Is The Bear Primarily based on a True Story? Discover Out All the things In regards to the Emmy-Successful Present

With its gritty vibe, realistic portrayal of the high-pressure kitchen environment inside a restaurant, and captivating acting performances, Emmy award-winning FX series The Bear is the ‘It’ show of the moment — and has also sparked curiosity about whether it’s based on a true story.

The comedy-drama, along with HBO’s Succession, came up tops with six awards at the Emmys, which took place in Los Angeles on January 15, 2024. Jeremy Allen White, who plays Carmy in the series, took home the statuette for best comedy actor, while his co-stars Ayo Edebiri and Ebon Moss-Bachrach were declared best supporting actress and supporting actor respectively.

If The Bear‘s domination of this year’s awards circuit hasn’t been enough to make it the talk of the town, there was a moment at the Emmys that quickly etched itself into pop culture history: Its actors Matty Matheson and Moss-Bachrach’s unexpected kiss after winning the award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Clips of the lengthy snog — initiated by Moss-Bachrach — have unsurprisingly gone viral on social media, adding a fresh layer of interest in the show.

On the heels of the series’ victory at the Emmys, and of course, White’s recent (and very popular) Calvin Klein ad campaign that has sparked a gazillion memes and thirsty TikToks, we find out more about The Bear and the true story and real life events that inspired it.

 But first, what is The Bear about?

Since hitting Hulu in June 2022, FX’s The Bear, the brainchild of Christopher Storer, has been the only thing entertainment enthusiasts have been gushing about. A culinary rollercoaster seasoned with dark humour and a dash of adrenaline, the series follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, a determined chef running his family restaurant after a tragic homecoming. With a kitchen crew that’s more of a dysfunctional family, including the dubious “cousin” Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach), talented sous chef Sydney (Edebiri) and the pastry wizard Marcus (Lionel Boyce), this show serves up a delectable mix of food, grief, and the quest for self-improvement.

What The Bear gets right is the atmosphere of the restaurant business, the nuances that change the way the narrative plays out as well as the excellent performances by the cast. Storer’s win at the Emmys cements the fact that the show’s creators utilised the right kind of research to build this kind of authenticity.

“I just love restaurants so much. The good, the bad, it’s rough. We’re all broken inside and every single day we’ve got to show up and cook and make people feel good by eating something and sitting at a table, and it’s really beautiful, and all of us here get to make a show together, ” Matheson mentioned as part of his post-kiss acceptance speech. Matheson, who plays handyman Neil Fak, is also a Canadian chef and a producer for The Bear.

Is the story of The Bear real?

In the simplest terms, no. However, director Christopher Storer did infuse some of his real-life experiences into the script, with his Chicago upbringing forming an important part of the narrative. Specifically, Storer’s friendship with Chris Zucchero, whose late father founded the city’s beloved Mr. Beef, is the restaurant that inspired the sandwich shop in Season 1.

“He was the first friend I ever met,” the director said in a media interview. “I wrote a lot of the show hanging out with Chris in what they call the elegant dining room of Mr. Beef, which is actually just an added-on patio.” He added that a lot of the employees he’d see hanging out smoking cigarettes were woven into Richie’s character played by Moss-Bachrach. Understandably, the story of The Bear is to a few degrees, anecdotal.

Not surprisingly, Storer also drew inspiration from conversations he had with real-world chefs. “I can’t tell you how many chefs told me, ‘Oh, yeah, on opening night a toilet exploded.’ Or the sink didn’t work. Or whatever it was. The cooking? That’s one skill of a hundred that it takes to operate a place,” he said in the same interview.

“[Storer] spent a lot of time in that beef place,” executive producer and showrunner, Joanna Calo told Forbes. “And I will also say while we were shooting, that some days we actually did shoot in the Mr. Beef on Orleans, and people would show up and bang on the windows trying to get their beef, and we ruined it for them because we were shooting, and it wasn’t operational that day.”

How did Jeremy Allen White do his cooking scenes?

Method acting has to take credit for this masterpiece of a performance by White. The process involved the Emmy-winner undertaking extensive training for his role as Carmy. The critically acclaimed actor completed a two-week programme at the Institute of Culinary Education in Pasadena, California, before joining chef Dave Beran’s team at Pasjoli in Santa Monica. The luxe French bistro features an open kitchen where guests were able to see White preparing their food in the flesh during filming hours! Not to forget, the restaurant also holds one Michelin star.

During a Late Night with Seth Meyers interview, White shared that he has a newfound “respect” for the back-of-house — the kitchen staff running the show. “I had no idea just how much went into it. It’s incredible,” the acclaimed actor added.”I spent a lot of time with chefs, and cooks, and the sacrifice of time, the commitment, the loss of personal life. It’s astounding and it’s commendable.”

Allen might’ve perfected his knife-sharpening skills but the Calvin Klein ambassador is sticking to his acting job for the time being.

What parts of The Bear intrigued you and how much of the story do you feel is true?

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(Main and Featured image: Hulu and FX)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Carmy called Bear?

Carmy, his late brother, Michael, and Natalie’s (their sister) last name on the show is Berzatto. (Pronounced “bear-zaa-tow”) They are shown to be affectionately called the “bear” by their friends. To pay tribute to Michael, Carmy chooses to close the old family restaurant called The Beef and open a new one called The Bear.

Is the The Bear on Netflix?

The Bear is an FX series, and you can stream it on Hulu and Disney Plus. It is not available on Netflix.

Is the story of The Bear true? 

In simple terms, no. However, director Christopher Storer, through many of his interviews, has mentioned that he used parts of his Chicago upbringing in writing the script and perfecting the nuances of the culinary industry.