Jeremy Allen White, the 'Boss' Goes to Space

Jeremy Allen White was not born a star, but since the opportunity arose, he has not stopped shining. After a long career in film and television, he first sparkled in 'Shameless' as 'Lip', the troubled eldest son of the Gallagher family, a character that suited him perfectly due to his lived-in neighborhood kid look. He then took on the role of the tormented chef Carmy Berzatto in the successful series 'The Bear', and now he gets to shine as the 'Boss' in 'Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere', the biopic focused on the toughest and darkest time of the American singer and guitarist at the beginning of his thirties, which has hit theaters this Friday.

The actor has been acknowledged by Bruce himself as having "done the best version of myself." But living up to such a challenge was not easy. White confessed to being "obsessed" with the New Jersey artist for six months. "I didn’t know how to play the guitar or sing and I was afraid of disappointing everyone," he says. That's why he kept listening to his music, even his voice, which he learned to imitate with vocal coaches. "I also read his memoirs, tried to sing like him, dress like him," admits the Brooklyn-born performer, now 34 years old. His dedication was complemented by the most important thing: support from the 'Boss', who frequently sneaked onto the set to advise him. A sensation that was not always pleasant for the actor, "because having the man you're portraying in front of you was somewhat paralyzing." It was only a matter of time before Springsteen became "a sort of guide" who, according to 'The Guardian', even sent him messages at night pointing out "small moments"—a look, a way of sitting... that could help him fine-tune his role.

Despite everything, the audience did not warmly receive the first images of Jeremy characterized as Bruce. "He looks nothing like him," the singer's fans lamented disappointedly. However, the New Yorker's performance has been considered so "convincing" that such criticisms are now history.

White, who now has all the makings to succeed in the award season with the movie directed by Scott Cooper, did not find fame by chance. Son of Eloise Ziegler and Richard White, two Broadway actors, he sought it from childhood, studying dance and acting, and suffering greatly for not finding the key to success during his early years in Hollywood. "If I wasn’t successful, it was the end of the world. I felt I had a lot of talent and wasn’t achieving all that I deserved," he confessed.

The Bad Boy Archetype

But the recognition he was missing eventually came, and with his success as an actor, he also became popular as a model, which is notable for a man who is not conventionally handsome and is 1.70 meters tall. He represents, indeed, the lifelong archetype of the bad boy, which may have been crucial for starring in his most revolutionary moment on the internet. It happened with the underwear campaign he did for Calvin Klein, an opportunity that came at the best time, just after filming 'The Iron Claw', sharing the spotlight with Zac Efron, and he had already gotten used to "running in underwear in front of a lot of people. This perhaps provided some mental and emotional preparation."

In the images taken by Mert Alas, White appears frolicking in the sun on a rooftop, shirtless or pantless. A vision he never imagined of himself, but for which he prepared thoroughly. He did running, calisthenics, jump rope... He ate a lot of fish. And all the while he kept thinking: "I won't be able to see myself on a billboard. I shouldn't be doing this. Total impostor syndrome," he admits. Despite his reservations, the campaign stirred passions and garnered millions of 'likes', starting with one from a proud Rosalía who at that time was the actor's girlfriend.

He experienced his most revolutionary moment on the internet with the underwear campaign he did for Calvin Klein

The Catalan singer and the New York actor starred for just a year in a noted but quiet romance that ended without fanfare, although not all of White's breakups were so gentle. In May 2023, Addison Timlin, whom he had married four years earlier and had two daughters with, Ezer Billie and Dolores Wild, filed for divorce, and a battle ensued. The alcohol problems he was then experiencing complicated the separation process and the custody agreement was delayed. Undergoing sobriety tests and attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings were conditions he had to accept to settle the matter, as the actor has lately been photographed on several occasions with Molly Gordon, his co-star in 'The Bear'.

Immersed in the promotion of 'Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere', and having become the star he always wanted to be, Jeremy Allen White is now preparing to jump to another galaxy. To a very, very distant one to lend his voice to the character of Rotta the Hutt in the upcoming Star Wars movie, 'The Mandalorian and Grogu', set to be released in May 2026. He, who has already been a cook, a rebellious son, an advertising model, and the 'Boss', says that becoming a slimy alien "has been fun" and he is looking forward to "taking my daughters to the cinema." Now it remains to be seen if the once grumpy chef from 'The Bear' moves in space just as well as in the kitchen.