Interview: ‘The Iron Claw’ Patriarch Holt McCallany Discusses His Take on the Man

It would be easy to make Fritz Von Erich a villain. After all, he was far from the cuddly type. Many a filmmaker would have fashioned him as the antagonist of The Iron Claw. Holt McCallany, however, doesn’t see it that way. He has strong assertions, not just about Fritz, but about how to play the role. The work speaks for itself, too, so I was delighted to chat with him about it. My previous discussions with filmmaker Sean Durkin (here), as well as cast members Maura Tierney (here), Stanley Simons (here), Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White (here), as well as Harris Dickinson (here) are up on the site. Today, we conclude with McCallany.

In my rave review of the film, found here, I had the following to say about the entire cast:

Zac Efron has never been better, turning in one of the year’s very best performances. He shows you the utter decency of this man, as well as the paranoia that his family, who he loves with all his heart, is cursed. The chemistry he has with his siblings too is something to behold. Efron has always been underrated as an actor, full of charisma and charm, but here he puts it all together. Also delivering terrific work is Jeremy Allen White as the most tortured of the brothers. He has the most intense role and he delivers, including in a scene that had gasps in my premiere screening. White is a heavyweight, to be sure, and this is more evidence of it. Harris Dickinson and Stanley Simons have less screen time, but they don’t waste a moment of it. The former wears the weight of being the chosen one of the lot, while the latter shows his passion for music in a beautiful scene. The male central characters are rounded out by patriarch Holt McCallany, who intimidates while also showing his love for his family. That dichotomy is wonderfully displayed, as this is one of the more complex characters of the year. As for the women, Lily James is rock solid as the outsider, while Maura Tierney does so much as the matriarch with just her eyes. A certain scene that’s repeated throughout the film will wreck you. Supporting turns here also include the likes of Kevin Anton, Maxwell Jacob Friedman, Michael Harney, and more.

Below, you can see my conversation with McCallany. I started off by informing him how much I enjoyed seeing him in a different role than he usually gets offered. The performance is intense yet incredibly moving, since this is somewhat of an unknowable character. He really got underneath the skin of the man, however, resulting in a tremendous performance. Now that The Iron Claw is in theaters, you can see for yourself. Truly, the work within this movie is among the absolute best of the year.

Here now is my interview with The Iron Claw co-star Holt McCallany. Enjoy:

The Iron Claw is in theaters now!