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Jeremy Allen White's life before Shameless was exceedingly different than it is today. As soon as he was hired on the acclaimed Showtime series, Jeremy found himself on a path to stardom. But the man behind Lip Gallagher didn't make the same decisions as some of his contemporaries. Instead, choosing a much slower ascent.
Perhaps this is because he understood early on the negatives of being too famous too quickly. Or perhaps it was because he really only wanted to choose projects that moved him.
There's no doubt that FX and Hulu's The Bear is one of those projects. Fortunately, it's become more than a rewarding creative decision for Jeremy. With the show getting picked up for a second season, it seems the handsome actor may have another hit on his hands.
In an interview with Vulture, Jeremy went into detail about why exactly he wanted to make The Bear. Additionally, he explained how he transformed into the fine dining chef turned Chicago sandwich shop owner, Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto.
Why Did Jeremy Allen White Want To Make The Bear?
"I knew immediately how much I cared for Carmy and how much my heart really hurt for Carmy, and I don’t think I knew exactly why yet," Jeremy said to Vulture when asked about what initially drew him to the character.
On the surface, it's easy to hurt for Carmy. When the series begins, his brother has just died and he comes to Chicago to run his business for him. But Jeremy soon found so much more to connect with than that.
"In retrospect, it’s because I saw this lonely man whose identity was so wrapped up in this thing, and if he didn’t get it, he really felt like he was going to die."
Jeremy went on to explain that the feeling was something he could relate to as he too once found himself wrapped up in obsession. Similar to Carmy, Jeremy was also obsessed with his career. Fortunately, he has since learned to have a healthier relationship with it; something Carmy is yet to do.
Can Jeremy Allen White Actually Cook?
Given the subject matter of The Bear, it's only natural to wonder if Jeremy actually knows what he's doing in the kitchen.
It turns out, in preparation for the role of Carmy, Jeremy took a two-week culinary course as well as worked in at least three restaurants. So, in short, he did learn to cook.
"I knew I would never be as good as Carmy. I made a decision very early on: I need to learn the stuff I can fake," Jeremy explained.
"There’s a real ballet to kitchens in the way people move, and if I could get that movement down, that would be really great. The one thing I did get better at, but it took a lot of work, was the knife skills."
This Was The Hardest Scene In The Bear For Jeremy Allen White To Film
Just like Shameless did, The Bear offers some truly magnificent opportunities for Jeremy to flex his acting muscles.
In his interview with Vulture, he explained that his hardest scene was Carmy's 7-minute one-shot speech in an Al-Anon meeting in the eight-episode.
"It was so hard. That was our last day of shooting. I was thinking about that scene every day. It always goes like that: For every actor, there’s one scene where you’re like, Oh, this is going to be hard, and I better have it that day. It’s always on the first or the last day, that’s just how it goes," Jeremy explained.
This scene hung over his head for the entirety of the shoot. But the lengthy and emotional speech his gives in that scene ultimately became a "map" for him to find the character.
"I used that speech as an in. I would read it most mornings before work because it seemed like a map for Carmy. I’d perform it alone a lot, in my apartment."
Jeremy Allen White's Tattoos On The Bear
In real life, Jeremy has a few tattoos of his own. There's one for each of his parents, his kids, and his wife, Addison Timlin. In the show, however, Jeremy has a lot more.
"I created all of [Carmy's tattoos] with a friend who is a tattoo artist. His name is Ben Shields. He has an incredible knowledge of the history and art of tattoos, and even the geography of it."
Jeremy claimed that Ben was actually his introduction to Carmy. This is because he asked a lot of tattoo-related questions that opened up the door to discovering who the man really was.
"Ben wrote down a list of questions. He was like, 'When people get their first tattoos, it’s going to be a boyfriend or a girlfriend or their parents or an area code or an address, because that’s something about your identity no one can challenge you on. It’s a very safe first thing to get.' He had a whole list of questions like that: 'Did you get something when you were at Noma in Copenhagen? Who gave that to you?' It was a really great exercise in writing a background for your character through the art they have."
Jeremy Allen White's Hair On The Bear
One of the main reasons so many women and men swoon over Jeremy is his luscious locks. But while they've been on display before, they've never quite received the same attention as they do in The Bear. Mostly because Jeremy is always playing with them on-screen.
"I think that’s something I do in life, and I was also looking for tics," Jeremy said. "I wanted him to seem very unsettled all the time, like he couldn’t ever be still."
"I also wanted Carmy to always look just a little dirty. There’s a sink on set — everything was functional — and before most takes, I would get water in my hands and run it through my hair to get it looking kind of greasy. And then this stuff called — funnily enough — Pacinos Pomade. Al Pacino has no connection to the product, but it does happen to be called Pacinos. I went to a CVS and was like, I need something. It’s super cheap, nothing fancy."
