IN Iron Claw, Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson play the legendary Von Erich brothers, who made history in the world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s. The three quickly bonded as they trained in the ring for months before production began in Baton Rouge.
Another thing that brought them together? Their “small” closets.
“We definitely had to put our vanity aside and get used to these clothes,” Efron, 36, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue of first trying on “these tiny spandex things,” as Dickinson, 27, describes the wrestling outfit.
“It was also the first days of getting to know each other,” Dickinson (Triangle of sadness) says. “And our wonderful makeup department shaved us all over.”
Adds white (Bear), 32: “I felt very vulnerable all the time. The wardrobe was so important to men at that time. You had to commit…or else.”
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Zac Efron in ‘The Iron Claw’.
A24
At Zac Efron’s Iron Claw Costar Stanley Simons sang a High school musical A song for him on set (exclusive)
The actors ate thousands of calories a day and trained for months to play Kevin Von Erich (Efron), Kerry Von Erich (White) and David Von Erich (Dickinson), brother and sister wrestling champions who deal with family struggles and try to live in according to the expectations of their father, the famous wrestler Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany).
Kevin is the only surviving Von Erich brother, a group that also includes Mike Von Erich, played by Stanley Simons, and Chris Von Erich, who is not featured in the film.
The retired professional wrestler, now 66, appeared at the world premiere in Dallas in November alongside the cast, where he told PEOPLE that Efron “had a tough job” getting into his shoes.
‘Iron Claw’.
A24
“It’s not easy being me. I wrestled for seven years in the world class, but then I wrestled for 22 years,” Kevin said. “It’s a lot to cram into a movie, but he did it… he’s a real star. Everyone is.”
For more about Iron Clawpick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
Iron Claw it’s in theaters on December 22.
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