Bruce Springsteen moved Stephen Graham to tears with a heartfelt text praising his performance as the iconic singer’s late father. Describing the message as “beautiful,” Graham was deeply touched by Springsteen’s kind words, which acknowledged his powerful portrayal and emotional depth in the role.
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“I was in tears reading the text,” said Stephen Graham, who plays Bruce Springsteen’s father in an upcoming biopic. The actor was deeply moved by the heartfelt message from Springsteen, which praised his performance.
Stephen Graham has earned Bruce Springsteen’s seal of approval for his portrayal of the singer’s late father in the upcoming biopic, Deliver Me from Nowhere.
During the March 23 episode of Soundtracking with Edith Bowman, the 51-year-old English actor shared that after filming wrapped on the Jeremy Allen White-led project, he received a heartfelt message from the Born in the U.S.A. singer.
“It was one of the most gorgeous texts I’ve ever had in my life,” Graham recalled, describing the touching moment.
“I was racing to get to the airport when I got this text, and it was so beautiful,” Stephen Graham recalled. “It just said: ‘Better than any award that I could ever receive in my life.’”
The Adolescence actor reflected on what the heartfelt message meant to him, speaking highly of the legendary musician.
“He’s an icon. He’s a hero. He’s a working-class hero,” Graham said of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer. “He’s an icon to thousands, to millions.”
“And his text just said, ‘Thank you so much. You know, my father passed away a while ago, and I felt like I saw him today. Thank you for giving me that memory,’” Graham shared.
He went on to describe the emotional impact of the message.
“I was crying reading the text, do you know what I mean? Oh mate, it was beautiful,” he said. “You couldn’t ask for anything more — to share that with someone was gorgeous. He’s a lovely man.”
Graham mentioned that he and Bruce Springsteen also talked about the singer’s 2016 memoir, Born to Run. In the book, Springsteen reflects on his complex relationship with his father, who passed away in 1998.
Alongside Stephen Graham and Jeremy Allen White, 34, the biopic also features Jeremy Strong as Jon Landau, Springsteen’s longtime mentor and manager. Paul Walter Hauser portrays guitar tech Mike Batlan, Odessa Young plays the musician’s love interest Faye, and Johnny Cannizzaro takes on the role of E Street Band member Steve Van Zandt.
Springsteen appears to be quite pleased with the casting choices.
In a January interview with SiriusXM’s E Street Radio, Bruce Springsteen shared his thoughts on Jeremy Allen White portraying a younger version of himself.
“He sings well. He sings very well,” Springsteen praised, before adding more kind words about the cast.
“You know, and Jeremy Strong and Odessa Young … it’s a tremendous cast of people. They cast the film beautifully, so it’s very exciting,” he said.
Springsteen also acknowledged that seeing Jeremy Allen White portray him felt “a little bit” strange at first, but he quickly adjusted.
“You get over that pretty quick,” he explained. “Jeremy is such a terrific actor that you just fall right into it. He’s got an interpretation of me that I think the fans will deeply recognize, and he’s just done a great job.”
The legendary musician added that he’s enjoyed the experience overall. “I’ve had a lot of fun,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of fun being on the set when I can get there.”