Zac Efron has revealed how grueling his preparations for his new film Iron Claw were, describing them as “extremely unpleasant”.
Created by Sean Durkin, the wrestling drama revolves around the true story of the Von Erich wrestling family.
The film will chronicle the meteoric rise of Texan brothers Kevin (Zac Efron) and David (Harris Dickinson) and Kerry (Jeremy Allen White).
It also details their devastating fall from grace as they try to keep up with the expectations of their father Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) and his unrealistic expectations.
But adjusting to the role was not smooth for Zac as he found it difficult to cope with the physical demands of the role.
Zac Efron (pictured as Kevin Von Elrich) shared the training process for his latest film, Iron Claw, which was strenuous and “extremely uncomfortable.”
Zac, left, changed his body so much that he was unrecognizable compared to his naturally slim body (right in 2019)
In an interview with USA Today, Zac confessed that he had no idea how real men managed to be so successful in the sport.
He said: “You think you've got the hang of it, accelerate a few times and boost your confidence.”
“Then you hit one of those things just an inch too high and your rib is gone. 'You can't breathe for a few days.'
He admitted it was “shocking” when he first tried the sport as it wasn't as “easy” as it seemed on TV.
Many of the wrestling matches featured in the film were recreations from the Von Erichs' heyday against several of their rivals, Harley Race, Rice Flair and the Fabulous Freebirds.
The physical transformation into professional wrestling seemed to be a challenge for all three actors. Dickinson described it as hard and Zac joked that it was “pretty tedious” getting to the gym every day.
Jeremy said his least favorite part of their exercise program was that he had to eat every two hours.
But it wasn't all a challenge, as The 17 Again star compared wrestling training itself to a “fun camp with your best brothers.”
The film will chronicle the meteoric rise of Texan brothers Kevin (Zac) and David (Harris Dickinson) and Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) – along with their fall (pictured: Jeremy and Harris).
Zac admitted it was 'shocking' when he first tried the sport as it wasn't as 'easy' as it seemed on TV (Pictured: Zac)
He said the sport has a “team element” and learning a new skill allows him to use different parts of his brain.
His co-star Dickinson described Efron as the group's “biggest cheerleader” and explained that the star always wanted them to win.
As for the real-life wrestlers they play on screen, Jeremy said it was interesting to explore the bond and rivalry between the siblings.
“They’ve reached the level of rock stars or superheroes, and actually for not a very long time.”
The Iron Claw stars also turned to the wrestling community for support and guidance.
Jeremy also confessed that he didn't realize that wrestling was all about making each other “look good.”
The “High School Musical” star admitted it was “pretty hard” to get up and work out in the gym every day (pictured: Lily James as Pam and Zac)
Jeremy said it was interesting to explore the bond and rivalry between the wrestling siblings, who achieved “rock star” status for such a short period of time (pictured: Jeremy Allen as Kerry).
He went on to explain that it's important to “leave your ego at the door” when playing sports.
Many real professional wrestlers have appeared in several Iron Claw premieres, including John Cena, All Elite Wrestling champion Maxwell Jacob Friedman and the real Kevin Von Erich.
Despite the strenuous training, Dickinson revealed that he was ready to get back in the ring with his Iron Claw cast.
Zac added that it would be the “most electrifying show” but he would need a few more weeks and a few training sessions to get his flexibility up to speed.