Jeremy Allen White Says Bruce Springsteen Steered the Biopic From Script to Set

Jeremy Allen White is playing Bruce Springsteen in the biopic 'Deliver Me from Nowhere,' and it sounds like The Boss did everything short of calling action. White calls the gig a blessing, and based on how involved Springsteen was, I get why.

What Bruce did — and what he didn't

White told Kate Hudson in a recent conversation (via Variety) that Springsteen gave the movie his blessing and his time, but not his pen.

"Bruce gave the go-ahead for our director, Scott Cooper, to do this movie but was hands-off during the writing process."

Translation: he approved the project and supported it without trying to rewrite his own life story. Honestly, that's refreshing.

• Pre-filming, White met Springsteen in London at Wembley. He got an invite to soundcheck, and Springsteen brought him on stage before the crowd came in.
• They spent a few weeks together ahead of the shoot. Then, surprise: Springsteen was on set pretty much all the time — something the team didn't expect going in.
• He left the storytelling to the writers and producers, but he was a steady presence during production and helped with, well, everything.
• He also put real pieces of his life in White's hands: a St. Christopher medal he'd had for a long time, and a 1955 Gibson J-200 for White to learn to play.
• Wardrobe and Springsteen's actual items shaped how White moved. The period gear was tight enough to change his posture, which White says helped lock in the physical performance.

For anyone keeping score: White is the 'Shameless' alum stepping into the role; Scott Cooper is directing; Springsteen is 76 and, by all accounts here, very present without being precious about the script. The mix of practical help, personal gifts, and constant access seems to have given White exactly what you want in a portrayal like this — real-world texture and permission to make it his own.