Jeremy Allen White has proven himself as not just a versatile actor, but a committed one. After a decade on the Showtime dramedy, Shameless, he slid seamlessly into the acclaimed show The Bear.
White plays Carmy, a professionally trained chef who returns to his family’s humble Italian beef shop in Chicago after the death of his brother. Carmy aims to turn the titular restaurant into something special and implements many fine dining techniques in the neighborhood spot. To play the role convincingly, he and co-star Ayo Edibiri trained with professional chefs in kitchen skills.
Now in season 3, The Bear is hitting full steam ahead and shot some scenes in the food city of Copenhagen. On The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, White explained that he assumed that meeting the chefs would be business as usual, but was sorely mistaken. Emphasis on sore.
The food consultant for the series, Courtney Store, reached out to White to tell him that the chefs wanted to train with the actor. Thinking they meant more kitchen skills, he agreed.
“‘No, he’d like to physically train with you,’” White recalled Store saying.
The actor is no stranger to physical activity. He trained extensively to appear as a real-life wrestler, Kerry Von Erich in The Iron Claw. But when he showed up to train with the Copenhagen chefs he quickly realized how out of depth he was. White detailed the extensive circuit training they went through, including burpees, bench presses, and dips.
“We did 10 rounds of this and after the 5th round, I had to excuse myself to go throw up. And I did. I really embarrassed myself in front of these really incredible chefs and like maniac masochists.”
The Bear is known for demonstrating some of the hardcore trade secrets of the food industry, but it’s unlikely this anecdote will make it into season 3.
