Jeremy Allen White Reacts To His First Emmy Nomination For ‘The Bear’ & Says Award Shows Still Make Him “A Nervous Wreck”
13.07.2023 - 02:27
/ deadline.com
Jeremy Allen White just scored his first Emmy nomination for playing chef Carmy Berzatto on FX’s The Bear, but most Chicagoans still recognize him as heartbreaker Lip Gallagher from Shameless.
“When I walk around Chicago, when I’m filming The Bear, if I get stopped on the street…seven out of the 10 times, it’ll be for Shameless. It’s pretty wild,” he said, reflecting on his breakout role. “I’ve been on TV for a really long time, which is a crazy thing to say. Sometimes it doesn’t feel that way…I feel like there were a lot of really wonderful performances on Shameless that weren’t recognized, and I feel so lucky to be on a show now that connects with people in this way.”
He isn’t sure what, exactly, clicked with The Bear to prompt its meteoric rise to critical and audience acclaim, but he can’t deny “it’s made space in the industry in a way that Shameless didn’t. I’ve got all of these writers and directors and actors [reaching out] that I just love so much that really enjoy The Bear that have never seen Shameless. That’s just a real gift that this one caught the eye of people that I admire so much.”
In some ways, the series aren’t all that different. It seems that White has a penchant for playing deeply flawed characters who lead incredibly chaotic lives. And, he contends, he gravitates toward complex stories about family.
“I think it’s just fun. The higher the stakes, the more fun for me to play,” he said. “I also think, just in great storytelling, I think family is always at the center. That can be blood family or found family, but I think family is just such a core component for drama and storytelling. Shameless is about this blood family, and how they stay connected, how they stay strong. The Bear is about blood