East High School alum Zac Efron recently starred in The Iron Claw as a member of the iconic Von Erich wrestling family, and we all know that he has an impressive history portraying sports legends, so his role was unsurprisingly praised by critics and fans alike. And Adele.
But Efron recently expressed that it’s not easy to act as an athlete due to all of the long and exhausting takes, which is why the experience of making The Iron Claw was “jarring” for the actor. They clearly don’t have those Wildcat uniforms on hand anymore.
“One of the jarring moments that I wasn’t expecting was when the wrestling stops, or there’s a cut, or in between setups or takes – you’ve just got to stand there with a whole crowd around, in your underwear,” he told Metro. “And there’s nothing really going on,” he added. Some would argue that Efron walking around in his underwear isn’t “nothing” but that’s neither here nor there.
Efron was taken aback by the scene, which he admitted was difficult for him (and his hands). “That’s a different kind of feeling. I’ve never experienced that one before,” Efron added. “You just kind of gotta… like, where do you put your hands? On your hips? You can’t help – there are people everywhere, you can’t look up and have somebody not looking back at you! So that was a bit unnatural,” he said.
Even though it might be “unnatural,” Efron’s half-naked body has inspired many other actors, so he’s doing something right.