Zac Efron is best known for his role as Troy Bolton in "High School Musical." Efron was one of many Disney sweethearts during the 2000s, which comes with its own trials and tribulations as young stars are thrust into the spotlight and learn to deal with it as they grow and mature.
In 2008, "The Wrestler" starring Mickey Rourke, came out, and though Efron was firmly planted in his Disney role, he saw something different for himself.
“That film impacted me in a really specific way,” he recalled to Daniel D'Addario of Variety. “I was watching it with my dad, and I remember looking at him in that moment, saying, ‘That’s what I want to do. That’s where my heart is.'"
Rourke was nominated for an Oscar for his work as Randy "The Ram" Robinson, playing a struggling wrestler who was still looking for the spotlight.
Efron has taken on a variety of roles over the years and worked through his own personal struggles, and the impact of "The Wrestler" on him will be on display as he plays Kevin Von Erich in "The Iron Claw."
“These matches were anywhere from seven to 15 minutes long,” Efron says, “and we wouldn’t break at all. We would complete them, start to finish.” And then they’d do it over again to get coverage. “I was talking to a couple of professionals,” Efron says. “And they were like, ‘Dude, we only do that a couple nights a week. We don’t have to do it multiple times in a row.’”
Chavo Guerrero, Ryan Nemeth, and MJF all have roles in "The Iron Claw."
"The Iron Claw" premieres in theaters on December 22. Marshall & Ross Von Erich will be in action on Friday's AEW Rampage.
