Playing Bruce Springsteen in the new biopic “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” Jeremy Allen White joins a list of A-list actors who have recently taken on the roles of rock music icons, from Timothée Chalamet portraying Bob Dylan to Austin Butler embodying Elvis Presley to Rami Malek rocking out as Freddie Mercury.
Speaking to Variety at the film’s New York premiere, White said he didn’t seek advice from those other actors prior to shooting the Springsteen biopic because, well, he had a direct line to the Boss himself.
“I didn’t talk to Austin [Butler], I didn’t talk to Rami [Malek], I didn’t talk to Timothée [Chalamet]. And sometimes I wish I had, but my process was a little different because I had Bruce,” White told Variety on the red carpet at New York Film Festival. “There was a part of me that almost wanted to lock myself in a room alone, and if I needed to reach out to the world, then it would be to the man himself. I felt very lucky I had him so close.”
After he finished shooting “Deliver Me From Nowhere,” White went off to film an upcoming A24 crime movie called “Enemies” with Butler. Asked if he and Butler bonded about playing music legends and eventually shedding those characters, White said, “Very early on, Austin and I spoke about process.”
“I had already made my film, and obviously Austin had already made his, but he was so helpful,” White added. “I wish I’d met him earlier.”
“Deliver Me From Nowhere” follows Springsteen at a difficult juncture in his career, after the success of “Born to Run” and “The River” but before the global phenomenon that was “Born in the U.S.A.” Going against the advice of his confidantes and record label, Springsteen recorded “Nebraska,” an lo-fi album full of dark, acoustic songs, which Springsteen refused to support with a tour or press.
For the film, White learned how to sing like Springsteen, who was involved in the making of the film and visited the set on multiple occasions.
“A lot of what I learned from Bruce was in his actions and the way he moves through the world,” White said on the red carpet. “Early on, I was most impressed by how gentle and kind he is with the world. For a man who has been where he has for decade after decade, that’s a real rarity to still be so grounded, to have so much humility, to be so available and honest — not just with me but with the world around him. It’s a beautiful thing to see, and it gives me hope for myself and for all artists.”
“Deliver Me From Nowhere” premieres in theaters on Oct. 24 via 20th Century Studios.
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