Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White and director Sean Durkin go behind the scenes of what it was like bringing thestory of the Von Erich familyto life in aThe Iron Clawfeaturette shared exclusively with PEOPLE.
The film chronicles the rise of the Von Erich wrestling dynasty in the 1980s, and also covers thetragic deaths of many of the Von Erich brothers.
There were five Von Erich brothers, though the youngest brother Chris Von Erich, who died from suicide in 1991 at the age of 21, is not included in the film out of concerns for time, Durkin toldEntertainment Weekly.
Efron plays the only surviving brother, Kevin Von Erich in the film.
“Preparing to play Kevin was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done,” he says in the featurette, adding that the crew were the “biggest rockstars in wrestling to ever come out of Texas.”
The Iron Claw.A24
A24
“I watched Zac hit those ropes and I couldn’t believe it,” says Kevin Von Erich. “There were certain things that he would say and that Harris would say and it was like I was listening to [my brother] Dave.”
The Von Erich family patriarch, Fritz Von Erich was born in 1929 and transitioned from careers in various sports to playing a villain in professional wrestling. By the ’80s, Fritz was a well-known entrepreneur and promoter in the wrestling world and owned World Class Championship Wrestling (WCCW).
The youngest Von Erich brother Mike Von Erich allegedly had less interest in the family business than his brothers but began wrestling after his brother’s death. He injured his shoulder in 1985 and the surgery to correct it led to toxic shock syndrome and allegedly brain damage. He continued wrestling but died in 1987 at age 23 from a fatal dose of tranquilizers.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
A motorcycle accident in 1986 resulted in the amputation of Kerry’s right foot, but he kept it a secret and wrestled for many years before his death with a prosthetic leg.
Retired American Professional Wrestler, Kevin Von Erich and Actor Zac Efron.Omar Vega/Getty
Omar Vega/Getty
Kevin says in the video that he felt “comfortable” with Durkin telling his family’s story because all of the love they had was included.
“I hope this movie has a message like, ‘Life is worth it. Don’t quit, don’t give up, don’t lay down — fight for it,'” Kevin says.
The Iron Clawis in theaters Friday.
source: people.com
