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A14 PEOPLE / ARTS
Thursday 21 december 2023

Zac Efron and Lily James on the simple gesture that frames the

tragedy of the Von Erich wrestlers

By LINDSEY BAHR in his career. And the fact
AP Film Writer that he hadn’t done any-
Zac Efron didn’t realize how thing like it before is part of
much he needed a hug. the reason Durkin wanted
He’d transformed him- him.
self into a mass of muscle “He had the athletic back-
and repressed emotion ground, the dance back-
to play professional wres- ground and the physicality
tler Kevin Von Erich in the and those are great build-
new film “The Iron Claw.” It ing blocks to being a wres-
was a taxing role and un- tler. And he has a clear
like anything he’d done hunger for doing tough
before, both physically work,” Durkin said. “But the
and psychologically. He ultimate thing was meeting
often found himself with him and seeing how kind
real bruises from recreating and sweet he is as a per-
fights in the ring. Downtime son. It’s quite a silent role
between shots, too, was in a lot of ways and having
usually spent lifting. that core was crucial.”
But he didn’t appreciate While filming, he said, “A lot
how much it was affecting of my direction to Zac was
him until he and Lily James ‘don’t cry yet.’ Even in mo-
sat down to film the first ments where it’s impossible,
date between his charac- just hold it in and keep
ter and the woman who This image released by A24 shows Lily James, left, and Zac Efron in a scene from “The Iron holding it in.”
Claw.”
would marry him. Pam tells Associated Press For Efron, the exploration
Kevin that he has oldest of repressed emotions reso-
brother syndrome. Kevin out entirely. a bit later than everyone he had known, which be- nated. Spending time with
“The Iron Claw” is still pri-
else. Efron recalled a “col-
comes even more essential
tells her that he’s not actu- Kevin has only helped rein-
ally the oldest: That brother marily about the relation- lective jump for joy” upon as everything he thought force its importance.
ship between the brothers finding out that she’d said he knew about life crum-
died in an accident when “I think a lot of men deal
he was 6 and Kevin was 5. David (Harris Dickinson), yes. Though they didn’t bles around him. with this,” Efron said. “Re-
Kerry (Jeremy Allen White) know one another before-
“She’s a slight horse whis-
He says he’s fine, but Pam pressed emotion never
gets out of her seat, walks and Mike (Stanley Simons) hand, they quickly estab- perer. I was really intrigued leads to good things. It’s
and their father Fritz (Holt lished a natural rhythm that by this woman that has
around the table and something that I’ve defi-
drapes her arms around McCallany), a wrestler would prove to be magic such emotional intelligence nitely had to work on over
and directness. She’s not
who dreamt of greatness on camera and off.
Kevin, who seems to melt in the course of my career
the warmth of a love that’s for himself and his family at “It’s so nice when you meet afraid to be fragile.” James and life. That this movie
any cost. Kevin told Durkin someone at work and it said. “When Pam just goes
not conditional. was about that was intrigu-
“It felt very needed, that that he just wanted audi- just instantly kind of clicks,” around and hugs him, you ing to me. It felt personal.”
ences to know how much James said. “Zac made me get the feeling that he nev-
hug,” Efron told The Asso- But it wasn’t all tears and
ciated Press in a joint inter- the brothers loved one an- feel so welcome and at er experiences that kind of bruises. They had some
other.
home in our scenes, which physical, gentle intimacy. It
view with James. “It was genuinely fun scenes to
the first time I’d embraced As a lifetime wrestling fan are so special and effort- felt really moving to do that look forward to as well, in-
moment because she kind
who grew up following the less.”
anyone in months without cluding line dancing at
it being a fake punch, or Von Erichs, who presided Part of that they attribute of knew what he needed.” Kevin and Pam’s wedding.
over the Texas wrestling to Durkin’s preference for The hug is a cathartic mo-
someone trying to submit “It’s just the coolest thing
me or get me to tap out.” scene in the 1970s and ‘80s, filming long, uninterrupted ment for Kevin, who has I’ve ever done on cam-
Durkin was fascinated by takes that helped them get been taught to hold back
Efron is half-laughing but era,” James said.
also not. If you know any- ideas of American mascu- out of their own heads. Af- his emotions in real life. “You rocked that scene,”
linity, trauma and grief, as ter five minutes, Efron said, “It was the first time that it
thing about the Von Erichs, Efron responded. “By the
sometimes referred to as well as Kevin’s relationship you simply forget that the really wasn’t about winning way, I didn’t know you
or losing and, for Kevin,
with Pam that somehow camera is there. But Dur-
the Kennedys of wrestling, had rehearsed. I thought
you know that the tragic survived through it all. kin thinks something even about being himself and you just knew that dance. I
Though Kevin had spoken more special happened finding meaning outside of
death of the oldest broth- was blown away, I was like,
er is not the last that they a lot about his life after the when it was just them. the gym and the ring and what is going on? How do
deaths, there wasn’t much “The second we started the world of his family,”
would endure. In fact, the you know this? Aren’t you
completely true account Pam “out there,” Durkin filming, it was like every- Efron said. British?”
found. But instead of a hin-
thing fell away and they But Efron didn’t expect to
of what would transpire For both, the film was a
was too much for even the derance, it provided an were just totally present feel it too. “real ride” and flush with
“It was overwhelming in the
opportunity to be creative with each other and just ful-
film to bear: By the time creative energy and free-
Kevin was 35 he’d have lost and make it personal. He’d ly responding,” Durkin said. best possible way,” he said. dom.
already decided that he “It was really fun to watch.”
“I almost didn’t know how
his four remaining brothers, “It definitely rekindled
three to suicide. For “The wanted to write and figure It’s not just that you’re to deal with it. It felt very something inside me,” Efron
out the story before getting watching two people fall close to the character.”
Iron Claw,” in theaters Fri- said. “I’m in love with this
day, writer-director Sean in touch with his real-life in love. Pam shows Kevin a Efron’s committed perfor- process more than ever.
subjects.
different way of living and mance has earned him
Durkin made the decision I really needed it. I really
to take the youngest, Chris, James joined the project a different kind of love than some of the highest praise did.”q