Three years after Austin Butler brought Elvis Presley to life in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 Elvis, the actor sat down with Jeremy Allen White—who portrays Bruce Springsteen in the upcoming biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere—to discuss the challenges of embodying real people.
Their candid conversation appeared in Interview magazine’s Fall 2025 cover story, published Tuesday.
Reflecting on his transformation into Presley, Butler spoke about the delicate line between performance and authenticity. “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?’” he said.
“It becomes a boundary. And then at a certain point, you blow the roof off, and it’s your soul and his soul merging in some way.”
White agreed, noting that playing Springsteen required a similar emotional surrender. “I can look at his performances, and I can watch interviews, but these are public versions,” he explained. “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 admitted that despite having ample footage, he constantly questioned if his portrayal captured Springsteen’s private self. “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,” he added.
Butler shared that filming Elvis in Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic helped him fully immerse himself. “It allowed me to immerse myself in the delusion a little bit more than I would’ve otherwise,” he said.
White’s experience differed, as Springsteen was heavily involved in the project. “Bruce was a producer on the film,” he revealed. “It makes total sense why he’d want to be around—this was the first bit of control he’d ever given up.”
Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere opens in theaters on October 24.
