After filming was completed, Woody Harrelson walked up to director Scott Cooper, hugged him and said "I have never wanted to shed a character so badly in my life".
Christian Bale learned to operate a furnace for the film and didn't use a double for his scenes inside the steel mill.
Having Christian Bale attached as the lead proved to be a successful magnet for attracting other big names like Casey Affleck and Zoe Saldana who all wanted to work with him.
Co-writer and director Scott Cooper decided to use Braddock, Pennsylvania, as the main location for his film after reading an article about it. The former steel town had been in decline for years, and its Mayor had been doing his best to revitalize the area.