The new Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me from Nowhere may be all about the legendary musician, but the 25-year-old movie High Fidelity goes one better than this upcoming release. The classic Stephen Frears comedy stars the Boss himself, playing his signature Fender Esquire in a short scene with John Cusack’s protagonist. No other feature film has ever included an appearance by Springsteen, and this is just one of many reasons to watch High Fidelity. This darkly subversive romcom about rock music nerds is tailor-made for fans of Bruce and his E Street Band.

Now that we have a trailer for Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, as well as an October 2025 release date for the movie itself, the comparisons between Jeremy Allen White and the real Bruce Springsteen have begun. But for those who’d rather see the singer himself than a musical biopic about his life, High Fidelity is the movie to watch before the release of the new big-screen biography of Springstreen. For starters, the 2000 comedy film is all about the kind of music fans of the Boss will love. Secondly, Bruce’s appearance in High Fidelity suits him to a tee.

Bruce Springsteen Cameos In The Classic Music-Themed Comedy High Fidelity

The Boss Appears As Himself In A Brief Scene With John Cusack

Deliver Me from Nowhere’s Jeremy Allen White might sing very well, according to Bruce Springsteen himself, but no one can sing or play guitar quite like the Boss. That’s why Springsteen’s 50-second appearance is so special. We see him playing around with a blues lick on his iconic ʙuттerscotch-blonde 1950s Fender Esquire electric guitar, as John Cusack’s character, Rob Gordon, uses him as a sounding board for a personal dilemma.

Springsteen employs a style of talking blues as he responds to Rob’s concerns. The Boss suggests wryly that Rob is only considering meeting up with his former girlfriends to feel better about himself. The short scene becomes even funnier when Rob manages to overlook the negative connotations of what Bruce is implying, and agrees that, yes, it will make him feel better, and therefore he should do it.

High Fidelity Is The Only Movie To Feature An Appearance From Bruce Springsteen

He’s Also Cameoed In Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm

This cameo appearance is a unique event in Bruce Springstreen’s career. While his music has appeared in many films, the Boss himself has shied away from the big screen. Springsteen’s cameo in season 12 of Curb Your Enthusiasm is his only other screen appearance in a scripted release of any note, placing High Fidelity in exceptional company.

Although Deliver Me from Nowhere will put Bruce at the center of its story, the movie is unlikely to feature the musician himself onscreen, even in a cameo role as another character. In any case, if you want to see the Boss starring as himself in a feature film, High Fidelity is your only option for now, and it’s a worthy option, too.

High Fidelity Is One Of The Best Movies Ever Made About Rock Music

Its Self-Effacing Brand Of Humor Is Perfect For Rockist Sensibilities

Few movies about music have ever bettered High Fidelity’s brand of self-effacing rockist comedy. Rob Gordon and his gang of record store snobs are excruciatingly real, while Rob’s dysfunctional atтιтude to romance says more about the masculine condition than more serious male-centric dramas ever could. Meanwhile, the High Fidelity soundtrack is the ultimate crowd-pleaser for record collectors.

High Fidelity deserves far more praise and attention than it’s received in the decades since its theatrical release. The movie warrants greater stature as a cult classic music fans, while more mainstream audiences may well find it to be one of the funniest romantic comedies released this century, even if it doesn’t exactly fit that genre categorization. John Cusack is at his best as the self-absorbed central anti-hero we quickly develop a love-hate relationship with, while Jack Black has arguably never topped his breakout role in the movie. It’s fair to say that Bruce is pretty good in it, too.