Zac Efron left ‘All On The Field’ with ‘The Iron Claw’ and changed along the way: ‘It lit the fire in me again’ – Deadline Interview

For Zac Efron, A24s The Iron Claw was the most challenging project in a career spanning more than twenty years, but “in the best way possible.”

Writer-director Sean Durkin’s film chronicles the true rise to greatness and journey through breathtaking tragedy of Kevin Von Erich, the eldest son of a wrestling family that has had a tremendous impact on the sport over the years. To date there are sixty. Or at least the oldest still alive when this particular story begins.

After the drowning of firstborn Jack Jr. at the age of six, Kevin acted as a gentle and loving leader to his siblings, along with brothers Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), David (Harris Dickinson) and Mike (Stanley Simons). trying to fulfill the unfulfilled sporting expectations of their parents – fashionable, emotionally distant wrestler father Fritz (Holt McCallany). Then, presumably because of the long-discussed “Von Erich curse” that hangs over his family, he must watch as his brothers and sisters suddenly die out one by one until he is no longer a brother.

Efron received his best reviews yet Iron Claw In this turn, he added another well-placed 15 pounds of muscle to mimic the wrestler’s physique, while also delivering a haunting portrayal of Kevin’s descent into turmoil as grief threatens to consume his entire life. In the only interview he’s given since the film’s release, the actor talks about Kevin Von Erich’s “tremendous courage” and why this film, which left him “completely on the playing field,” is the film he “always wanted.” do” and what role projects he wants to pursue after rekindling the fire in him.

DEADLINE: How did you feel when you saw the response to your work? The Iron Clawand for film in general?

ZAC EFRON: Oh, I’m just so grateful for this whole experience. It re-ignited the fire in me and really makes me incredibly grateful.

DEADLINE: People talk about a career best that shows another side of your abilities. Was it an opportunity for you? wait for?

EPHRON: I have always wanted, and I feel this may be the case, just the opportunity to leave something valuable to the audience through a film. I have a certain obligation to the audience to give them what this film does, and that is the ability to reimagine and relive. To hear that experience and the words of the people in the film, it just means everything, man. It is difficult to put into words.

DEADLINE: Which story in this story did you connect with the most when you were approached?

EPHRON: It was really Kevin’s journey and connection with this family. They’re going through a tremendous tragedy right now, and his ability to persevere through it and persevere and just be reckless, I think, takes tremendous courage. There is something about the story in the film that can have a significant, measurable impact on how we view life, and I am deeply grateful to be able to be a part of such an experience through this story that I want to tell. I think this is the film I’ve always wanted to make.

DEADLINE: You’ve talked about yourself as a perfectionist when it comes to your job, and there’s definitely an element of that in the Von Erichs’ approach to their sport…

EPHRON: Yes, and I could see that quality in Kevin. I was able to benefit from it for seven or eight months before I put it in front of the camera. It was something I had to live and become, and in many ways it took control of my life in a strange way. It’s a part of this acting process that you just have to trust and go with, and it can be incredibly dark at times, and also on that side, it can be incredibly satisfying.

DEADLINE: Through Kevin’s story, we get a rather poignant exploration of what it means to be a man as he struggles with the toxic understanding of masculinity his father forced upon him. How did you relate to this aspect of his experience? What role has the consideration of masculinity played in your own life and work?

EPHRON: It’s interesting, because I think the definition of masculinity is constantly changing. It’s constantly evolving and this story touches on a certain type of masculinity that I could identify with. It was something close to my heart for some reason. There have been several moments in my life, be it for a role or even just for myself, where I’ve been pushed to push my physicality to other inhuman proportions, and sometimes it got the better of me. I think I can express and share how it’s happening and how it feels… I’m incredibly grateful for this story, that I’m coming into an area that’s hard to talk about, and something that I think falls into this area of which films have a responsibility to do. That’s what cinema should do and I think we owe it to our audience to engage with such subjects and leave them with something to think about, feel and experience. It’s really beautiful how changing something that might be a negative in a film can change the experience.

DEADLINE: Tell us about the preparation behind your performance.

EPHRON: Nothing could prepare me for wrestling. [Laughs] I always found the physical preparation and training very interesting. I have always admired people’s transformations, especially in film roles. I just find this connection fascinating and special when I see it. While I was training for this, I mainly had to train for my championship, my belt fight. It came down to the question: How accurate is my training? How committed am I to this? How hard can I push? I think I shed some skin somewhere in the seven months that Kevin was actually at the helm. It felt honest, it felt real. I felt I was physically there; As a direct result of the training, I felt mentally ready, and from then on wrestling became surprisingly fun. In many ways it strengthened the bond we had as brothers before the film.

I think I did most of the training and preparation for this film myself. I didn’t really reach out to friends or family and it was a very isolating process. But about a week or two before filming, when we wrestled, as soon as we got in the ring, I got real brothers. There was a sense of encouragement and camaraderie that I hadn’t felt in six months, and I think it just created a very genuine love and respect for these guys who made their way into the film in the best way possible.

DEADLINE: Few artists can transform themselves for a role like you can. What is it like to live like this? I can’t imagine how much work it is and what it must be like to constantly move through such different physical states.

EPHRON: That’s all, man. It’s nice to be able to give everything, leave everything on the field for a project and a figure in honor of someone. This is a true story told through the lens of Sean Durkin, someone who truly has a vision and respect for the audience and brings a lot of himself. Opportunities like this don’t come around often in life, and when they do, they can push you to do extraordinary things.

I think the most important thing I focus on is balance. When you’re preparing for the role and becoming that person, it’s one thing: there’s kind of a clear road map to follow, and it’s fun to get scientifically and concretely familiar with these different routines and training modalities. This part is fascinating, but when it’s over, I wish I could say that I’m good at shedding, or that I can shed everything very easily, that I can just start doing it again. But honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again after playing Kevin. It definitely changed me; I keep coming back to Zac.

DEADLINE: Do you feel like you carry each of your characters with you as you move through your life?

EPHRON: The character will always live on in me. Kevin, he’s a part of me now and I think I’m a part of him.

DEADLINE: It must be surreal to have a real relationship with the person you played against like you have with Kevin.

EPHRON: It certainly makes a lot of sense. For months I said it was in the back of my mind, but actually it was the first thing I thought about every morning and every night before I went to bed: How would Kevin feel about this? Knowing that he would eventually live to see the film is scary at times. You can drive yourself crazy if you think about it too much. There is a part of you that just needs to trust the process and believe in the work.

In the end, meeting Kevin, having the opportunity to sit down and spend one-on-one time with him, just the conversations we had and the things he took away from the film and what he attracted told me one of the greatest feelings I’ve ever had. There was something deep inside me that made me very proud and humbled that Kevin was receptive. For him this film was all about the brothers and he felt the presence of his brothers in the film and that was it.

DEADLINE: What expectations do you have for the next stages of your career? You have a few films planned, but is there anything in particular you want to try further down the line?

EPHRON: I think now I look forward and look at each project with a broader picture. I look for directors with a real story and perspective and a group around them who are as committed as they are [where] Your commitment is as great as mine to give audiences a reason to see the film. I think I will definitely be more selective in the best possible way. That’s why I always wanted to make films. Now I see it more as a responsibility and think that it will naturally make me more selective in the future. And it asks a lot of you. So I guess less is more in these moments. I will put so much emphasis on taking care of myself that I can give it my all for the next adventure, the next trip.

I really enjoy working with directors who have a vision and can bring it to life. I can’t pick a genre or style of film that would be most appealing. I just know what it will be and I love them all. I just want it to feel real and authentic and something I can fully commit to.