Jeremy Allen White reflects on what he grew to appreciate about professional wrestling while filming the 'Iron Claw' movie about the Von Erich family.
Jeremy Allen White will be playing former WWE Intercontinental Champion Kerry Von Erich in the upcoming A24 film 'The Iron Claw' about the Von Erich Dynasty. While doing press for the film, White reflected on what he grew to appreciate about the nature of pro wrestling while working with Chavo Guerrero on the film.
In a clip shared by Deadline, White spoke about understanding the storytelling aspect of professional wrestling after working on the movie.
"The athleticism in the sport is like, it's like dance, gymnastics, combat sport. It's like so many things," he said. "What struck me in working with Chavo and preparing was like, I was thinking about it in the sense of like, a choreographed fight scene where I was like, 'Okay, I'll hit the guy here, and I'll drop kick here, and I'll go off the rope here.' I wasn't thinking of it in the sense of a full performance, a full narrative, full storytelling. The moments in between these moves are oftentimes even more important for the audience than the moves themselves. That's what gets people sucked in. That's what gets people excited.
"I remember, I'd have this routine, I'd be jumping up and down off the ropes and all the stuff I'd be exhausted, and then Chavo would say, 'And then you have to like charge up!' I was like, 'Charge up? I want to breathe.' He's like, 'No, you gotta be stomping!' I think that was fascinating," he adds. "Understanding the wrestling world in that broader aspect of the storytelling and these guys as real performers, outside of the obvious athleticism. They're real artists, real performers, and real storytellers."
Some of the first reactions to the upcoming film describe it as "emotionally obliterating." Read more here.
'The Iron Claw' is set to be released in theaters on December 22, 2023. Fightful will continue to update fans on the latest news regarding the film.
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