Zac Efron nearly broke the internet as he showed off his totally ripped body for his new film, after undergoing a total transformation. The High School Musical alum is set to play real-life wrestler Kevin Von Erich in new A24 film The Iron Claw.
In a new trailer released this week, the former Disney star looked nothing like his former self, shirtless in nothing but a pair of tiny blue briefs in the middle of the ring. Zac’s hair was also a noticeably lighter shade of brunette, arranged in a bowl cut atop his head. But most shocking was the impressive six pack hidden under his clothes, with huge muscles bunching at his shoulders and down his biceps.
The new film focuses on the Von Erich family, a well-known dynasty of wrestling royalty who began their careers back in the 1960s. They’re most famous for the ‘iron claw’ professional wrestling hold. However, their lives were also beset by tragedy which became known as the family ‘curse’.
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Fritz Von Erich died of cancer at the age of 68 – but before that, five of his six sons passed away. First son Jack Jr.’s death was perhaps the most tragic – at just six years old, he was accidentally electrocuted and drowned in a puddle in Niagara Falls.
(Image: Getty Images)
Mike, Chris and Kerry all died by suicide, while David passed away from enteritis – inflammation of the small intestine – aged 25. Kevin was the only surviving son, who made a name for himself at the World Class Championships.
Fans have been going wild over Zac’s new appearance, with one writing: “Somebody needs to give Zac that He-man role ASAP.” While someone else agreed: “Damn Zac Efron is a beast. I’m excited for his acting.”
Someone else gushed: “This is such a loud trailer with such sad emotions! I love it. The voice change, the acting looks spectacular! Gonna be a great but depressing movie to watch during Christmas but I am gonna do it anyway!”
(Image: A24)
It’s not the first time Zac has beefed up for a role. His training for the Baywatch movie left him battling depression, with him explaining to Men’s Health: “I started to develop insomnia, and I fell into a pretty bad depression, for a long time.
“Something about that experience burned me out. I had a really hard time re-centring. There’s just too little water in the skin. Like, it’s fake; it looks CGI’d. And that required Lasix, powerful diuretics, to achieve. So I don’t need to do that. I much prefer to have an extra, you know, two to three percent body fat.”
(Image: A24)
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Zac added during an episode of Hot Ones: “Really, it’s like, it was so hard. You’re working with no wiggle-room. You’ve got water under your skin which you’re worrying about making your six-pack into a four-pack.
“It’s just stupid. It’s not real. I’m happy that it worked and that it got me through it. I may do it again if it was something worthwhile, but I would wait until it gets to that.”
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
