Jeremy Allen White's 10 Best Movies And TV Shows

While Shameless and The Bear are Jeremy Allen White’s best known roles, his filmography and career contain dozens of incredible performances. White has proved himself as an incredibly capable talent, with none of his performances being sub-par. Few can match his ability to bring authenticity and relatability to characters struggling with psychological issues or emotional trauma, and it’s this unique talent that makes every single one of the best Jeremy Allen white movies and TV shows a must-watch for fans.

10 After Everything (2018)

Jeremy Allen White Plays Elliott

Romantic movie After Everything (not to be confused with the 2023 movie of the same name from the After franchise) is one of the best Jeremy Allen White movies, and it’s entirely due to his performance as Elliot. Like almost all the characters White has built his career playing, Elliot is emotionally complex, with a story that adds significant depth to the otherwise by-the-numbers romantic drama.

Elliott is a young man whose life is thrown into chaos following a cancer diagnosis. However, he finds meaning again when he meets Mia (Maika Monroe). While their relationship has many ups and downs by the end of the film, White and Monroe’s chemistry on-screen is impeccable. It elevates the film from relatively standard drama-laden romance to a genuinely gripping character study, and Jeremy Allen White proves himself as more than capable for taking on lead roles in the genre.

9 Afterschool (2008)

Jeremy Allen White Plays Dave

Afterschool was the fourth feature-length movie Jeremy Allen White appeared in, and definitely the project in which the future Shameless and The Bear star found his footing. The 2008 psychological drama from director Antonio Campos was also the debut of Ezra Miller, who co-stars with White alongside Addison Timlin and Michael Stuhlbarg.

While Miller’s character, Robert, is the central focus of the narrative, Jeremy Allen White delivers an equally gripping performance as Dave. While the internet-dwelling Robert descends further and further into delusional paranoia, Dave provides an important counterbalance while also struggling with problems of his own. It was an early glimpse of just how good Jeremy Allen White is at portraying emotionally complex characters, and one of the best movies of the formative years of his career.

8 Bad Turn Worse (2013)

Jeremy Allen White Plays Bobby

Bad Turn Worse is a gritty noir from directors Zeke and Simon Hawkins, and one of the best movies of Jeremy Allen White’s earlier career. The narrative focused on a trio of teens who find themselves fleeing for their lives after stealing money from a local mobster. Debuting in 2013, it’s easy to see how White’s performance as Lip in Shameless (which debuted two years earlier) lent itself to him landing the part of Bobby in Bad Turn Worse, as there’s clear overlap between the two characters.

Much like many of Lip’s antics in Shameless, Bobby’s part in what starts out a simple theft of petty cash quickly spirals out of control, leading to consequences far worse than Bobby or his compatriots could ever have conceived. Bad Turn Worse was an important milestone in Jeremy Allen White’s on-screen career during the time that Shameless was elevating his reputation episode-by-episode, and not one to miss for fans of White whether it’s from his time as one of the Gallagher clan or his more recent turn as Carmy in The Bear.

7 The Rental (2020)

Jeremy Allen White Plays Josh

Not only is 2020’s The Rental the directorial debut of Dave Franco, but it also marks one of Jeremy Allen White’s few ventures into the horror genre - and it’s clear that the actor is just as comfortable in the realm of scary films as he is complex dramas or thematically deep comedies. The Rental is fueled by paranoia, leaning more into a slowly building sense of dread rather than jump-scares. Jeremy Allen White brings many of the skills honed in other roles to the horror outing, perfectly conveying Josh’s gradual decline into a borderline-unhinged distrust of everyone around him.

The plot focuses on Jeremy Allen White’s Josh, alongside Dan Stevens’ Charlie, Alison Brie’s Michelle, and Sheila Vand’s Mina. When the foursome rent a house for a weekend getaway, they quickly realize their activities are being watched through hidden cameras. While not the strongest horror movie of the last few years, it does contain some incredible performances from the cast, especially from White. Josh is one of many Jeremy Allen White roles that require a portrayal of a complex psychological decline, and he unsurprisingly delivers a more than satisfactory performance.

6 Fremont (2023)

Jeremy Allen White Plays Daniel

The 2023 drama Fremont, from director Babak Jalali, is one of the most interesting appearances of Jeremy Allen White among his best movies and TV shows. His screen time is relatively small compared to his other project, though this doesn’t make it any less memorable. It’s also a movie that allowed him to display a different side than many of his other roles. Rather than portraying a troubled or struggling character, White’s Daniel is the source of a cathartic release for Fremont’s central figure, Donya (Anaita Wali Zada).

Fremont focuses on Donya, an Afghan refugee living in the titular California town. She meets White’s Daniel towards the end of the film, and finds that he’s one of the first people to show her simple, no-strings-attached kindness. Jeremy Allen White’s presence fuels some genuinely heartwarming moments. While it’s a relatively simple role on the surface, there’s a surprising amount of depth to Daniel and Donya’s interactions, and Fremont is the perfect demonstration among the best Jeremy Allen White movies of how wide the actor’s range truly is.

5 Fingernails (2023)

Jeremy Allen White Plays Ryan

Of all the best Jeremy Allen White movies and TV shows, none have as strange or intriguing a premise as the 2023 film Fingernails. Co-starring Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed, with Christos Nikou directing, Fingernails is both a romantic drama and dystopian sci-fi. Set in the near future, Fingernails finds society reeling from the implications of a technology that can determine, with 100% accuracy, whether a couple is truly in love simply by testing a fingernail.

In Fingernails, Jeremy Allen White plays Ryan, the boyfriend of Jessie Buckley’s Anna. When Anna gets a job at one of the facilities that administer the tests, their relationship is put under immediate strain. The tension between the two is only increased when Anna starts an affair with Riz Ahmed’s Amir. While it’s not the most complex role in Jeremy Allen White’s career, it is still one that requires bringing a wide range of emotions to the screen, and White does so with the same apparent ease that’s come to define his career as an actor.

4 Homecoming (2018-2020)

Jeremy Allen White Plays Shrier

While Jeremy Allen White only appears in four episodes of the Amazon Prime Original Homecoming, his performance as former soldier Shrier is an incredibly memorable one. White’s appearance ensures that not only is Shrier one of the most memorable characters in the series, but also that Homecoming solidly stands as one of his best TV shows. With a cast that also includes the likes of Julia Roberts, Bobby Cannavale, and Stephan James, Homecoming tells the story of a shady facility masquerading as a center for helping veterans transition into civilian life.

Jeremy Allen White’s Shrier is one of several veterans who find themselves at the Homecoming Initiative wellness center. It’s an incredibly nuanced part, but White has no struggles portraying Shrier’s complex mental health issues with a skillful authenticity. Homecoming is one of several shows and movies in White’s filmography that require such depictions of complex emotions, and it’s the perfect example of why the actor has found his footing portraying troubled characters for whom day-to-day life is a constant struggle.

3 The Iron Claw (2023)

Jeremy Allen White Plays Kerry Von Erich

Of all his appearances on the big screen, it’s 2023’s The Iron Claw that stands out as the best Jeremy Allen White movie. From director Sean Durkin, The Iron Claw is a gritty sports biographic with a heavy amount of tragedy. Jeremy Allen White delivers a gripping performance as Kerry Von Erich, starring alongside Zac Efron and Harris Dickinson as Kerry’s older brothers, Kevin and David.

All members of the well-known Von Erich family of professional wrestlers, The Iron Claw tells the story of how the brothers mentally and physically put themselves through hell to try and live up to the legacy of their father, Fritz. While a sports movie, the narrative is character-focused. Jeremy Allen White’s performance as Kerry Von Erich is one of the darkest roles of his career, and the skill with which he depicts the wrestler’s emotional decline to his eventual suicide shows just how talented the Shameless and The Bear star truly is.

2 Shameless (2011-2021)

Jeremy Allen White Plays Lip

The cast of Shameless is full of some incredibly solid performances, especially from the likes of Cameron Monaghan, Emmy Rossum, and William H. Macy. This makes Jeremy Allen White’s performance as Lip especially noteworthy among his best movies and TV shows, as he brings such a distinct and memorable personality to the character that he never fades into the background of the wider ensemble.

The oldest son of Frank Gallagher (Macy), Lip in Shameless is a nuanced and intriguing character. Of all the Gallagher children, it’s Lip who has the intelligence and potential to easily make it out of the cyclical poverty trap the family has been trapped in for generations. However, much to his frustration, his many flaws ensure he constantly finds himself squandering the opportunities his hard work creates. This is inner conflict played to perfection by Jeremy Allen White, and his performance across all 11 seasons of Shameless ensures it will always be considered one of his best TV shows.

1 The Bear (2022-Present)

Jeremy Allen White Plays Carmy

Playing Lip in Shameless may have helped put the actor on the map, but it’s the role of Carmy in The Bear that has cemented Jeremy Allen White as a household name. It’s hard to deny that The Bear is the best Jeremy Allen White TV show, especially since his performance has landed him a string of accolades including two Golden Globes and two Critics Choice Awards for Best Actor.

The cast of The Bear is full of great performances, especially from the likes of co-stars Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. However, it’s Jeremy Allen White who steals every scene. Carmy may be the central character of the gripping kitchen drama, but it’s White’s performance that holds The Bear together, elevating the series from great to unmissable. Without him, it’s highly likely the series wouldn’t be anywhere near as acclaimed. While Jeremy Allen White’s career is still going strong, it’s hard to envision any of his future appearances being better than his time as Carmy in The Bear.