Jeremy Allen White reveals how hard he worked to fit into Bruce Springsteen’s look for his new film. The actor says that the costume changed how he moved and that the jeans he wore especially affected his posture, eating, and walking. Here’s what the actor said about preparing for the role.
Jeremy Allen White opens up about his prep to fit into Bruce Springsteen’s jeans
Jeremy Allen White described the jeans as “very snug,” and said the tight fit shaped his work on the film (via Variety). In the interview, he told Kate Hudson, “I felt like I had to stop eating. It was all really helpful – the boots, the jeans, the jackets. It was tight and really informed the physicality. It messed with my posture. Bruce also gave us clothing he wore as a young man, some of his actual pieces.”
Beyond costuming, the role came with personal items from Springsteen himself. Along with the items of clothing given by Springsteen, White also mentioned that the musician gave him a meaningful gift. He said, “I haven’t talked about this yet because it feels so precious, but he did give me his St. Christopher medal that he had for a very long time. And he gave me a guitar to learn to play, a 1955 Gibson J-200.”
White called the guitar given to him by Bruce Springsteen a powerful tool in his preparation. He said learning to play helped him find the character’s voice. He also described how he used Springsteen’s music to guide his work. He listened to Springsteen’s Nebraska album on vinyl during prep and called specific tracks “a north star” for him. “If I was ever feeling lost or unstable, or I didn’t know what a certain scene was or where Bruce was at, that grounded me,” he shared.
The actor acknowledged the pressure of portraying a living legend. He said he made many character choices before arriving on set and then “had to hang on tight” when Springsteen and others were present. Still, White emphasized how the clothing and music together provided him with a concrete path into the role.
