Zac Efron is back on the big screen. He stars in “The Iron Claw” alongside Jeremy Allen White and Harris Dickinson, and has been promoting the film over the past few weeks (SAG-AFTRA has allowed for performers to promote the independent film). A new interview has prompted concern from followers, who appear to be shocked by Efron’s appearance.

The interview was conducted by Entertainment Weekly, and has prompted thousands of comments regarding Efron’s looks. “What happened to his face??,” wrote a viewer. “What happened to his jaw?” wrote a second person. Despite the harsh criticisms, some viewers took to Efron’s defense, explaining that his looks were due to an accident he experienced a couple of years ago. “Z said that his jaw shattered in an accident and he had to get it restructured which is supposedly why it looks different now,” wrote someone.

Since his accident, Efron’s looks have often been questioned. In 2022 he addressed the rumors and explained that he’d broken his jaw after running through his house in socks. The slip resulted in him hitting his jaw against the granite counter of a fountain. The blow was severe, with Efron waking up after fainting with his chin bone hanging off of his face. He claims the muscles in his face changed after going on physical therapy, resulting in the growth of his masseter muscles.

©GettyImages

Efron’s upcoming film

“The Iron Claw” premieres on December 22nd, following the real life story of the Von Ehrich wrestling family, made up of six brothers that built a wrestling empire following their domineering father. While the movie is a drama, it’s also filled with wrestling sequences, and were moments that each actor worked incredibly hard to realize.

"I was blown away on the first day that you guys came to work," said Efron to Entertainment Weekly, referring to his costars Allen White and Dickinson. "You were jumping off ropes and doing huge hits."