Zac Efron reveals ‘obsessive’ transformation for wrestling movie left him feeling ‘very lonely’-Alistair McGeorge-Entertainment – Metro

Zac Efron underwent a major transformation for The Iron Claw (Picture: A24)

Zac Efron felt ‘withdrawn’ as he piled on the muscle mass for new wrestling film The Iron Claw.

The High School Musical star bulked up to play WWE Hall of Famer Kevin Von Erich in the tragic new drama from A24, and the transformation had a mental impact alongside the obvious physical results.

He admitted the desire for perfection turned into an ‘obsession’ as he spent eight months turning into a professional wrestler.

That began with volume training as he put in 15lbs (over two stone) of muscle.

‘That necessity to be perfect — it became an obsession. It was a singular focus for months. And your life goes out the window during prep,’ he told Variety of his body transformation.

‘Then I was able to incorporate old-school body-building and Olympic lifting, and really achieved that specific look of pro wrestlers, which was really hard.’

The High School Musical star became a pro wrestler (Picture: A24)

The gruelling process made him feel somewhat detached, which fit his preparation to play a man who became alienated.

‘It was an unforeseen ally,’ he admitted. ‘Having all that weight on, you don’t feel normal. And the delayed-onset muscle soreness was through the roof.

‘During preparation, it’s one thing to manage that — you don’t have to be super social. I found myself withdrawing quite a bit.’

The idea of loneliness is sadly not a new one for the 35-year-old actor, who pointed to the impact of entering Hollywood at a young age.

Zac got into ridiculous shape for the film (Picture: A24)

He plays Kevin Von Erich, seen here with John Cena, in the tragic drama (Picture: Amanda Edwards/WireImage)

‘Growing up young and in the industry — frankly, what you’re going through is of very little concern,’ he added.

‘The goal is always the next mission, the next movie, making sure everyone else is very happy. It can be very lonely at times.

‘But the process of taking your emotions head-on, sort of working with them, was a profound moment in my life. And it’s definitely taken me down a different road.’

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Based on a true story, the Iron Claw follows the story of the wrestling dynasty, the Von Erich family, led by father and coach Fritz (Holt McCallany) and his sons Kevin (Zac), David (Harris), Kerry (Jeremy) and Mike (Standley Simons).

The family battled highs and lows in the most extreme ways as Kevin’s brothers tragically died, which sparked the concept of the ‘Von Erich curse’.

The official synopsis reads: ‘The true story of the inseparable Von Erich brothers, who made history in the intensely competitive world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s.’

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