Jeremy Allen White is opening up about playing “The Boss” in front of The Boss.
White joined Good Morning America Tuesday to discuss his upcoming role in the Bruce Springsteen biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, his relationship with his co-star Jeremy Strong, playing the guitar and more.
White said that at first, seeing Springsteen on set made it difficult to portray him.
“I think at first, like any job, you get to set, you’re feeling a little insecure, you’re trying to figure things out,” White recalled. “It was hard when I’m looking at the man across the way, and I know I’m not him, because I’m looking at him.”
The actor added that Springsteen’s presence on set soon became a benefit.
“He kept showing up, and it became more and more normal. And then I feel like it was necessary,” White said. “His presence was giving us all a lot of permission and making sure that we were staying on the honest path.”
White also discussed his relationship with Strong, who plays Springsteen’s manager and friend Jon Landau.
“I love Jeremy Strong so much. I’ve been an admirer of his for a very long time,” White said, adding that he had long desired to work alongside the Succession star. “He is so thorough in his approach. I just trusted him so quickly and immediately.”
White said Strong understood and empathized with the task White was taking on.
“I think he also saw that I was trying to portray Bruce Springsteen, and that was a difficult thing to do. There was a lot of pressure. I think Jeremy became this sort of protector, and caregiver for me during the process of making the movie,” White said, likening the relationship to the real-life Landau and Springsteen.
White also discussed learning guitar for the film, sharing that he had never picked up a guitar prior to preparing for the movie. He said he learned to play on an instrument Springsteen gave him personally.
White also recalled sharing his excitement for learning guitar with his instructor, who he said responded, “We don’t have time to learn how to play the guitar. I’m going to teach you how to play these five Bruce Springsteen songs and that’s it.”
“So I feel still very ill-equipped,” he added.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere hits theaters Oct. 24.
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