The Brooklyn Academy of Music is about to get a dose of Hollywood and rock ‘n’ roll as Jimmy Kimmel Live! returns to its host’s hometown for a star-studded week of shows. The much-anticipated October 2, 2025, episode will bring together Jeremy Allen White—the breakout star of The Bear—and none other than Bruce Springsteen, the legendary musician whose life and work are at the heart of a new biopic set to hit theaters later this month. For fans of both the big screen and classic rock, it’s a meeting that promises fireworks, nostalgia, and perhaps a few surprises.
According to LateNighter, the upcoming Thursday night show marks a unique moment: White, a Brooklyn native himself, will appear alongside the very man he portrays in Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, a film chronicling the creation of Springsteen’s iconic 1982 acoustic album, Nebraska. The film, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in August 2025, has been generating a considerable buzz for its raw storytelling and White’s uncanny performance—one that even involved him singing his own vocals, with Springsteen frequently present on set.
Springsteen, meanwhile, isn’t just in the spotlight for the movie. He’s also promoting Nebraska 82, a newly expanded edition of his seminal album, slated for release on October 17, 2025. This edition will feature a long-shelved electric version of the album, recently unearthed from the Boss’s own archives—a treat for die-hard fans and music historians alike. As LateNighter notes, the timing couldn’t be better: both the film and the album’s re-release are poised to introduce a new generation to one of Springsteen’s most introspective and influential works.
The excitement around the October 2 show is palpable, not least because it could be the first time Springsteen and White publicly promote the project together. While the Jimmy Kimmel Live! team hasn’t officially confirmed a joint interview, the odds seem good that the two will at least cross paths on camera—perhaps sharing stories from set or reflecting on the legacy of Nebraska. White, reflecting on his experience, has spoken about Springsteen’s presence and support during filming. And Springsteen himself, in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, remarked, “Jeremy Allen White was very, very tolerant of me the days that I would appear on the set.” It’s a testament to the mutual respect between the legend and the actor stepping into his well-worn boots.
The Brooklyn run of Jimmy Kimmel Live! is something of a homecoming for its host, who was born and raised in the borough before moving to Las Vegas at age nine. As NJArts.net points out, Kimmel has brought his show to Brooklyn six times since its 2003 launch, each time tapping into the city’s unique energy and cultural richness. Normally filmed at The El Capitan Entertainment Centre in Hollywood, the show’s temporary move to the Brooklyn Academy of Music is both a logistical and symbolic shift—one that Kimmel himself seems to relish. On the September 25 episode, he joked, “We have to stay on the move, so the FCC can’t get us,” referencing recent FCC battles and the show’s brief removal and reinstatement from ABC’s air schedule.
This week of Brooklyn shows features a packed guest list: Ryan Reynolds, Josh Johnson, and Public Enemy on September 29; Stephen Colbert, Kumail Nanjiani, and Reneé Rapp on September 30; Emily Blunt, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Geese, and Big Daddy Kane on October 1; and Tom Hanks and Spike Lee closing out the run on October 3. But it’s the October 2 episode that has music and film fans buzzing, with Living Colour and Ivan Neville also set to perform live.
Springsteen’s relationship with Jimmy Kimmel Live! is well-established. He previously appeared on the show during its 2019 Brooklyn run, where Kimmel, a self-professed lifelong fan, reminisced about receiving a Springsteen box set for Christmas in 1986. Their shared admiration for music—and their outspoken criticism of former President Donald Trump—has been a recurring theme in their interactions. Given both men’s public stances, there’s a good chance political issues could surface during their conversation, especially in light of Kimmel’s recent FCC run-ins. Still, the heart of the night is likely to be music, memory, and the enduring influence of Nebraska.
For Jeremy Allen White, the role of Springsteen is both a career milestone and a deeply personal journey. Best known for his Emmy-winning turn in The Bear, White brings a Brooklyn sensibility to the biopic, channeling the raw vulnerability and restless creativity that defined Springsteen in the early 1980s. The film’s focus on the making of Nebraska—an album recorded in stark, acoustic solitude—offers a window into a pivotal moment in American music history. The fact that White performed his own vocals, often under Springsteen’s watchful eye, adds another layer of authenticity to the project.
Springsteen’s own reflections on Nebraska have always been tinged with a sense of risk and reinvention. The album, recorded on a humble four-track cassette recorder, stood in stark contrast to the arena rock anthems that had made him a superstar. Its haunting tales of outcasts and dreamers resonated with listeners then and continue to do so today. With the release of Nebraska 82, fans will finally get to hear the electric version that’s long been the stuff of legend—a reminder that even the most iconic records have their hidden chapters.
The convergence of film, music, and live television in this week’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! episodes is no accident. It reflects a broader trend of cross-pollination in the entertainment world, where stories are told and retold across mediums and generations. For Kimmel, it’s a chance to celebrate his roots and spotlight some of the most compelling voices in pop culture today. For Springsteen and White, it’s an opportunity to share their creative journey with a national audience—and perhaps inspire viewers to revisit (or discover for the first time) the stark beauty of Nebraska.
As the lights go up at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the cameras roll, all eyes will be on the unlikely duo of Jeremy Allen White and Bruce Springsteen. Whether they sit down for a joint interview or simply share a moment on stage, their meeting is sure to resonate with fans old and new. With music from Living Colour and Ivan Neville rounding out the night, October 2 promises to be an evening where the past and present of American music collide in the most electric way imaginable.
It’s not every week that late-night television brings together a Hollywood star, a rock legend, and a hometown crowd—let alone under the historic rafters of Brooklyn. But for one night this October, that’s exactly what Jimmy Kimmel Live! has in store.
