Maxwell Jacob Friedman is heading to Hollywood. According to Deadline, the 26-year-old AEW wrestler is joining the cast of A24’s The Iron Claw, an upcoming biopic about the Von Erich family. MJF joins an already impressive ensemble that boasts the talents of Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, Holt McCallany, Maura Tierney and Lily James. This will be Friedman’s feature film debut, as his most prominent on-screen appearances up until now have come on All Elite Wrestling’s weekly televised show, AEW Dynamite. As of this writing, MJF is the only active wrestler involved in The Iron Claw.
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Production on The Iron Claw is ongoing, with Efron specifically wowing fans with his physique. The first official glimpse at Efron’s Kevin Von Erich was recently released by A24.
There is no indication on who Friedman will be portraying, but his inclusion in a project of this magnitude has been a long time coming. MJF has expressed interest in Hollywood for months, recently acknowledging that he sees himself making a full-time transition to the big screen one day.
“I see myself acting. I see myself kind of doing what Cena, Batista, and Rock did,” MJF said. “There’s definitely a lot of feelers out there.”
While it’s unclear if this project was the one that he had been teasing, it’s worth noting that Friedman revealed he had meetings in Los Angeles as recently as September.
“I’m actually going to be heading out to LA literally after Dynamite for a lot of meetings,” MJF said earlier this fall. “There’s definitely a lot of people interested in MJF.”
Outside of Hollywood, MJF is currently entangled in a main event storyline with AEW World Champion Jon Moxley, as he is set to challenge for the gold at AEW Full Gear on November 19th. It’s unclear if The Iron Claw will interfere with MJF’s AEW obligations, but it’s worth noting that Moxley previously filmed a movie while remaining a full-time member of the AEW roster in 2019.
Beyond The Iron Claw, Friedman also has a voice acting role in an undisclosed animated film that’s set to arrive in 2023. MJF’s acting endeavors are being represented by Bryan Diperstein of the ICM agency as well as a team at Activist Artists Management.
The Iron Claw is currently without a release date.
