Bruce Springsteen Made His Acting Debut In A Forgotten Netflix Thriller Series

Bruce Springsteen is a famous and talented musician, but did you know he can also act? In 2014, he briefly starred in the TV show "Lilyhammer" as the main character's older brother, Giuseppe. His character was only present for one episode (the season 3 finale, which was named after his song, "Loose Ends"), but he definitely made an impression for any fans of his in the audience. 

Springsteen's "Lilyhammer" appearance was sort of like Ed Sheeran's appearance in season 7 of "Game of Thrones." If you were a fan of him beforehand, you were likely thrilled, and if you weren't a fan of him, you could still appreciate the scene for its own sake. The early Netflix original series "Lilyhammer" is a show that's tragically never gotten its due — it was even unceremoniously booted from Netflix in November 2022 — but Springsteen's season 3 appearance still garnered plenty of headlines at the time. 

How did the musician land this role? Well, the star of "Lilyhammer" was Steven Van Zandt, a man best known for playing Silvio in "The Sopranos," but also for his career as a musician. Van Zandt had been a member of Springsteen's "E Street Band" before starting his solo band Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul. Springsteen landed the role because he was a friend and former co-worker of Van Zandt, a guy who not only starred in "Lilyhammer," but who served as a director, producer, and writer for the series.

The impressive part of Springsteen's appearance in "Lilyhammer" was not that he landed an acting role, but that Van Zandt was able to convince him to act in the first place. In a 2014 interview with the AP Press (via UCR), Van Zandt talked about feeling honored that he was the first person to get Springsteen to star in a fictional TV role:

"I know we're friends for 50 years, but still it meant a lot to me that he chose me and trusted me enough to direct him when literally everybody on earth's been wanting to do it ... He's really acting. It's not some cameo. He's not playing himself. It's a real thing."

The next person to draw in Springsteen for a TV role was Larry David in his show "Curb Your Enthusiasm." In the show's final season, Springsteen plays a version of himself, one who quickly becomes fed up with Larry and his neurotic ways. The main plot point is that Larry accidentally gives Springsteen COVID-19, something that disrupts Springsteen's concert and earns Larry the ire of both Springsteen and the singer's legions of fans. 

Given the improv-heavy nature of that show, Springsteen's performance on "Curb" shows off his acting skills even more than his performance on "Lilyhammer," causing some critics to urge Springsteen to pursue acting even further. "The real takeaway here is that Springsteen should actually think about acting as an Act II for his career," wrote critic Allegra Frank, who noted that Springsteen feels like a more experienced actor than he is. "Perhaps this'll be the start of a new spate of guest-starring roles for the Boss, should he ever really want a break from touring."