Alex McCurthy
Jeremy Strong, known for his role as Kendall Roy in the hit TV series Succession, has finally confirmed his appearances in the upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic, Deliver Me From Nowhere. After months of speculation, the actor shared in an exclusive interview with NME that he would indeed be part of the highly anticipated film. Strong would also appear early in May, when there were reports he would appear in the show as Jon Landau, Bruce Springsteen’s longtime manager. At that time, this had not been confirmed, but Strong has since confirmed he is signed up for the role. As part of this exciting news, Strong also spoke about his relationship with Springsteen’s music.
When asked if he had a favorite Springsteen album, he named the 1982 release Nebraska, a raw and introspective collection of songs. “It just always spoke to me, there’s a melancholy to it,” he said. “I am doing Deliver Me From Nowhere, but I’d always felt that way about that album.”. There’s a story to it that comes from a really deep place in him, and you can feel that. Of course, this was nothing new for Springsteen, but Strong also said of Van Morrison’s 1968 masterpiece Astral Weeks, that it was another album that held a special place for him. “It’s transportive and it’s pretty perfect,” he said. His musical tastes reveal real appreciation for albums that go deep into emotions and introspection, all the kind of characters he so often plays on screen.
In the same interview, Strong is featured alongside Sebastian Stan, his co-star in the movie The Apprentice, that is hitting theaters this week.
*The film traces the rise of Donald Trump from his early career working at New York as a tycoon in real estate. He plays the role of Trump, while Strong plays Roy Cohn, the scandalous mentor of Trump, with a scandalous lawyer resume who once clerked to senator Senator Joseph McCarthy during the anti-communist trials of the 1950s. Already, *The Apprentice* has generated controversy, particularly among the current president’s defenders; it is viewed as a hatchet piece about Trump. Trump took to social media to denigrate the movie and even went as far as to comment on 12 April on his Truth Social platform: “A FAKE and CLASSLESS movie written about me, called The Apprentice (Do they even have the right to use that name without approval?), will hopefully ‘bomb.'” Despite the commotion, though, Strong remains adamant that the film is not about demonizing the guy, but rather to present an honest account of history personified.
“That’s not about vilifying him or belittling him,” he explained.
“We are trying to tell an accurate story of these historical figures.” Strong and Stan said this film tries to address the complexity of the relationship between Trump and Cohn, while giving insight to the political landscape then. Strong further detailed how close the U.S. actually blocked The Apprentice because of its controversial subject. He said that it nearly got blocked and not shown in America. That’s really unsettling and worrying,” he said. “Even though we narrowly escaped the jaws of censorship, it almost tipped the other way.
It’s very dark to my mind. The prospect of the film being banned was a chilling reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by filmmakers when dealing with politically sensitive topics. Ironically, the controversy surrounding the film may end up making people watch it more. Strong added that contentious subject matters in the film will attract audience who are curious to see how it portrays Trump and Cohn. “I think more people will see it because of the controversy,” he said. But more people should see it because I think it’s essential if you care about this election or the United States, or for that matter, the world right now.
In addition to their insights into the politically and socially charged ramifications of The Apprentice, Strong and Stan, in tandem, also appeared to keep things lighthearted by including some light moments of working together. One such that came particularly to mind is the time Stan auditioned for the infamous Spider-Man Broadway musical of 2010. Though the musical, overseen by U2’s Bono, was generally speaking called a flop, Stan still seems to chuckle at the memory today. Overall, from Deliver Me From Nowhere to The Apprentice, Jeremy Strong’s future projects represent versatility at its finest. He has already played a legendary music manager; next, he takes on a polarizing figure in the midst of national politics. Strong is drawn to complex, multi-layered characters and maintains a passion for storytelling and commitment to music-all things that add depth to his work.
