Why Zac Efron’s ‘Ego’ Suffered Filming ‘The Iron Claw’

To play wrestling legend Kevin Von Erich on screen, Zac Efron had to undergo quite the physical transformation for his role in The Iron Claw. During filming, there were moments when Efron’s self-consciousness about his body came floating to the surface—so much so that he says it was worse than anything else he dealt with on set. 

Speaking at a press conference following the premiere of the movie, Efron admitted that the most severe pain he experienced getting into the role “was probably an ego one.”

“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,” he recalled, per People. “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?”

“In 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?'” he thought, adding that the movie felt more like Magic Mike than a wrestling movie. 

Efron shared more about his unique look in an interview with Entertainment Tonight. When he saw himself dressed as his character, he questioned his choices that led him to that moment. 

“It was shocking at every point of the transformation,” Efron said. “I remember Harris [Dickinson] and I were walking out of hair and make-up and it was like the first time we had to wear the full kit, and we were both thinking, ‘What the hell are we doing here, man? How did we get into this?'”

You can see Efron’s transformation for yourself when The Iron Claw hits theaters Dec. 22.