Leading star of The Bear Jeremy Allen White reflected on his experience of wrapping up the fifth and final season of the show that is set to air on June 25th.
The cast reunited in New York on Monday for “The Final Family Meal” as they said goodbye to the award-winning series after four years since its debut in 2022.
The series follows the life of Carmen (Carmy) Bearzatto, played by White, who leaves the world he knew of fine dining to run his family’s sandwich shop and prevent it from closing down.
After its first season, The Bear had won 10 Emmys and over its four years, the story continued to encapsulate broader themes of loss and mental health as a backdrop to the pressures of working in the food and service industry.
Jeremy Allen White with The Bear Cast
At the fifth season premiere, White said the season was “hard to read. It was hard to shoot…To me, this season, the end of the show- for Carmy at least- is about this sort of like ultimate surrender and acceptance of, kind of an honesty with himself.”
He spoke about the setting of a kitchen environment as interesting and great for drama and comedy but to him, the show could take place anywhere as its core was about “inspiration and finding purpose,” which is why it connects with so many.
Ayo Edebiri. Fred Duval, Shutterstock
Ayo Edebiri, who plays Head Chef Sydney Adamu, said it was bittersweet that the show is ending.
“I feel so connected to this group of people, these characters, and everything that we’ve gotten to do together. So I feel really content with that, but I really do love these guys and I’m going to miss working with them. We’ve all gotten to be on a really rare and special journey with each other.”
Behind-the-scenes, real-life experiences of working in a kitchen environment brought the highs, lows, tensions and pressures that arise to the screen.
Matty Matheson. Sterling Munksgard, Shutterstock
Matty Matheson played handyman Neil Fak, and brought his culinary knowledge to the show after decades of running restaurants in his own life.
Following the finale of the series, it has been praised by Vogue as a “word-of-mouth sensation due to its intense, pressure-cooker pacing that accurately captured the relentless, high-stakes environment of the food and service industry- as well as for its heartfelt exploration of grief, family, and mental health.”
The first two episodes of season five will be aired on Hulu and the rest will follow in weekly releases.
