Bruce Springsteen made a lot of news earlier this year when he made a memorable appearance in the final season of Curb Your Enthusiasm. It was notable not only because Springsteen was quite funny and natural in the role of himself, but also because he doesn’t do that kind of thing very often.
But back in 2000, he surprised audiences watching the music-heavy romantic comedy High Fidelity with a brief but unforgettable cameo in the film. Here’s how Springsteen became a voice of wisdom for John Cusack’s character in the film.
Bruce the Actor
When you stop to think about it, there aren’t too many musicians of Springsteen’s stature who didn’t dabble at least some in the world of acting at one point or another. The list is long: John Lennon, David Bowie, Mick Jagger, and many others from the classic rock era. Even among Springsteen’s big pop competition in the ’80s, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince all dipped their toes in the moviemaking pool at the same time they were churning out hits.
Springsteen never went this route. In fact, he was even reluctant to go into the world of music videos. When he finally relented during the Born in the U.S.A. album cycle, it made big news when he played small roles that weren’t performance-based in clips for “Glory Days” and “I’m on Fire.”
That’s why the appearance in High Fidelity was such a surprise to many. As it turned out, it only occurred thanks to the movie’s source material. And it almost wasn’t Bruce who appeared in the film, as the first choice was an icon whom Springsteen himself idolized.
Dylan’s Busy; Get The Boss
That’s right: Bob Dylan was the first choice of the producers of High Fidelity to appear as a kind of guardian angel giving advice to the main character. But Dylan wasn’t available to appear. As a result, Springsteen was asked.
As it turned out, he was probably a wiser choice anyway. The book upon which the High Fidelity movie was based mentions Springsteen’s songs as an ideal for how to deal with relationships. In particular, the hero/narrator wishes he could handle a breakup with the same kind of equanimity and wisdom that Springsteen showed in the song “Bobby Jean.”
Never mind that “Bobby Jean” was more about Springsteen’s friendship with bandmate Steven Van Zandt than any romance. It still made sense to see if The Boss was interested in taking the bit part. Springsteen was already friendly with John Cusack, so after Cusack badgered him for a while to take the role, Bruce accepted.
Springsteen on Set
Despite being nervous on the set, Springsteen’s cameo in High Fidelity comes off natural and easy-going. It probably helped that he had a guitar in hand while saying his lines. He allegedly adjusted some of the dialogue so that, at one point, he corrects Cusack’s character about how a girl might feel after a breakup.
Springsteen also references the lyrics of “Bobby Jean” in his final piece of advice: “Give that big final good luck and goodbye to your all-time Top 5 and just move on down the road.” He’s in the film for not even a minute, but it’s hard to overrate the credibility he lent it by appearing.
As it turned out, Springsteen didn’t catch the acting bug after appearing in High Fidelity. In between that and Curb Your Enthusiasm, he had just a brief part as a gangster in the final episode of Van Zandt’s starring vehicle Lilyhammer. It’s a path he hasn’t really taken, but one that, based on the evidence of High Fidelity, might have been a lucrative one for The Boss had he chosen it.
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