A few months back, I interviewed Cazzey Cereghino, who played Bruiser Brody in The Iron Claw, the movie about wrestling’s Von Erich family. After finally watching the whole movie on a recent plane trip, I reached out to Kevin Anton, who played Handsome Harley Race in the movie and landed an interview.

A New Jersey native, Kevin’s acting resume stretches back about 20 years. He’s appeared on The Sopranos, Gotham and many more shows and movies while building an excellent career in front of the camera.

When I first learned about The Iron Claw and saw the casting, I immediately thought Kevin was a great choice for Race. When I saw the movie, I was really impressed with his performance, capturing the essence of Race.

Obviously in a movie focused on the Von Erich family, most of the big scenes featured the family, however Kevin was featured in a very important scene. Kevin Von Erich, the oldest brother, wrestled Race for his National Wrestling Alliance Heavyweight title. It was a pivotal scene for many reasons (no spoilers here), but Kevin played Race perfectly. It was a brilliant performance.

Starting our interview with a quick demonstration of the iron claw, Kevin discussed his start in acting. Kevin talked about his wrestling fandom, landing the role of Race, preparation for the role and more. Although mostly a casual fan of wrestling, Kevin showed great respect in talking about the Von Erich family and the sport in general. He talked about working with other actors and wrestlers on set. Of course, I had to ask him if he had the iron claw applied to him during filming.

I greatly appreciate Kevin for his time and consideration. I also encourage all to watch The Iron Claw. It’s not just a wrestling movie. It’s about family relationships. While the Von Erich family faced many tragedies, the ever-changing dynamics within the family were fascinating.  It’s a movie about family, love, hope, strength and wrestling.