Zac Efron Shows Off the Jacked Wrestler’s Body He Built for The Iron Claw

ZAC EFRON HAS a history of dramatically transforming his body for film roles, famously getting into super-shredded shape for 2017’s Baywatch, a process which he has repeatedly stated pushed him to his physical limits and led to “burnout.”

For his most recent project, A24’s wrestling saga The Iron Claw, Efron once again packed on muscle to play Kevin Von Erich, one of the real-life Von Erich wrestling dynasty that was beset by a series of tragedies in the ’70s and ’80s. This time, however, the focus was less on achieving a ripped, mega-defined look and more about emulating the real wrestlers of that era.

In a new Instagram post, Efron shares a look at the physique he built for the movie, in several stills which show him in his ring costume—a skimpy gold speedo that he has previously compared to Magic Mike.

“I have so much admiration and respect for the world of Professional Wrestling and to the sacrifice and dedication of the athletes,” he wrote in the caption. “These guys tour for MONTHS putting their bodies on the line everyday to perform.”

Efron added that it was “an honor to step into the ring and learn from one of the best,” referring to wrestling legend Chavo Guerrero, Jr., who appears in the movie as The Sheikh and also worked behind the scenes to train Efron and his co-stars Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson so they were able to perform their own fighting stunts.

“All the wrestling you see in this movie is done by our actors,” Guerrero explained in a behind-the-scenes look at their training. “Any time they were in the ring, it was them doing the moves…wrestling is a lot more real than people think.”

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