Zac Efron delivers a flying kick in “The Iron Claw.” / Instagram
Zac Efron transformed himself again. The first time the former High School Musical heartthrob did so was to keep up with The Rock as a diesel lifeguard in 2017’s Baywatch. This time it’s to play ’80s pro wrestler Kevin Von Erich in the new, indie movie The Iron Claw. Once again, Efron got jacked. He’s so far been quiet about the specifics of his Iron Claw workouts and diet, but the 36-year-old, 5’8″ actor has opened up about the grueling routine and iron-clad discipline he utilized over eight months to turn himself from already-fit into a muscular marvel.
ZAC EFRON’S TRANSFORMATIONS
Zac Efron was reluctant at first to accept such a challenging role as Kevin Von Erich because he knew the physical transformation necessary would be a physical and mental slog. He’s been open about the depression he endured getting in shape for Baywatch, a prep that included over-training and the use of diuretics (to shed water weight). Efron told Variety: “I learned a lot over the course of Baywatch. I learned the hard way about not sacrificing my real health for a look on camera. I had the right questions to ask for this one.”
IRON CLAW TRAINING AND DIET
But once he committed to the role, he was fully devoted to the eight months of preparation, during which he gained 15 pounds of lean muscle and got peeled. “Again, being a perfectionist at heart, I knew that I was up for a challenge,” Efron said. “My imagination ran wild. That necessity to be perfect—it became an obsession. It was a singular focus for months. And your life goes out the window during prep. I was able to incorporate old-school, bodybuilding and Olympic lifting and really achieved that specific look of pro wrestlers, which was really hard.”
The solitary nature of the lengthy prep for The Iron Claw helped Efron live inside his tormented character’s mind. “It was an unforeseen ally,” he told Variety. “Having all that weight on, you don’t feel normal. And the delayed-onset muscle soreness was through the roof. During preparation, it’s one thing to manage that—you don’t have to be super social. I found myself withdrawing quite a bit.”
It was another strenuous prep for Zac Efron to transform himself again, but the results speak for themselves. The Iron Claw, which has been very positively reviewed, is in theaters now.
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