Holt McCallany is the quintessential “that guy” actor, with more than 80 film and TV credits to his name. Now he’s stepping into the spotlight as the legendary wrestling family patriarch Fritz Von Erich in Sean Durkin’s harrowing sports drama “The Iron Claw.”
McCallany’s first acting attempt came at 14, after he ran away from his New York home and headed to Hollywood with no contacts or strategy. He wound up working at a screwdriver factory in Gardena before his parents — Tony Award-winning producer Michael McAloney and actress and singer Julie Wilson — tracked him down and shipped him to a boarding school in Ireland.
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Decades later, McCallany has worked with some of Hollywood’s biggest names, including David Fincher and Clint Eastwood. In A24’s “Iron Claw,” his screen time is limited, but he makes an indelible impression as a hardened man gripped by many family tragedies. Some of his scenes didn’t make it into the film, about which he’s disappointed but also pragmatic. “You can give a director your best work,” McCallany tells Variety. “But it comes down to what they keep and throw away.” Still, he’s making the most of this moment and also looking ahead to his own directorial plans.
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You can listen to his full interview on the award-winning Variety Awards Circuit Podcast and read excerpts from the interview below.
How did you feel about Fritz, who is a complicated character?
When I played boxing trainer Teddy Atlas in the HBO movie about Mike Tyson, I spent a lot of time with him. I couldn’t do that with Fritz. I read biographies, watched documentaries and started to get the essence of the guy. If you read the so-called wrestling experts, you discover many people said disparaging things about him — he was controlling and exploited family tragedy for commercial gain. I didn’t see him that way, and still don’t. He was a family man, and genuinely religious. He was in love with one woman his entire life and was tremendously proud of his sons. He wanted them to be as successful and was willing to do anything in his power to help them achieve that.
There are scenes that didn’t make the final cut. How do you feel about that?
That was very difficult. I had conversations with Sean about it because I wanted the audience to understand Fritz is a tremendously complex man. There was a vulnerable side. When his wife left him after 40 years of marriage, he was bereft and died a few years later.
What are the scenes you’re thinking of?
One Sean indicated was one of his favorite scenes: It’s after my son Mike develops toxic shock syndrome and falls into a coma, which is after Fritz loses Jack Jr., his first son, and David [another son]. Fritz goes into the chapel to have a conversation with God, saying, “What did I ever do to deserve to be visited with such tragedy in my family?” It’s not long, but it was powerful. Sean determined the scene would be eliminated. I fought for it but lost that battle.
You love to direct. Do you have anything on the horizon?
I fell in love with a film by Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore, known for “Cinema Paradiso.” He also made a film called “The Star Maker” or in Italian, “L’uomo delle stelle.” I thought it would make a great English-language adaptation. The deal took two years to assemble, but I eventually got the rights from Mr. Tornatore and wrote an adaptation. I asked my good friend David Fincher if he would give me notes. He gave me 40 to 50 hours of his time and helped find the essence of the story. So, if you like it, he will be someone to thank.
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