The cast of A24’s The Iron Claw has secured another big name for one of its leads. After it was announced that Zac Efron would be starring in the film, it’s now been revealed that Jeremy Allen White (Shameless, The Bear) has also boarded the cast. The movie is based on the real-life story of pro wrestling’s famous Von Erich family, most of whom met premature and tragic ends at the peak of their fame.
Per Deadline, White will be featured in a starring role as Kerry Von Erich, one of six brothers who competed as a pro wrestler under the tutelage of their father, Fritz Von Erich. Kerry may be remembered by classic WWE fans for performing in the company as the Texas Tornado before he died by suicide in 1993 at the age of 33. Efron co-stars as brother Kevin Von Erich, the only one of the six siblings who didn’t die at a young age, while Harris Dickinson (Where the Crawdads Sing) will also star as David Von Erich, who died mysteriously in 1984 when he was just 25 years old.
Sean Durkin (The Nest) is writing and directing The Iron Claw. A24 will produce the film with Tessa Ross, Derrin Schlesinger, and Harrison Huffman. House Productions is developing the project with the support of Access Entertainment and BBC Films.
White is very well known for his role as Lip in the hit series Shameless which spanned for 11 seasons on Showtime. More recently, he has been impressing critics with his starring role in the Hulu series The Bear. In recent years, the actor has also been seen in movies like The Rental, Viena and the Fanomes, and The Birthday Cake.
The Von Erichs Are One of Pro Wrestling History’s Most Notable Families
Vice TV
Fritz Von Erich, the patriarch of the family, had lost five of his six sons by the time he died in 1997 at the age of 68. His first son, Jack Jr., had died in 1959 when he was just six after he was electrocuted in a freak accident. In later years, Fritz’s five other sons would join him in the pro wrestling business, achieving great fame in Texas and beyond. They are often brought up when discussing pro wrestling’s most well-known families following their success in the business in the 1980s and early 90s.
Sadly, most of the Von Erich siblings would also pass away during the peak of their pro wrestling fame. 25-year-old David died in 1984 with enteritis named as the cause of his death. This was followed by 23-year-old Mike dying of an intentional overdose in 1987, 21-year-old Chris dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1991, and 33-year-old Kerry also dying from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 1993. David Von Erich, the only surviving sibling, is still alive to this day, with his sons Marshall and Ross Von Erich performing as a tag team in the indie pro wrestling circuit to keep the Von Erich legacy going.
The Iron Claw does not yet have a release date set by A24.
