Bruce Springsteen Says Jeremy Allen White Did Wonderful Job in Biopic

Bruce Springsteen is delighted with his portrayal in the upcoming biopic Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere.

The singer, 76, attended the screening of the upcoming movie at Alice Tully Hall during the New York Film Festival on Sunday, Sept. 28. While showing his appreciation to those involved in the production, he revealed his candid thoughts on Jeremy Allen White being cast to play him.

“I want to thank everybody for coming out to see our film tonight and our crew, a great cast,” Springsteen remarked on stage. “Jeremy Allen White for putting his whole heart and soul into the part, just such a wonderful job, and for playing a much better looking version of me. 

“I’m really thankful for that,” Springsteen added.

Deliver Me from Nowhere “chronicles the making of Bruce Springsteen’s 1982 Nebraska album when he was a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggling to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past,” according to an official synopsis for the movie.

While at Sunday’s premiere, White, 34, told PEOPLE that he asked the “Dancing in the Dark” singer “really direct” questions early on in the production process. 

“‘Why this film? Why this period?’ And even what happened on this journey, on this road trip, in really specific moments. And he was immediately so honest,” White recalled. 

“He talked to me about a panic attack he’d had, and he described it to me as in this moment he felt like he was like a voyeur in his own life,” The Bear star added. “He was an observer. He felt so outside of himself, and he told me that story, and that’s a feeling I’m familiar with.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“I think I’m always trying to find some presence in my own life, and I worked very hard at it every day,” White concluded. “And when he told me that story and made me familiar with that feeling, I knew there was a tether that I could explore there.”

Springsteen performed “Land of Hope and Dreams” after the movie was screened on Sunday, after having included other cast members, producers, directors and the 20th Century Studios in his lengthy list of praise. 

His remarks included thoughts on the portrayal of his manager, Jon Landau.

“Jeremy Strong for his creativity and his inspiration,” the singer said, heaping praise on another person in his list of thanks. “He had us on the phone all hours of the night just with different ideas, and he played a much, much better-looking Jon Landau, so we appreciate that very much.”

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere is in theaters Oct. 24.