Jeremy Allen White Was Intimidated By Zac Efron's Size On The Set Of The Iron Claw
"The Iron Claw" movie, released in 2023, took fans into the world of professional wrestling. The biographical sports drama required its stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Stanley Simons, and Harris Dickinson to get into incredible physical shape to portray the Von Erich brothers. A family of wrestlers famous in the 1980s, their physique and fitness were paramount to their careers. White noted that, likewise, the actors needed to prioritize the same traits to get into character. Unfortunately, he explained that some of them — namely Efron — were better able to bulk up.
Speaking to Variety, White admitted that he gained about 25 pounds of muscle throughout his pre-filming training. It's pretty impressive for the "The Bear" actor, who famously showed off his new look in a Calvin Klein underwear ad in early 2024. However, while the father of two boasted some amazing gains in the gym, neither he nor Harris Dickinson were able to beat Efron's transformation.
White joked that the "Baywatch" actor became positively massive. "I joke about it but it's true — I didn't want to stand close to him while shooting the movie because it would make me look my size," he said of Efron. "But it's hard because we play brothers. I do have to be around him." White even confessed to trying to keep Harris between himself and Efron.
The Iron Claw actors overhauled their routines
When "The Iron Claw" was filmed, Zac Efron was in his mid-30s and no stranger to beefing up for roles. However, the professional wrestling training was unlike anything he had experienced before. USA Today reports the term Efron used was "wildly uncomfortable," when talking about learning the actual ropes of wrestling. The gym regimen also took a toll on Efron. "Just motivating yourself to get up and train and push heavy weights can get pretty tedious," he said.
Meanwhile, his co-stars Harris Dickinson and Jeremy Allen White struggled with different aspects. White confessed that "eating something every two hours" was far from his usual routine, which had previously consisted of training in a professional restaurant for his role in "The Bear." Dickinson felt that the process was abnormal for him, too. "The physical transformation was hard. I'm not naturally athletic like that," he said. Dickinson explained to Variety that to transform their bodies, they not only had to lift weights and train as a wrestler but also hit a daily caloric intake that hovered around 3,000 calories.
In the end, White reportedly gained 40 pounds in total, according to The Sun. Reflecting on his experience, he told Esquire, "It's really just gross," but admitted that Efron seemed to be cut out for the role. "In terms of a physical transformation, I think he kind of blew us all out of the water. He looks really amazing in this thing," White said.
Zac Efron has transformed his body before
"High School Musical" star Zac Efron isn't a novice at completely changing his body for a film role. When he signed on for the 2017 movie remake of "Baywatch," he needed to cultivate the ultimate beach body. Unfortunately, that look is something he now has no interest in ever achieving again. "It's fake; it looks CGI'd. And that required Lasix, powerful diuretics, to achieve ... I much prefer to have an extra, you know, 2 to 3% body fat," he conveyed to Men's Health.
The actor said took a toll on his mental health, too, leading to depression and insomnia. His sleeplessness he attributes to overtraining and diet — spending too many hours in the gym while eating lots and lots of leafy greens to avoid gaining any fat at all costs. Although the training was rigorous for "The Iron Claw," Efron may have had a better experience. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he thought back to when he donned the wig and wrestling singlet for the first time after spending countless hours bulking up. "In the best way possible, I did not look anything like me," Efron said.
However, Jeremey Allen White had a different experience. He recalled to Variety that he had been going all out and thought he was doing fantastic with his workouts and eating until Efron waltzed in (via The New York Post). "I showed up, and I saw him, and I'm like, 'What is this even for? Why do I even try?" White said.