can only imagine what it was like to be in the room with all of these men, presumably naked, White admitted, “It was incredible but we also looked ridiculous.”
Once they were smooth from head to toe, director Sean Durbin (Martha Marcy May Marlene) forced the actors to get into increasingly tighter outfits to show us all they’re working with.
“It was always smaller, always shorter,” said White. “It was never, ‘Cover up their skin.’ I don’t think any of us were confident in those first fittings. We were like, ‘We have a lot of work to do.”
That said, despite the 25 pounds of muscle White packed on to play “The Texas Tornado” and the 22 pounds Dickinson gained for “The Yellow Rose of Texas” on 3,000 calories a day, both of them still felt comfortable being in the shot with Efron.
“I joke about it but it’s true — I didn’t want to stand close to him while shooting the movie because it would make me look my size,” said White. “But it’s hard because we play brothers. I do have to be around him. Although I tried to make Harris stand next to him most of the time.”
The Iron Claw, already hailed for being a tender tribute and moving tribute to the Von Erichs that chronicles the highs and lows of their lives, is set to hit theaters on December 22.
