Zac Efron had a pretty huge year in 2022, with a trio of film releases (Gold, Firestarter and The Greatest Beer Run Ever) and the second season of Netflix’s Down to Earth, among other accomplishments. It’s also the year he began his wildly impressive bulking-up process to play Kevin Von Erich in the pro wrestling biopic The Iron Claw, which was released to widespread acclaim just prior to Christmas 2023. Now, the actor has bid farewell to 2023 as a whole by spotlighting just how incredible he and co-stars Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson looked.
Granted, Efron didn’t take such a boastful approach with final Instagram post of 2023, and wasn’t wholly invested on showing off his and his fellow actors’ killer physiques. Rather, he wanted to humbly share his appreciation for being given the opportunity to help bring the legendary Von Erich family to life on the big screen. Here’s how he put it:
With his performance in The Iron Claw, Zac Efron has earned some of the biggest praise of his career so far, with plenty of critics and moviegoers considering it his best performance to date. But I think Efron would agree that his work was as stellar as it was due in part to the skillset of the ensemble cast that surrounded him. Not just including the aforementioned White and Dickinson, but also Stanley Simons, Holt McCallany, Maura Tierney, and Lily James.
Having previously shared praise for Efron’s performance, wrestling icon Kevin Von Erich is one of many who chimed in on the actor’s New Year’s Eve post, saying:
You were the man for the job and I’ll always consider you a friend. Happy new year buddy.
Not that the surviving Von Erich sibling was the only familiar face to pop up within Zac Efron’s comment section. He also scored positive reactions from Oscar-nominated actress Sharon Stone, Running Wild host Bear Grylls, Roastmaster General Jeff Ross, and The Iron Claw’s score composer Richard Reed Parry (of Arcade Fire).
- Sharon Stone: 👏👏👏👏👏👏
- Bear Grylls: Awesome job Zac… here’s to your 2024 🙌
- Jeff Ross: 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
- Richard Reed Parry: Grateful for having had the pleasure and privilege of making the music for your astounding performance. Happy new year brother 🙌
Unsurprisingly, Zac Efron's post drew quite a lot of attention from thirsty fans voicing their undying attraction, to put it lightly, while others were slightly less transparent with their praise and adoration. Here's a smattering of light-hearted replies, with each take being echoed by at least one other follower elsewhere in the comments.
- Someone should make a He Man movie with you in it 😮- zsazsatuason
- We’re getting you that Oscar nom if it’s the last thing we do 😤- canibereel
- I’m grateful for you, every pic in this post and your future Oscar nom!! - alexandergold
- I’m thankful for all the pull ups that you did in that movie - maps
Not that it's ALL about job duties with the High School Musical vet, who also voiced his appreciation for all the personal highlights that he was able to experience in 2023. No matter how good things are on the job front, life is always better with good friends and family and family around. That's a sentiment that Kevin Von Erich would no doubt agree with.
With more Iron Claw promotion still likely on the way in the lead-up to the Oscars, fans will be able to stream the biopic with a Max subscription whenever its theatrical window is over. After that, Zac Efron has the R-rated Peter Farrelly comedy Ricky Stanicky on the way, and will star opposite Joey King and Nicole Kidman in the upcoming 2024 Netflix movie A Family Affair.
