‘The Bear’ Cast Teases Jeremy Allen White Over His Sex Symbol Status

The Bear cast has a sense of humor about Jeremy Allen White’s sex symbol status, according to his costar Abby Elliott.

“I mean, we all kinda do,” Elliott, 37, told The Times in an interview published on Saturday, June 22. “But he’s also an amazing actor, so to be in a scene with someone working at that caliber is thrilling to me.”

White, 33, plays Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto on the hit Hulu show — a chef who inherits his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop in Chicago — while Elliot portrays Carmy’s sister, Natalie (a.k.a. “Sugar.”)

The show, which premiered in 2022, went on to win 10 Primetime Emmy Awards in its first season. Earlier this year, The Bear had a successful night at the Golden Globes, with White winning Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy. Elliot was nominated for her supporting role, ultimately losing out to costar Ayo Edebiri.

With season 3 on the way, Elliot confessed that the team felt pressure to continue the show’s success. “But as soon as we all got to set in Chicago it felt like we’re back in this bubble, in a rhythm and with our family,” she told The Times.

The Saturday Night Live alum continued, “Our director [Christopher Storer] goes so fast on set — it’s unlike any other show I’ve worked on. It’s so punchy, it’s so quick. He will do one or two takes and he’s like, ‘OK, we’re moving on.’ It feels very reactionary, like it’s in real time, because it is.”

Elliott noted that her mom “helped me run lines every night” because the cast needs to arrive on set prepared, adding, “I would just drill it. I’m still dreaming about it. Last night I dreamt that I had a monologue to memorize and I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can do it this fast!’”

Before her role on The Bear, Elliott joined the SNL cast in 2008 at the age of 21. She remained on the series until 2012.

“I was so young,” she told The Times. “It was my first job in the entertainment industry and it was shocking how you had to push people out of your way to get to the top.”

She added, “I think Maya [Rudolph] had her first child while she was on the show. Amy Poehler too. I think about that and I’m like, in what world? It’s not possible.”

Fans have waited patiently for the return of The Bear, and news broke on Monday, June 24, that the wait will be over sooner than expected. All 10 episodes of season 3 hit Hulu Wednesday, June 26, at 9 p.m. ET — three hours earlier than the initial release date.