Stanley Simons is tagging into the big leagues. The Australian actor makes his debut in The Iron Claw, a film that delves into the tragic tale of wrestling's most renowned dynasty. Despite the movie’s melancholic tone, the young actor clarifies that life only imitates art in some ways. The sombre atmosphere wasn’t present on set, but the wrestling scenes and the brotherhood developed between the all-star cast were real. The latter was particularly important to the actor, as he enters the Hollywood rink in full force. Despite being fresh to the scene, Simons hesitates to limit himself to the role of an actor. Instead, he sets his sights on something deeper. Dabbling in writing and music, art has always been a way to express and heal himself. The only difference? Now he’s “getting paid to do this.”

How's your day going?

It’s been fun. I just came from a Saint Laurent fitting, so it’s obviously been a good day. [Laughs]

That is a sure-fire way to have a great day. Speaking of good things, your new movie The Iron Claw is creating quite a buzz. Were you a fan of wrestling before you got the role?

I feel like wrestling was a part of everyone’s childhood in my generation. I’d seen some WWE. My cousin was a big fan… I remember being terrified of The Undertaker. I was a huge fan of Rey Mysterio. I had a John Cena action figure. It was all around me in a way, even where I grew up in Australia. People sang the walkout songs, and everyone got on each other's shoulders and picked each other up.

Wrestling blurs a line between fighting and performance art. Do you think that’s why it resonated so much with our generation?

I think it’s the entertainment aspect that hooks people to it. It’s not the actual sport that brings people out to these huge arenas. It's the moments between extreme physicality. Jeremy [Allen White] said it well the other day. I think he was quoting Chavo [Guerrero Jr], a former WWE professional and one of our stunt coordinators. He said that it's the moments in between the fights that make it what it is. It’s the expression on your face, how you rile up a crowd, how you make the fans love or hate you. Watching people create characters and express themselves in odd ways is fun.

You just mentioned the physical aspect of wrestling, which of course is a big part of it. How did you prepare for the actual fight scenes?

So, I had a great stunt double on set named Tanner, he was great and super impressive, and he did some amazing work. But, when it came to the wrestling scenes – because I didn’t have that many – it was all me. He was always on standby, waiting with the costume on, but I never gave him the chance.

What were those scenes like? Did you have muscle memory from playing as a kid?

[Laughs] Well, not so much of that. We had Chavo, who was amazing. We had a week with him just going over the basics of wrestling. We started from the ground up. I’m naturally athletic and I played a lot of sports growing up, so I think that helped. I was just having a lot of fun with it. I was taking it as seriously as possible, but I couldn’t help but feel like “This is crazy, I’m getting paid to do this.”

You worked with some amazing people on this movie. What was it like acting alongside Zac Efron or Jeremy Allen White?

I was a fan of pretty much every other cast member on set beforehand. The first day I met Zac, Harris [Dickinson] and Jeremy, we were all wrestling and practising before we started shooting. I was shitting my pants. I was sitting down, watching them all wrestle while I read my book, but they all came and introduced themselves. Everyone was so nice and down to earth. I don’t know what I was expecting, I guess I didn’t have any expectations but soon the four of us all developed a nice banter. They all knew it was my first big production, they were very encouraging and helpful. I asked for advice and stories of their careers…

Was there anything that stood out to you?

Well, it wasn't actual advice. I learned a lot just by watching them. Zac was asking for advice from everyone. That’s someone with a big name in the industry who is open to figuring out a scene with a different approach. He asked me for advice at one point and I was trying so hard to give him something worth his time. I remember taking a step back while shooting and thinking, “Wow, these are amazing actors.” They were just so good to work off. Even on days I didn’t have to be on set, I would be there watching them do their thing.

I’ve heard some stories of the dynamic on set, particularly one where you sang a High School Musical song to Zac.

[Laughs] Well, I have this big music scene that we were unsure of. For weeks we were having conversations about how we were going to do it, if we were doing it live or pre-recording it. The night before, we decided I would do it live. I was freaking out. I had to pull myself out of that, to bring some levity to it. So, I learned the chords for the final duet in that movie, and I thought you know, if I get the chance, I’ll do it. And in between takes, I saw the opportunity, so I started singing it. It was fun, we all started laughing and joking around.

You mentioned this was your first major project and you had a quite tragic role. How did you access that vulnerability?

I honestly find it kind of difficult to reach that place. But what I’ve learned is that it doesn’t matter how internal a performance is if it doesn’t resonate with the audience. It all depends on the scene and character. But I think it's more important to project something instead of internalizing it, but that might be more of a writer’s perspective than an actor’s.

Do you ever think about writing?

Definitely. I mean, I’m not the best writer but I’ve been trying to get better for the past couple of years. Screenwriting specifically is something I love doing. I make music as well and I love writing songs too. At this point, I’m just doing it for myself, it's meditative and rewarding. I feel like I'm an artist at the forefront. I want to do different things.

Do you see yourself diving into more light-hearted roles in the future? Or do you enjoy exploring your vulnerability?

Of course, I’d love to explore everything. But honestly… I come from a very creative family, but we have this genetic tendency to bottle our emotions up. I have that trait too, which is not necessarily great for an actor. But I think that’s kind of my way through it. By playing a character, I have a way to express myself emotionally.

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Interview by Pedro Vasconcelos

Photography by Ritchie Jo Espenilla

Fashion by Simon Dae Dissing Bacher

Grooming by Jessica Ortiz using R & Co

All clothes Celine Homme