Actor Zac Efron hit the “Today” show to promote his new movie, but instead — for many viewers — the story was about him.
Last month, as the movie “The Iron Claw” was about to open, Efron, joined by co-stars Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson and Stanley Simons, appeared on the show, with Efron wearing sunglasses.
Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons from @A24’s ‘The Iron Claw’ @ironclawmovie open up to @craigmelvin about getting familiar with the Von Erich brothers’ story, the physical and emotional transformations for their roles, and more. pic.twitter.com/jh11zCwnC8
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) December 20, 2023
“Zac Efron is a legitimate, bona fide Hollywood superstar, but that is not the reason he is in shades right now,” host Craig Melvin said as he introduced Efron, according to the New York Post.
“No, I’m sorry, man. I feel weird being in shades,” Efron said in reply.
“I just have a bit of an eye infection. But I really wanted to be here. It’s such a good movie, and I want to come see you guys and tell everyone about it.”
The explanation did not mean much to fans who took to social media.
“Omg Zac wearing shades inside is not normal! He’s not well. He’s having eye problems for sure,” one fan posted on X.
Omg Zac wearing shades inside is not normal! He’s not well. He’s having eye problems for sure. https://t.co/Sw2znOQIAf
— 3FR0NS (@3fr0ns) December 20, 2023
Zac Efron wearing these sunglasses indoors isn’t gonna dispel any of the rumors or worry going on about him #NBCToday
— William Bruce West (@williambwest) December 20, 2023
“Zac Efron wearing these sunglasses indoors isn’t gonna dispel any of the rumors or worry going on about him #NBCToday,” another fan posted on X.
The movie is about the Von Erich brothers, five of whom died, creating what was called the “Von Erich curse.” Efron plays the character of Kevin Von Erich.
In an interview with Deadline, Efron, who starred in “High School Musical” and other films, spoke about the transformation needed to be a pro wrestler.
“Nothing could prepare me for the wrestling. The physical preparation and the training, that’s something that I’ve always found very interesting. I’ve always admired people’s transformations, in particular for movie roles. I just find that dedication fascinating and special when I see it,” he said.
“So in training for this, I got to train essentially for my championship, my belt match. It all came down to, how precise is my training? How dedicated am I to this? How hard can I push? I think I shed a skin somewhere in those seven months where Kevin was really at the wheel,” he said.
Efron said transforming himself physically was “everything.”
“It’s fun to be able to give your absolute all, to leave it all on the field for a project and a character, in honor of someone,” he said.
Efron said leaving the character behind has been hard.
“It’s one thing when you’re in preparation for the role and becoming this person — there’s sort of a clear roadmap to follow, and it’s fun to get scientific and specific in those different routines and training modalities. That part’s fascinating, but when it’s over, I wish I could say that I am great at shedding the skin, or shedding it all very easily, that I can sort of just snap back to it,” he said.
Will you watch “The Iron Claw”?
“But to be honest, I don’t think I’ll ever be the same after playing Kevin. It definitely changed me; I’m still coming back to Zac,” he said.
Efron told W magazine that “[d]ancing and wrestling are surprisingly similar. There’s a choreographed element to both, and the more you do it, the better you get.”
“Also, just the sense of moving with a partner: Sometimes you lead, and sometimes you’re holding on to the other guy. The learning curve for wrestling is you just go for it. For stuff like climbing up on the ropes and jumping off, you’ve just got to nut up and go for it. There’s no real practicing,” he said.
As for the wrestling scenes, he said, “I got pretty beat up, but you feel like a warrior. It’s kind of fun.”
