‘The Bear’: Jeremy Allen White on What He’ll Miss Most & How Life Changed (Exclusive)

Jeremy Allen White and Liza Colón-Zayas talked to “Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi about the fifth and final season of “The Bear.” 

White admitted to feeling a bit “nervous” and “anxious” while reflecting on the show ending.

He explained, "I've become so reliant and dependent on these performers, on our crew. We start every year... we shoot the show January, February, March, you know, at the top of the year and it's such a beautiful way to start every year.”

Jeremy went on, "It's like I've counted on that time the last five years to get really centered on what I want for the rest of the year because I feel in a creative place. I feel in a safe place. I feel like I’m doing work that I love with people that I love and that's the thing  I'm going to miss come January 2027. I think I'm really going to feel that absence of this community during that time.”

Jeremy and Liza recalled their final days filming, with Jeremy explaining, "It wasn't like everybody was together for one last day. It was kind of like spread out, the goodbyes... My last scene, I was with no, none of our like regular cast. I was on my own, and that was intense."

Turning to Liza, he added, "But then I saw you, yeah. Me and Matty came to hang out for your last scene which was like a couple days later. But yeah, it was strange. It's not what you think. It's not like the last day is like everybody all together and hugging. It's all like very split up, which was strange."

The star also shared what playing Carmy has meant to him personally and professionally.

“Personally, there's a lot to learn from Carmy and Carmy's journey,” he said. “You meet him and he's like living so much in the past and living so much in his grief and he's being so avoidant and his relationships are suffering and he's like isolating… he’s really this broken guy and over the of the show he finds the ability to I think get really honest with himself and appreciate and accept the kind of like love that he has around him… I think there's really good lessons in all of that."

 White went on, “Professionally, this show has been such a gift. I've been really lucky throughout my career. I've been lucky to to be able to make a living at this job for as long as I have. And I think with this show came this even like next gift which which all actors want but very few are lucky enough to find which is like you get real agency in the direction of your career. You have choices. You can say yes. You can say no and you're granted like a period at least where you can take a break if you need to."

Liza spoke about how the show ends, saying, "I trust what the writers' vision is,” adding, “Something had to shift in this world. We couldn't continue to exist with that level of chaos and uncertainty. That said, I feel like we are in a better place and no matter what happens… there’s hope and we're going to be okay. And so, hey, man, to end it on that note and I think that this season is outstanding, to end it that way is huge."

She also said she is proud of what she did as Tina, and the how much it means having fans connect with the show. 

"I feel really proud of all of the nuance… and humanity that I was able to find and that these incredible writers saw in me and put down on paper,” she said.

Colón-Zayas continued, “The best thing that I hear is like, ‘You're my mother, my mother opened up this restaurant, you're my tia…' when people run up and they desperately need to share what the show means to them is one of the biggest compliments and gifts and blessings.”