Jeremy Allen White revealed that portraying Bruce Springsteen affected him even after filming ended, with the responsibility of playing the musician sometimes disrupting his sleep.
The Bear actor discussed the experience while promoting his latest film, The Social Reckoning. White said his previous work on Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere made him particularly aware of the pressure involved in portraying real people.
Jeremy Allen White says playing Bruce Springsteen left him waking up in “cold sweats”
White reflected on his Bruce Springsteen portrayal during the October 4 premiere of The Social Reckoning in New York City.
“I had just got done playing a real and very public person and it was a great adventure and I loved so much of it, but it was also… it made me wake up in the middle of the night, many nights, in cold sweats,” White admitted.
The Jeremy Allen White Springsteen role focused on the musician’s life during the creation and release of his 1982 album Nebraska.
Although White enjoyed the experience, he said portraying someone with an established public identity brought considerable responsibility.
As per PEOPLE, that experience also influenced his approach to The Social Reckoning, in which he played former Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz.
White admitted that he initially felt nervous about accepting another role based on a real person.
However, he also expressed enthusiasm about working with writer-director Aaron Sorkin, whose previous credits included The Social Network.
“I felt the big responsibility to play Jeff, a real person, but I think more so I felt the responsibility to tell the story as honestly as possible,” White explained.
The upcoming film explored events surrounding The Wall Street Journal’s 2021 investigation, The Facebook Files.
Jeremy Strong portrayed Mark Zuckerberg, while Mikey Madison played former Facebook employee Frances Haugen. The story followed Horwitz as he investigated information concerning the social media company.
White said preparing for the role required him to better understand Horwitz’s perspective and the circumstances surrounding the investigation.
Before taking on these projects, White had also portrayed professional wrestler Kerry Von Erich in the 2023 film The Iron Claw.
His latest comments highlighted the pressure he experienced while portraying Springsteen and how that experience shaped his preparation for another biographical role.
