In a revealing discussion three years after Austin Butler’s award-winning portrayal of Elvis Presley in 2022’s Elvis, Butler and Jeremy Allen White addressed the complexities of portraying real individuals, particularly in light of White’s upcoming role as Bruce Springsteen in the anticipated film Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere.
Engaged in a conversation for Interview magazine’s 2025 cover story, Butler examined the challenges of depicting the “private moments” in the lives of real characters. Reflecting on his experience as Presley, he noted, “I remember having moments early on where I was going, ‘Vocally, is this something Elvis would’ve said? Is this how his voice would’ve been?’ It becomes a boundary…. And at a certain point, you blow the roof off and it’s your soul and his soul merging in some way.”
Responding to Butler’s sentiments, White shared his own struggles with immersing himself in Springsteen’s persona. “I can look at his performances, and I can watch interviews, but these are public versions. They’re performative in some sense. No matter how honest you are when you’re talking to the press, that’s not how you’re going to talk to your mother,” he elaborated.
White further recounted the challenge of determining whether his portrayal accurately represented Springsteen. “I had all this footage I could go off of, but you don’t know what this man looks like alone in a house. There’s more freedom, but then you’re questioning that freedom. At a certain point, you let go and hope that whatever feeling you’re getting close to at least held hands with Bruce’s feeling.”
In their discussion, Butler and White also explored sources of inspiration for their respective roles. “I was fortunate to be far from the life that I lived on a day-to-day basis, because I was in Australia. Then COVID happened, so the entire world was a different place. It allowed me to immerse myself in the delusion a little bit more than I would’ve otherwise,” Butler shared, acknowledging the unique circumstances that informed his performance.
White’s experience, however, was notably different. With Springsteen actively involved in the film’s production, he had the opportunity to build a rapport with the music icon. “Bruce was a producer on the film, and he and his manager, Jon Landau, were around quite a bit. They’ve had this beautiful relationship for so long, and they’ve been so in control of Bruce’s career and image. It makes total sense why these guys would want to be around as much as they were because it’s the first little bit of control they’ve ever given up,” White explained.
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is set to hit theaters on October 24, promising a deep and insightful exploration of Springsteen’s life and artistry.
Based on reporting by Hollywood Reporter. Read the full story at Hollywood Reporter.