Summary

• The Iron Claw features real-life wrestlers like MJF and Ryan Nemeth portraying iconic figures in the Von Erich family story.
• Pro wrestlers like Chavo Guerrero Jr. bring authenticity to the film as they play key roles in the wrestling world depicted.
• The movie pays homage to wrestling history by including real wrestlers in memorable scenes, adding depth to the storytelling.

There are several real-life wrestlers that appear in the critically acclaimed new A24 film The Iron Claw. Directed by Sean Durkin, (The Nest, Dead Ringers) The Iron Claw is the first true biographical drama about the famous Von Erich family of wrestlers, made up of a group of tightly-knit brothers and an overbearing and demanding father who used to be a professional himself. An outstanding Zac Efron leads a star-studded cast as the oldest living Von Erich brother named Kevin alongside Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), David (Harris Dickinson), and Mike (Stanley Simons).

While Efron and company portray the real-life Von Erich brothers, they, of course, are actors who trained intensely to convincingly play the parts of the actual pro wrestlers. What may be a lesser-known feature of The Iron Claw are the numerous real-life professional wrestlers who portray other former wrestlers in the movie. The most famous of the wrestlers portrayed in The Iron Claw is undoubtedly Ric Flair, although he was played by actor Aaron Dean Eisenberg and only appeared for a brief but memorable couple of scenes. While Eisenberg has no professional wrestling experience, several other wrestlers who appear in the movie actually do.

7 Maxwell Jacob Friedman

As Lance

The 27-year-old Maxwell Tyler Friedman, best known by his stage name Maxwell Jacob Friedman, which is commonly abbreviated to MJF, appears in The Iron Claw as a pro wrestler named Lance. Maxwell Jacob Friedman is a professional wrestler and an actor in real life who has held the All Elite Wrestling World Championship and has been with that promotion since it opened in 2019. MJF holds the longest reign of the All Elite Wrestling World Title in history, making his contributions to The Iron Claw incredibly fitting as one of the best modern wrestlers alive today.

Maxwell Jacob Friedman also acts as one of the executive producers on The Iron Claw...

Maxwell Jacob Friedman is notorious for being somewhat of an antagonistic figure as a professional wrestler, which is part of his larger persona similar to Connor McGregor's villainous characterization in the world of the UFC. Maxwell Jacob Friedman also acts as one of the executive producers on The Iron Claw, hinting that he may have had some part in the creative direction of the movie altogether. MJF has appeared in dozens of All Elite Wrestling TV specials and unfortunately has missed most of 2024 with an injury.

6 Ryan Nemeth

As Gino Hernandez

The 39-year-old Ryan Nemeth has had a long career as a professional wrestler as well as a professional actor. Nemeth recently saw his contract with All Elite Wrestling expire and he appears in The Iron Claw as Gino Hernandez, who was a real-life World Class Championship Wrestling member during the 1970s and 1980s. Nemeth has appeared in numerous AEW television specials as well as popular television shows such as Jimmy Kimmel Live!, A.P. Bio, and The Eric Andre Show. Despite that, his brother Nick, better known as Dolph Ziggler, has the most prominent career.

The real-life Hernandez was born as Charles Eugene Wolfe Jr. and famously fought against the Von Erich brothers as depicted in The Iron Claw. His real-life story cements the tragedy of The Iron Claw's look at the wrestling world. At the height of his career, Hernandez died in 1986. While his death was initially investigated as a homicide, it was eventually ruled that the cause of death was a drug overdose.

5 Chavo Guerrero Jr.

As The Sheik

Real-life veteran wrestler Chavo Guerrero Jr. appears in The Iron Claw as The Sheik. Like the Von Erich brothers, Chavo Guerro Jr. was born into a family of prominent wrestlers that included Eddie Guerrero, Hector Guerrero, Mando Guerrero, and Chavo Guerrero Sr. Chavo signed with World Championship Wrestling in 1996 and later went onto sign with World Wrestling Entertainment in 2001, becoming a 4-Time WWE Cruiserweight Champion and winning multiple tag-team honors with his uncle Eddie.

Outside of appearing in The Iron Claw, Chavo Guerrero Jr. had acted on television shows such as The Rookie and GLOW (where he also helped the actors learn wrestling), as well as on Dwayne Johnson's sitcom Young Rock where he played a wrestling coordinator. As Edward George Farhat aka The Sheik in The Iron Claw, Guerrero Jr. plays one of the most iconic wrestlers of all time and one of the ones credited with popularizing the hardcore style of the sport.

4 Silas Mason

The Fabulous Freebirds #1

Pro wrestler and actor Silas Mason appears in The Iron Claw as one of the Fabulous Freebirds, a real-life wrestling group that faced head-on against the Von Erich brothers. The The Iron Claw that features his appearance is one of the best in the movie as it shows the brothers coming together in the ring and working together. However, the thrill of that moment is forgotten after all of the tragedy that follows.

Silas Mason has no other acting experience outside his role in The Iron Claw as one of the Fabulous Freebirds...

Silas Mason has also been called Thrillbilly Silas as part of the National Wrestling Alliance who is famous for his entrance song "You Think I Ain't Worth a Dollar, But I Feel Like a Millionaire" by Queens of the Stone Age. Silas Mason has no other acting experience outside his role in The Iron Claw as one of the Fabulous Freebirds, but after the critical acclaim of the movie, that could certainly change for the better.

3 Brady Pierce

The Fabulous Freebirds #2

Brady Pierce plays one of the main of the Fabulous Freebirds, real-life wrestler Michael Hayes. While it is hard to distinguish the opponents with so much action happening in this particular sequence, having proven wrestlers involved helps to elevate the scene. As a professional wrestler, Brady Peirce has appeared in numerous televised specials for both the National Wrestling Alliance and All Elite Wrestling including NWA Powerrr and AEW Rampage.

Though he has had a lot of success in the ring, Pierce's work in movies and television should not be overlooked, especially as he will portray a wrestler character in Francis Ford Coppola's epic film Megalopolis. He is also a highly experienced stunt performer. whose credits include the Starz series Heels, the Hulu series Kindred, and The Walking Dead. Pierce had also portrayed a Confederate soldier in the TV series Will Trent.

2 Mike Dell

1950s Referee

Actor and professional wrestler Mike Dell plays an uncredited part in The Iron Claw as a 1950s referee. He likely took part in the opening flashback scene of the film that introduced the Von Erich family patriarch character and his vicious iron claw move in black and white. The sequence is the only wrestling scene for The Iron Claw but it is incredibly memorable showing his relentlessness and intensity in the ring which he expects all of his sons to emulate once they step into the sport.

Mike Dell has appeared in many films and television projects outside of The Iron Claw, including A Town Full of Ghosts, Lazer Team, Inhumanity, Jingle Bell Ranch, Tamalae Season, Sacred Mask, Elite, and The Mirco. Dell also appeared on WWE Raw in 2015 as Dr. Corbett and at NWA Parade of Champions in 2013.

1 James Beard

Sportatorium Referee #2

James Beard is another real-life pro wrestler who portrays a referee in The Iron Claw movie, similar to Mike Dell. James Beard made his acting debut in The Iron Claw and has no other previous acting experience. Like Dell's appearance, his scene as a referee is in one of the best and most pivotal matches in the movie with Kevin taking on Ric Flair in The Iron Claw.

Beard did appear in the 2014 television series IHWE Professional Wrestling, which stands for Iconic Heroes of Wrestling Excellence. James Beard has extensive knowledge and experience in the world of pro wrestling, having worked in the industry for over 20 years, including in World Class, USWA, and GWF. Before appearing in The Iron Claw as a referee, he has been a real-life referee as well as a consultant, booker, and wrestling trainer.

Is The Iron Claw The Movie With The Most Real Wrestlers In Its Cast?

The Iron Claw attempts to do justice to the world of wrestle by including a number of real-life figures from that world. However, it is not the only movie to feature a strong wrestling ensemble. When it comes to films about the reality of wrestling, it is hard to overlook the Darren Aronofsky movie The Wrestler. While Mickey Rourke stars in the project as fictional washed-up wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson, there are over a dozen real-life wrestlers who appear in the movie.

Ernest "The Cat" Miller has the most prominent role in the movie, playing Randy's most notorious opponent The Ayatollah. However, there are a number of other older wrestlers who appear in the movie, including Robbie E, Necro Butcher, The Blue Meanie, Sabian, Nate Hatred, Ron Killings, L.A. Smooth, Nigel McGuinness, Jay Lethal, and Johnny Valiant. These small appearances help to add legitimacy to the movie.

One of the movies to feature the most big-name wrestlers is an underseen and critically reviled comedy set in the world of wrestling. Ready to Rumble stars Oliver Platt as a washed-up former wrestling star who mounts a comeback with the help of two die-hard fans. While Platt's character of Jimmy King is fictional, he exists in a world of real wrestlers playing themselves with Diamond Dallas Page as the villain trying to take him down while Goldberg and Sting are allies of Jimmy. There are also appearances from Booker T., Randy Savage, and a brief appearance from a young John Cena.