Jeremy Allen White’s favourite food movie of all time
Although he had already proven his acting skills in the popular Showtime series Shameless, Jeremy Allen White is currently enjoying a new wave of critical acclaim thanks to a completely new project. Titled The Bear, the Hulu comedy-drama stars White as an extremely accomplished chef who decides to return to his hometown in order to take over his late brother’s restaurant. Having been nominated for several prestigious accolades, The Bear has also managed to become an integral part of the current TV landscape.
The second season of the series was released earlier this year, garnering a widely positive reception from fans as well as critics. White’s treatment of the protagonist Carmy is truly special, tapping into the deep reservoirs of trauma and pain. The Bear has also received praise from professionals working in the industry for painting a hyper-realistic portrait of the business, poignantly capturing the brilliance of excellence as well as the unimaginable amount of grit that is required.
During a conversation with Cherry Bombe, White explained his approach and the things he learnt about the industry: “I think I was aware of this with chefs. I didn’t fully understand the sacrifice and commitment of time, the amount of time you have to work, the repetition. From my perspective, if you don’t fully love this, why would you do it? So those guys stick it out, and they get to the next level, and they have this success. I just have a tremendous amount of respect for the time, I think, was really a surprise to me.”
In the same interview, the American actor was asked about his favourite food films that have left a lasting impression on him. White cited Jon Favreau’s beloved 2014 work Chef while talking about the performance of the immensely talented Oliver Platt, who also plays a recurring character on The Bear. According to White, Platt brought a lot to the table since he has an intimate understanding of the restaurant business.
“Big Night, I think, is like one of my all times,” he added, referencing Campbell Scott and Stanley Tucci’s 1996 work which revolves around the lives of two Italian brothers who run a restaurant on the Jersey Shore. In addition, White singled out a Bradley Cooper project as one of his top picks: “And then I feel like I have to mention Burnt. John Wells, who was our showrunner on Shameless, directed this movie, Burnt, with Bradley Cooper.”
The actor continued: “I really enjoyed it, and I thought Bradley Cooper was wonderful. And also found it interesting. It’s his second time playing a chef. He played, I guess, a version of Anthony Bourdain on a Fox show called Kitchen Confidential. Knowing that, I was interested in why he wanted to go back to that world.”
Watch the trailer for Burnt below.
