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Spencer von Savoye Appears in the Award-Winning Film Unstoppable
3/14/2025 12:16:00 PM | Wrestling
DURHAM, N.C. — For Spencer von Savoye, a sophomore wrestler at Duke, the path from the mat to the big screen was anything but ordinary. The film Unstoppable tells the story of Anthony Robles, a wrestler born with one leg who defies expectations to become a college champion wrestler. von Savoye, an Oakdale, Calif., native known for his wrestling accomplishments, never imagined that his athletic career would lead him to Hollywood. This by chance experience, according to the student-athlete, was an opportunity he could not pass up.
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Wrestling has always been at the center of von Savoyes' life. From the time he was five years old, the sport shaped his childhood and set the stage for his future success. His dedication and natural talent earned him national recognition, including being named an NHSCA All-American.
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However, appearing in a film was never something he had imagined. That changed when his high school coach mentioned an opportunity to be an extra in a movie about wrestling. At the time, the young athlete was in Los Angeles, and after discussing the opportunity with his family, he decided to give it a try.
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During the audition, von Savoye was asked to portray a wrestler — a role that felt natural to him. While most of the other auditionees were actors, he stood out as an athlete learning how to act. His wrestling success and natural talent quickly caught the attention of the film's producers. What began as an attempt to land a background role soon turned into an unexpected starring offer.
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"Of course, I'd love to have this role, so I accepted it," von Savoye recalled. He played the character of Dustin Keefe, a high school wrestler from Southern California, who competes against Anthony Robles in the national finals.Â
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"My scene is actually what opens the movie," von Savoye explains. "It's high school national's [of senior year]. It's my character versus Anthony. Winner takes all for the national finals. Anthony ends up beating me, but I'm the one that's committing to Iowa with my family at the end of it. Obviously, that's something that will impact Anthony's life. Although it's a short scene it's a very impactful scene to lay out the plot for the rest of the movie."
Â
The film offered more than just an acting opportunity for him -- it was the chance to highlight the struggles and sacrifices college wrestlers face. Wrestling, often overlooked compared to other mainstream sports in the U.S., could greatly benefit from a movie like this, to help give the sport the recognition it deserves.Â
Filming was an eye-opening experience for von Savoye. From arriving at 6:00 a.m., to go through paperwork, to quickly transitioning to makeup and costume and spending 16 hours on set for just a few minutes of film. It was a long and detailed process. Everything from ensuring he looked sweaty to having his hair blow in the right direction. It's the minor details that go into making a movie like this.Â
With wrestling being the central focus of the film, it was essential for the sport to be portrayed authentically. As an experienced wrestler, von Savoye felt a responsibility to ensure the moves and flow of the match looked as organic and realistic as possible.
"I was really just trying to focus on fluid movement because in wrestling, you really don't stop," he explained. "Whereas when stuff is scripted, it's part one, stop; part two, stop." Acting as a wrestler was one challenge, but learning to wrestle within a scripted environment posed another. Despite the artificial nature of film, von Savoye was determined to make it work.
Â
While being on set was a memorable experience in itself, one of the standout moments of the shoot was the chance to interact with big names like Jennifer Lopez and Michael Peña.
Â
"I was talking to Michael a lot and he was a really approachable guy. Jennifer was really nice to be around. Very pleasant," von Savoye explained. "It was really cool being able to mingle with people like that."
Â
The most meaningful part of the experience, however, was working alongside Anthony Robles, the real-life wrestling legend he had admired for years. von Savoye had watched Robles win his national title, and now, he had the opportunity to portray a pivotal moment in Robles' career while working closely with him on set. It was a full-circle moment that made the experience even more special.
von Savoye gained a deep respect for the filmmaking process and the people who dedicate themselves to telling these stories. While his time in Hollywood remained short-lived, this once in a lifetime opportunity left a lasting impression. He described it as an overall "really awesome experience."
Now, back on the mat for his sophomore wrestling season at Duke, von Savoye looks forward to the bright future ahead of him.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils wrestling, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWRES".
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Wrestling has always been at the center of von Savoyes' life. From the time he was five years old, the sport shaped his childhood and set the stage for his future success. His dedication and natural talent earned him national recognition, including being named an NHSCA All-American.
Â
Spencer von Savoye isn't just a wrestler. He's also an actor that has made his debut on the big screen ??
— Duke Wrestling (@DukeWRES) March 14, 2025
Here's what Spencer has to say about his experience and role in "Unstoppable" about the infamous Anthony Robles: a wrestler with one leg who won an NCAA title in 2011. pic.twitter.com/YYZQHPFBKD
However, appearing in a film was never something he had imagined. That changed when his high school coach mentioned an opportunity to be an extra in a movie about wrestling. At the time, the young athlete was in Los Angeles, and after discussing the opportunity with his family, he decided to give it a try.
Â
During the audition, von Savoye was asked to portray a wrestler — a role that felt natural to him. While most of the other auditionees were actors, he stood out as an athlete learning how to act. His wrestling success and natural talent quickly caught the attention of the film's producers. What began as an attempt to land a background role soon turned into an unexpected starring offer.
Â
"Of course, I'd love to have this role, so I accepted it," von Savoye recalled. He played the character of Dustin Keefe, a high school wrestler from Southern California, who competes against Anthony Robles in the national finals.Â
Â
"My scene is actually what opens the movie," von Savoye explains. "It's high school national's [of senior year]. It's my character versus Anthony. Winner takes all for the national finals. Anthony ends up beating me, but I'm the one that's committing to Iowa with my family at the end of it. Obviously, that's something that will impact Anthony's life. Although it's a short scene it's a very impactful scene to lay out the plot for the rest of the movie."
Â
The film offered more than just an acting opportunity for him -- it was the chance to highlight the struggles and sacrifices college wrestlers face. Wrestling, often overlooked compared to other mainstream sports in the U.S., could greatly benefit from a movie like this, to help give the sport the recognition it deserves.Â
Filming was an eye-opening experience for von Savoye. From arriving at 6:00 a.m., to go through paperwork, to quickly transitioning to makeup and costume and spending 16 hours on set for just a few minutes of film. It was a long and detailed process. Everything from ensuring he looked sweaty to having his hair blow in the right direction. It's the minor details that go into making a movie like this.Â
With wrestling being the central focus of the film, it was essential for the sport to be portrayed authentically. As an experienced wrestler, von Savoye felt a responsibility to ensure the moves and flow of the match looked as organic and realistic as possible.
"I was really just trying to focus on fluid movement because in wrestling, you really don't stop," he explained. "Whereas when stuff is scripted, it's part one, stop; part two, stop." Acting as a wrestler was one challenge, but learning to wrestle within a scripted environment posed another. Despite the artificial nature of film, von Savoye was determined to make it work.
Â
While being on set was a memorable experience in itself, one of the standout moments of the shoot was the chance to interact with big names like Jennifer Lopez and Michael Peña.
Â
"I was talking to Michael a lot and he was a really approachable guy. Jennifer was really nice to be around. Very pleasant," von Savoye explained. "It was really cool being able to mingle with people like that."
Â
The most meaningful part of the experience, however, was working alongside Anthony Robles, the real-life wrestling legend he had admired for years. von Savoye had watched Robles win his national title, and now, he had the opportunity to portray a pivotal moment in Robles' career while working closely with him on set. It was a full-circle moment that made the experience even more special.
von Savoye gained a deep respect for the filmmaking process and the people who dedicate themselves to telling these stories. While his time in Hollywood remained short-lived, this once in a lifetime opportunity left a lasting impression. He described it as an overall "really awesome experience."
Now, back on the mat for his sophomore wrestling season at Duke, von Savoye looks forward to the bright future ahead of him.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils wrestling, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeWRES".
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