Zac Efron Completely Transformed For "The Iron Claw," And This Is Not Surprising Considering His History

Those questionable photos of Zac Efron with a bowl cut will finally pay off.

Closeup of Zac Efron in "The Iron Claw"
A24

For A24's upcoming biopic, The Iron Claw, Zac completely changed into legendary pro-wrestler Kevin Von Erich.

"The Iron Claw"
A24

At the Dallas premiere of the new movie, the 36-year-old actor spoke to Entertainment Tonight about what it took to undergo this "shocking" transformation, and I'm not surprised.

Closeup of Zac Efron
Omar Vega / Getty Images

You probably know that Zac's had a long career of transformations and taking on demanding character roles of real-life people.

  Granada Entertainment / Granada Entertainment / Courtesy: Everett Collection
Granada Entertainment / Granada Entertainment / Courtesy: Everett Collection

In 2022, he looked like the hot dad from Inside Out while working on The Greatest Beer Run Ever, where he played real-life former Marine John "Chickie" Donohue.

Zac Efron in
Nancy Rivera / GC Images, Disney / Pixar

In 2019, off-screen Zac went through this bleach phase to look anything not like real-life serial killer Ted Bundy, whom he portrayed in Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile.

Closeup of Zac Efron
Pacific Press / LightRocket via Getty Images, / ©Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection / Everett Collection

These roles demanded that Zac immerse himself into real-life characters, and the Greatest Showman star is back at it again with The Iron Claw.

Matthew McConaughey and Zac Efron
Millennium Entertainment / Millennium Entertainment/Courtesy Everett Collection

"This movie's a true story, and that man, Kevin Von Erich right there, he really motivated me to get in shape for this movie," he said, referencing the actual Kevin who was at the premiere.

Kevin Von Erich and Zac Efron
Omar Vega / Getty Images

The real Kevin is a member of the Von Erich pro-wrestling dynasty. The World Class Championship Wrestling family included patriarch, coach, and former wrestler Fritz Von Erich (played by Holt McCallany), and his five sons. In the ring, they became legends, but outside, they faced severe personal and mental health issues. Kevin, now the only surviving brother, continues the legacy with his children.

Screenshot from "The Iron Claw"
A24

The film tells the story of 4/5 of the brothers: Kevin (Zac), David (Harris Dickinson), Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), and Mike (Stanley Simons). Director Sean Durkin explained that the youngest brother, Chris Von Erich, isn't included "to keep the film's length manageable."

The cast of "The Iron Claw"
Stewart Cook / Getty Images for A24

For Zac to step into this role, he had to undergo serious training, which is familiar to him if you remember what he went through for his role in the 2017 Baywatch movie. "The physicality he brought to the ring every single day was really unique. It changed wrestling," Zac said. "I knew that was going to be the hardest [thing] for me to master and get right. So, I put everything I had into it."

Screenshot from "The Iron Claw"
A24 /Courtesy Everett Collection

Beyond the athletic change, Zac became unrecognizable with that new hairdo and 1980s aesthetic. "It was shocking at every point of the transformation," he added. "I remember Harris [Dickinson] and I were walking out of hair and makeup, and it was like the first time we had to wear the full kit, and we were both thinking, 'What the hell are we doing here, man? How did we get into this?'"

Screenshot from "The Iron Claw"
A24

​​"But I think it ended up looking really good, and we had a great crew helping us out with that," Zac said. "The hair and makeup team was epic."

Zac being interviewed
Omar Vega / Getty Images

From the looks of the trailer, this might be one of the few roles that call upon the culmination of Zac's entire career of dramatic transformations into real-life characters. This evolution of character roles is precisely what we should expect as Zac matures as an actor. It feels gritty, honest, and emotional — and I can't wait.

Closeup of Zac Efron
Rodin Eckenroth / Getty Images

Check out the trailer for A24's wrestling biopic here.

The Iron Claw will be in theaters on Dec. 22.