Kevin is the lone surviving family member of the Von Erich family, the family depicted in 'The Iron Claw.'
Kevin Von Erich is the last surviving family member of the Von Erich family, famous for churning out wrestling stars and whose patriarch invented the sport's most iconic wrestling move, one so seminal to the sport that the film chronicling the family's ascendence and tragedies, of which there were many, is named after it -- The Iron Claw.
It's been nearly a decade since Kevin's mother, Doris, died in 2015. But in the process of the biographical sports thriller coming together with an incredible star-studded cast, Kevin's formed an unbreakable with Zac Efron, who portrays Kevin and made a shocking physical transformation to nail the role. The familial bond will nourish his soul long after he's walking the red carpet under bright lights promoting the film.
It's the last place he'd rather be. But that it's all finally coming to an end soon only means one thing -- hanging out with a new family member outside of Tinseltown, and that's with Efron. Speaking to ET's Cassie DiLaura at the Los Angeles premiere for The Iron Claw at the DGA Theater, Kevin spoke about why they formed such a strong bond.
"Zac likes to do the things I like to do," Kevin tells ET. "And we're already talking about [taking a] spearfishing trip in Kauai on the Kalia reef. And we'll see about Jeremy and the other guys, but Zac and I got a trip planned."
The star-studded cast includes Holt McCallany, who portrays Kevin's dad, Fritz Von Erich. Jeremy Allen White plays Kevin's brother, Kerry, Harris Dickinson plays his third brother, David, and Stanley Simons plays his fourth brother, Mike.
As ET previously explained, The Iron Claw tells the rise and fall of a family many believed were cursed by the so-called "Von Erich Curse." On the one hand, Fritz invented the Iron Claw wrestling move, in which he spread his humungous hand over his opponent's face and squeezed it to oblivion. It's an iconic move forever etched in wrestling lore. But the Von Erichs also suffered unspeakable tragedy (notably the tragic deaths of his brothers). In the years and decades that followed, pain and sorrow plagued the Von Erichs, and these calamitous events, sadly, would come to define their storied wrestling legacy.
It's Kevin's hope that his family's story will inspire others to keep fighting and never give up, because he's done exactly that.
"A lot of people are hurting in a bad way and maybe are at the bottom and thinking, 'How am I gonna get out of this?' You know?" says Kevin, a married man and father of four who recently relocated from Hawaii to nearby San Antonio, Texas. "And a man has to fight. Life is hard, and a lot of people have it a lot harder than I have it, but I think that if this would be the kind of movie that could help lift someone up and maybe show them that you can do it. Don't quit. Keep fighting. Keep trying."
The Iron Claw, written and directed by Sean Durkin, hits theaters on Dec. 22.
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