Actor Stephen Graham revealed that Bruce Springsteen sent him a heartfelt message praising his portrayal of the singer's father in the upcoming biopic "Deliver Me From Nowhere."
Graham, who is also earning acclaim for his portrayal as the father of a teenager accused of murder in "Adolescence," shared the message during an episode of the "Soundtracking" podcast, saying that it left him crying.
"Deliver Me From Nowhere," is set during the recording of Bruce Springsteen's 1982 album "Nebraska." Graham portrays the singer's late father, Douglas "Dutch" Springsteen, with whom the singer had a complicated relationship.
To embody the role, Graham wore prosthetics to match Dutch Springsteen's 58-year-old appearance in 1982, though he noted he had to quickly remove them in time to catch a flight.
"I'm racing to get to the airport, and I got this text, and it was so beautiful. It just said, 'Better than any award that I could ever receive in my life.' He's an icon. He's a hero," Graham said.
"He's a working-class hero. 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, and thank you for giving me that memory,'" he continued.
"I was crying reading the text, do you know what I mean? Oh mate, it was beautiful. You couldn't ask for anything more, you know, to share that with someone was gorgeous. He's a lovely man."
Graham also revealed that Bruce Springsteen is a fan of the 2006 Shane Meadows film "This Is England," which was a breakthrough role for the actor. The two previously discussed Springsteen's complicated relationship with his father, using his memoir "Born to Run" as a starting point.
In the book, BruceSpringsteen writes, "He loved me, but he couldn't stand me. He felt we competed for my mother's affections," according to The Guardian.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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