A24's The Iron Claw tells the true story of the Von Erich family, and among those starring in the upcoming film is Jeremy Allen White. In the movie, White plays Kerry Von Erich, the late pro wrestling legend who was also known for his nickname, The Texas Tornado. Von Erich was considerably more muscular than White, so to portray the wrestler convincingly, White had to undergo a physical transformation. He previously said he'd had to put on 40 pounds for the role, and now he's sharing more details on the dieting he also put himself through to attain that pro wrestler physique.
"Eating all the time. Like, never stopping," White said of how what it took to beef up for The Iron Claw, per Esquire. "In the morning, I would have waffles, almond butter. In the middle of the day, I was eating turkey patties and avocado all the time. It's really just gross. You're trying to consume as much as you possibly can, and, to be honest, you don't feel great. I was training as well, but, I don't know, trying to get that big, it's no way to live."
While White was putting the work in, he gives more credit to his co-star Zac Efron, who plays Kevin Von Erich in the film. White recalls how dedicated Efron was to his own transformation into a Von Erich, as it was clear to him that it was above and beyond what everyone else was doing.
"Zac's a maniac," White said. He's so focused and knowledgeable on training, diet, all that. 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."
The Iron Claw Tells the Story of the Von Erichs
The Iron Claw is written and directed by Sean Durkin. Its title comes from a trademark wrestling hold popularized by the Von Erich family, whose reign in pro wrestling history goes back to the 1960s. Along with White and Efron, the film also stars Harris Dickinson, Lily James, Maura Tierney, Holt McCallany, Stanley Simons, Aaron Dean Eisenberg, Chavo Guerrero Jr., and Maxwell Jacob Friedman, aka MJF.
White also explained why people need to be "hyped" for the movie. As someone who says he was a wrestling fan himself, White may have been just a bit too young to have caught the Von Erichs' heyday, he nevertheless found their story very compelling when he learned more about what happened with the legendary family. The actor also notes how the writer-director is a lifelong fan of pro wrestling and the Von Erichs, making him the perfect person to make The Iron Claw.
White said, "I think you should be hyped. I was a fan of wrestling, but I didn't know the story of the Von Erichs, and it's so interesting, bonkers, and sad. Sean did a beautiful job. He’s been a fan of wrestling and the Von Erichs since he was a kid, and so I feel like he understands the story so intimately that he had a really nice perspective on it. And it was a blast to work with Zac and Harris [Dickinson]."
The Iron Claw does not yet have a release date set by A24.