SmartLess – "Jeremy Allen White"

Hosts: Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett
Guest: Jeremy Allen White
Released: December 22, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively and sincere episode, the SmartLess crew (Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, Will Arnett) welcome acclaimed actor Jeremy Allen White, best known for FX’s The Bear and Showtime’s Shameless. The conversation is a blend of classic SmartLess humor, deep-dive industry insight, and heartfelt reflection on fame, career transitions, and balancing art with family.

The episode explores Jeremy’s journey from Brooklyn dance classes to Emmy-winning stardom, the anxiety of leaving a long-running series, the explosion of The Bear, learning to become Bruce Springsteen, and the everyday reality of being recognized (and raising kids) in the public eye.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Warm Up & Golden Globe News

• [06:38] The guys discuss receiving a Golden Globe nomination for SmartLess. Will gives credit to their team behind the scenes:

  “A lot of it has to do with our friends Michael, Terry and Bennett Barbacow and Rob Armyard. Those guys… the wind beneath our wings.” – Will Arnett ([06:44])

2. Announcing the Guest & Early Banter

• [09:10] Will reveals Jeremy Allen White as the guest, celebrating his recent Golden Globe and Emmy acknowledgments.

  “We have somebody who is okuránt, as they say… It is Mr. Jeremy.” – Will Arnett ([09:19])

• [10:13] Jeremy enters, joking with the hosts about Amanda (Jason’s wife) texting him, cementing the show’s tone of playful intimacy.

3. Origin of Jason & Jeremy’s Friendship

• [13:15] Jeremy and Jason recount how they got “set up” by their mutual friend Jamie—first with movie nights, then a Dodgers game—highlighting the awkwardness and excitement of new adult friendships.

  “Jamie, who I think is friends with everybody… set us up.” – Jeremy Allen White ([14:00])

4. Jeremy’s Brooklyn Childhood & Creative Roots

• [16:22] Jeremy shares his Brooklyn upbringing and discusses how people mistake him as a Chicagoan due to his work.

  “I did a show before The Bear also set in Chicago. So I’ve been on like a Chicago set show my whole adult life.” ([16:33])

• [18:21] Talks about his parents’ theater backgrounds, his high energy as a kid, and finding focus through dance (ballet, tap, jazz) and eventually switching to drama because the dance program “didn’t take it seriously enough.” ([21:59])

5. First Stage Experiences & The Love of Acting

• [22:04] Jeremy describes the thrilling calm he felt acting for the first time in middle school, and how it provided focus for his busy mind.

  “There’s like a real simplicity or focus… that’s why I like acting so much.” – Jeremy Allen White ([23:02]-[23:53])

6. Early Career & New York Hustle

• [28:51] His drama teacher, John McEnany, played a pivotal role, helping him land his first jobs via Backstage casting calls – off-off-Broadway and commercials.

  “He was so serious… He would come to school with, like, nosebleeds when we were doing dress. He cared very much about it.” ([29:08])

7. The Musical Switch: Dance, Not Singing

• [30:38] Clarifies he wasn’t a singer early on—just a dancer—though recently had to learn to sing and play guitar for his Springsteen role in Deliver Me from Nowhere.

  “I had about six months to learn guitar… we just learned the couple songs that I needed.” ([32:35])

  • Bruce Springsteen gifted Jeremy a 1955 Gibson J200 guitar as thanks for his portrayal. Jeremy keeps it under his bed to protect it from LA’s weather / home breakdowns. ([33:22]-[33:53])

8. Shameless, LA Transition & Growing Up on TV

• [34:40] Jeremy landed Shameless right after high school, moving to LA at 18 and staying on the show until he was 30.

  “I was 18 when we did the pilot, and I was 30 when we finished. …That takes you through a lot.” ([34:54])

• [36:50] Talks family – he now has two children (Ezzy, 7; Dolly, 5), juggling bicoastal living through shooting years.

9. Post-Shameless: Panic & New Beginnings

• [38:02] Jeremy discusses the emotional instability of finishing a long-running series:

  “I was driving home… had a full panic. I had to pull over. My arms went numb… it had just been such a comfort…” ([38:30])

  • He was contacted by Chris Storer (creator of The Bear) exactly as promised years prior, opening a new chapter in his career just as the anxiety peaked.

10. The Bear: Expectation and Breakout Success

• [45:03] Jeremy reflects on not anticipating how The Bear would “resonate with fans and critics… My greatest hope was that maybe people in service would dig this show.”

  “That was the goal: will kitchens like this show?… The fact that it connected with as many people as it did… was definitely a surprise.” ([45:03]-[46:06])

11. Life in the Public Eye & Family Dynamics

• [47:25] Jeremy relates to the hosts’ love of privacy and routine, expressing discomfort at the scrutiny of public life, especially when it impacts private rituals like his weekly farmers market visits.

  “That thing that was mine… that private, kind of, like, nice routine has kind of been… spoiled by that sort of attention.” ([49:16]-[49:41])

  • He explains to his daughters that “people get excited about thinking they understand a version of your dad, but it’s not really your dad.” ([49:44]-[50:33])

12. Navigating Parenthood & Fame with Kids

• [53:26] The hosts compare notes on how to navigate their children’s awareness of public fame—Jason recalls “overcompensating” and accidentally making his daughter feel acting was a bad thing.

13. Dream Roles & Genre Fantasies

• [54:53] Sean shares a dream of playing an unexpected violent character:

  “I want to play a complete fucking maniacal serial killer… the super nice guy… and then he rips people’s necks apart when nobody’s around.” – Sean Hayes ([57:02])

• Will jokes about wanting to star in a Bourne-style action movie (“The Newborn”) where he takes Matt Damon out, seeking a last compliment from Damon as he does. ([58:19])

• Jeremy, meanwhile, focuses on “who are the directors, writers, and actors I want to work with” rather than a particular dream role or genre. Names Paolo Sorrentino and Paul Thomas Anderson as examples. ([56:06])

14. Real Estate Obsessions & Fantasy Escapes

• [62:57] Jeremy confesses his decompression outlet is “reality real estate shows” and browsing listings on Zillow and Realtor, fantasizing about other lives.

  “I send listings to friends and they’re like, just buy it then, like, what do you want from me? …but that’s my… like, I just look at stuff.” ([63:00]-[63:49])

• His weirdest near-move fantasy: Bisbee, Arizona, where everyone seems to just pass through and stay. ([64:33])

15. Place, Pace, and the City vs. Small Town Life

• The group discusses whether, as they age, they’d genuinely want to retreat to small towns or if the city’s energy suits them better. Jeremy’s open to a slower place someday, but sees the pros and cons. ([68:30]-[69:19])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Leaving Shameless:

  “I finished that [ADR], and I was driving home from Warner Brothers and had a full panic. I had to pull over. My arms went numb.”
  — Jeremy Allen White ([38:30])

• On Public Recognition:

  “That thing that was mine… that very, like, private, kind of, like, nice routine has kind of been. Yeah. Like, spoiled by that sort of attention… none of it feels normal.”
  — Jeremy Allen White ([49:16]-[49:41])

• On Friendship & Fame:

  “I want to be a local immediately.”
  — Jason Bateman ([64:27])

• On Acting as Focus:

  “When I’m on set or performing, there’s like a real simplicity or focus… that’s why I like acting so much.”
  — Jeremy Allen White ([23:53])

• On Success of The Bear:

  “Will back of house like this show? Does this seem real? …the fact that it connected… was definitely a surprise.”
  — Jeremy Allen White ([45:03]-[46:06])

Important Timestamps & Segments

• [06:38] – Hosts announce their Golden Globe nomination for SmartLess
• [09:10] – Will introduces Jeremy Allen White as the surprise guest
• [13:15] – Jeremy and Jason discuss their mutual friend Jamie and new friendship
• [16:22] – Jeremy’s Brooklyn upbringing and how Chicago keeps showing up in his career
• [21:59] – Dancing as a kid and the turn toward drama
• [34:40] – How Shameless took Jeremy from NY to LA
• [38:30] – Jeremy’s panic attack post-Shameless
• [40:13] – Chris Storer’s three-years-later offer for The Bear
• [45:03] – The Bear’s unexpected critical and popular breakout
• [49:16] – Navigating being recognized, and how it affects family life
• [54:53] – The hosts and Jeremy discuss their dream roles
• [62:57] – Jeremy’s surprising reality TV and real-estate hobby
• [64:33] – Bisbee, Arizona: Jeremy’s almost-move fantasy
• [68:30] – Group discusses big city vs. small town living as they get older

Tone, Language, & Style

• Conversational, quick-witted, warm and honest
• Playful roasting among friends, with Jeremy quickly embracing the SmartLess rhythm
• Openness about therapy, anxieties, ambition, and work/life balance

Summary Conclusion

This episode is an essential listen for fans of The Bear, Shameless, or anyone interested in the uncertain path of showbiz. Jeremy Allen White’s humility and introspection, matched by the hosts’ signature banter and candor, make for an informative and entertaining hour. The show balances laughs (hypothetical serial killers and “the Newborn” action movie), heartfelt industry talk, and the very real struggles of adapting to success—on screen and off.

Final word:

• [70:07] – “Jimmy, you’re the man. Just… you are the man, man.” – Will Arnett

Jeremy’s wisdom about “taking things as they come” and building his career on relationships, not just roles, rounds out an episode that’s as much about friendship and self-awareness as it is about acting.

For More

• Watch The Bear (FX/Hulu)
• Keep an eye out for Jeremy’s turn as Bruce Springsteen in “Deliver Me from Nowhere”
• If you’re ever near Bisbee, Arizona, say hi to Jaw Dog.